Inside Guide to Life at Le Moyne

There are SO many clubs and organizations that you can join as soon as you get here! I didn’t end up joining anything until my sophomore year, and it’s something I regret. It’s hands down the best way to meet people. If you’re sort of shy like I am, I can tell you it definitely works. I joined LSPB (the student programming board) as a general board member in my sophomore year. This position has opened so many doors for me, including doing work for other offices on campus, networking, and helping improve my communications resume. As a club, we put on events every single weekend, and being on the inside of the job is really fun. It keeps you in the loop and keeps you busy!

There are so many other clubs, organizations, intramural and club sports, and jobs you can find! Club sports are so fun, and can help if you played a sport in high school but don’t want to play on any of the varsity sports here. I got a work study job by e-mailing one of my professors and asking if they needed someone to be a lab monitor. If you don’t get a work study job right away, nothing is stopping you from finding your own! If you don’t think joining a club or organization is for you, then just attending the events and sporting events is another awesome way to meet people and feel like a part of the community. There are live musicians, bus trips, movies, games, trivia, dances, and fun tournaments (like whiffle ball and kick ball) every weekend to be a part of only for a day.

I suggest finding something about you that sets you apart from other people. Do you have a talent, interest, or skill set that would be applicable for a particular group? How could this translate to a job? Create your own niche. Something so awesome about Le Moyne is that since it’s so small, you have the ability to stand out. There aren’t 15 thousand people who are all just a number.

Something that I knew nothing about before coming to Le Moyne were the literally hundreds of ways to get involved, have fun, and make a difference on campus. Start finding your passion. And never forget that you’re YOU, and that’s your biggest selling point.

As a college student, I’ve discovered that we get so caught up in other things that we lose sight of our priorities and postpone them until later! Procrastination is not someone you want to befriend. For me, the keys to avoiding procrastination were consistency and organization. My best friend is a planner; breaking down your job into manageable chunks each day will always result in success!

I understand that sometimes we just show up for class, take notes, finish the assignment, and then leave. However, it is also critical that you introduce yourself to your professors. Your professors want to get to know you as well as teach you. I now have mentors, excellent future references, and connections as well. All I had to do was push myself out of my comfort zone and introduce myself! You never know how much your professors contribute to your development until you introduce yourself.

When we receive a lower-than-expected grade on an assignment, we can be harsh on ourselves. As a result, we become overwhelmed by negative emotions and lose hope. For me, it was necessary to accept that one bad grade at the beginning of the semester did not set the tone for the rest of the semester. In college, time flies by; one day squandered could have been a great day to do better!

We are frequently so preoccupied with our academics and studying in college….that we forget to do the things we enjoy, such as branching out and meeting new people. So far, I’ve discovered that spending time with my peers has assisted me in reducing stress. I understand that we have limited free time as students, but one thing I always do is have lunch dates with my peers, which do not take up a large portion of my time. We find an afternoon that works for both of us and catch up on life, laugh, and RELAX! Lunch dates are without a doubt the highlight of my hectic day, or even week.

Enjoy every second of your college experience, good or bad. You’ve got this!

Our Phins don’t swim alone much like they don’t swim alone in the wild. Wherever you are on campus, there will always be a smiling face looking at you. Even someone who you know is in your class but maybe have not talked to will smile and say hello. There is always someone around to hang out with and familiar faces everywhere to remind you how close knit you will become. Everyone here will be friendly and want to just get to know you. We don’t put anyone above anyone else, regardless of what activities you are in.  All Phins are treated the same and stick together regardless of what your life may be like outside of the classroom.

Opening Night is an event that happens every year the night before the first day of classes in the fall. You will look forward to seeing some of our amazing performers, getting some pizza or ice cream, getting a free cup and hat, or even going and play some of the games that will be there. Opening Night gives you a chance to kick back with your friends, catch up, and have some fun before the start of the new semester. The night always ends with fireworks being set off to symbolize the start of a new semester, new year, and the start of something great. Many fellow Phins go so it’s a chance to get to know some new people and see all of the familiar faces you will see throughout campus (and even some you might get to know better).

Dolphy Day is the event everyone talks about, reminisces about, and gets excited for. It is the annual celebration of summer and nicer days here on the Heights and is celebrated by a day off from classes and being able to hang out and enjoy the entertainment on the quad by the DJ brought in by the school. Everyone participates and is outside enjoying the day until the final call hits around 5:00 pm.. It is a day you will love and look forward to. Seeing the Eric Dolphy statue over by Nelligan Hall will make you excited once the snow melts off him and you can see the final finish line for when the day will arrive.

Being part of our Phamily means you get a choice regarding your Jesuit experience. People ask if we are required to go to Mass. Whether you are very religious, somewhat religious or not very religious at all, Le Moyne gives you the choice to be what you want to be. One of the beauties of being a Phin is you have the choice and no one is going to make you feel one way or another about your faith experience. Being part of the Jesuit experience here on campus also means that you will have access to all of the service trips we make abroad (like the trip to Ecuador in the winter) and some of the service opportunities that we have locally to help others. These trips are meant to set an example of what being Jesuit is and how we help not only others on campus but the community as a whole without second-guessing it.

You will find yourself becoming the best person you could ever be or even imagined. Phins stick together – just as we triumph together; we ride the waves in between. It is a close-knit community and anyone on campus will attest to that and tell you just how amazing it is to be a Phin. You look out for each other, help others without a second thought, and become the greatest person people will know. Our alumni are also very close to our community and when they see you out in public they may come over, reminisce for a bit, and end with a “‘Phins Up!”  Our alumni look back on their time here with love and miss every second of it. They will tell you stories and you will listen in awe about how similar your experiences are, what you have to look forward to, or how much times have changed since they were living on the Heights.

No matter what year you are, these things are apparent everywhere you go on campus, and off campus. Whether you are making a new friend, screaming your lungs out at a sporting event because the ref doesn’t make the call in our favor, get sunburnt on Dolphy Day, or an alumni pays your bill with a note that says “thanks for bringing back memories”, the love and culture that we have here on the Heights will be apparent. I can’t wait for you to experience this first hand and fall in love with being a Dolphin!