Sum-It-Up Sunday : Week #1

Hello all!

It's been a busy first week here at St. Mike's, especially for all of us seniors! Between my Global Communications class and Senior Seminar for Media Studies, Journalism & Digital Arts, it's going to be a busy semester and year.

However, we were also able to enjoy ourselves a little bit this week. My housemates Marissa, Nicole, Regan, Olivia and I got settled into our townhouse in the 400s, and worked on creating a comfy, cozy common area for ourselves throughout the week! If you missed my welcome back post and digital townhouse tour, check it out here!

This week, we also started to get used to cooking dinner for ourselves. I'll miss the convenience of Alliot, but I'm excited to get into the swing of controlling my own meals, learning how to be a better shopper, and enjoying more variety!

You can take the girl out of the kitchen she grew up in, but she'll still bring Annie's mac & cheese with her to college! (Not the best example of our cooking skills this week, but it was probably my favorite meal!)

Also on the agenda this week was lots and lots of studying. Our first big step in Global Communications this semester will be a test on the map of the world at the end of this month, for which we'll need to fill in every country!

I'll be monopolizing the kitchen table every now and then until September 22nd. Wish me luck!

In other news, I was in charge of the St. Mike's Snapchat this week, and I'll be posting this coming week as well! If you aren't already, follow smcknights for a unique view of on and off campus student life!

After what was quite possibly the longest first week ever, we managed to have some fun this weekend and conquered our first hike of the year at one of our favorites, Camel's Hump!

If you didn't catch any of my rave reviews of Camel's Hump last year, it's the best! Just forty minutes from campus, it's one of the best hikes in the area with an unbeatable view. 

I hope you all had a wonderful first week and weekend! Stay tuned for the next What-to-Know Wednesday on the 7th!

Let's Connect!
Instagram: @claire_cavanaugh
Twitter: @CavanaughClaire
E-mail: ccavanaugh2@mail.smcvt.edu

What-to-Know Wednesday : Welcome Back & Townhouse Tour!

Hello again, SMC!...and welcome back to Stories of St. Mike's!!!

It's so wonderful to be back here in Vermont kicking off my senior year (*still wondering where the last three years went*)!! I had a wonderful summer back in Newbury, MA filled with family, friends, and plenty of work and play! I hope you all enjoyed your summers as much as I did.

I'm coming to you straight from the middle of the first week of classes here at St. Mike's. The hustle and bustle of the first week is always an interesting mix of excitement and anxiety, but for now, we're enjoying ourselves as much as possible before the load of the semester truly kicks in!

As I'm getting settled into my townhouse in the 400s, I'm excited to give all you prospective students and underclassmen a digital tour of our humble abode, which we've quickly grown very fond of!

Home sweet home, TH 404!!

There are five residents to a 400s townhouse, and our common room provides a roomy, cozy space for all of us to lounge, eat, study, etc.! (Forgive the lack of decoration for now, there's much more to come!)

Speaking of eating...as seniors, our meal plan is reduced and we'll be cooking most meals in our own kitchen this year! As you can see, the shared kitchen comes fully equipped with an oven, electric stovetop, fridge and freezer, and a sink! In addition to the numerous drawers and cabinets, there is also a pantry/closet for even more storage. Between the five of us, there is more than enough kitchen space for all of our food, pantry items, and cookware! (Keep an eye out for upcoming What-to-Know Wednesdays, where I plan to discuss tips for maximizing space in a shared kitchen, ideas for quick and easy weeknight dinners, and more!)

This year, I have so much more space in my bedroom than I've gotten used to over the past few years!

I can't wait to spend my senior year in our lovely little home-away-from-home!

I hope you all have a great first week at SMC, or wherever you are. I'm looking forward to another year of bringing you all my tips, tricks, and stories of St. Mike's!

That said, be sure to stay tuned for this semester's first Sum-It-Up Sunday on the 4th to find out how I spent my first week back on campus!




Let's Connect!
Instagram: @claire_cavanaugh
Twitter: @CavanaughClaire
E-mail: ccavanaugh2@mail.smcvt.edu

What-to-Know Wednesday : 3 Takeaways From Junior Year

Looking back on my third year at SMC, it's getting harder every day to believe that I only have one year left!

To any current or future SMC juniors, these are my three biggest takeaways that I've reflected on as my junior year comes to a close:


1.) Planning ahead

Pay attention to your credits. If you happen to be a credit or two behind, or one of the classes you need to take next semester is only half-credit, now is the time to make sure you're compensating for that. Depending on your major, your course load may be pretty extensive in your senior year. Make sure you're planning a balanced schedule to ensure you're prioritizing what you'll need to focus on the most.

2.) Reflecting back and looking forward

Have you been making the most of your opportunities at St. Mike's? Have you been getting involved and accomplishing the goals you set going in? What can you do in your final year at SMC to make sure you made your time here as fulfilling as possible?

3.) Staying in the moment

With only one year left in your time at SMC, the last three years seem to have flashed by in a second. Enjoy every bit of what's offered to you up here while you can!


I hope you've all enjoyed another year of Stories Of St. Mike's! I'll be back in the fall, so stay tuned! But in the meantime, I wish everyone a wonderful summer. To all you incoming freshmen, I hope you're looking forward to St. Mike's as much as we're looking forward to having you!

Until next time!




Let's Connect!
Instagram: @claire_cavanaugh
Twitter: @CavanaughClaire
E-mail: ccavanaugh2@mail.smcvt.edu

Sum-It-Up Sunday: Week #16

Hello all! It's been a wonderful last full week here at St. Mike's! With finals underway and move-out so close we can taste it, it's been a real rush this past week.

On Thursday, all us China-goers had a reunion almost a year later at the Sherpa Kitchen downtown! It was great to reflect on the trip, swap stories and see all the graduating seniors off! 

Plus it didn't hurt that some great food was involved...

Saturday morning smoothie bowls at the Juicebox! With the farmer's market up and running again and a Bernie Sanders festival going on by the water, downtown was hoppin' yesterday! 

A beautiful few at the top of Snake Mountain! The hike itself requires plenty of mud and bug endurance, but I'd say it's worth it for that spectacular overlook at the top!

A tasty dinner date with my brother last night at Tiny Thai! 

Good luck with finals everyone! I hope all you current, prospective and incoming students alike enjoyed my last Sum-It-Up Sunday of the year! Be sure to check out my last What-to-Know Wednesday and final post of the year on the 11th!



Let's Connect!
Instagram: @claire_cavanaugh
Twitter: @CavanaughClaire
E-mail: ccavanaugh2@mail.smcvt.edu

What-to-Know Wednesday : What Is P-Day?

Hello all, and greetings from the last day of classes here at SMC!

With P-Day 2016 having just come and gone this past weekend, I can't think of a better time to discuss specifics, as promised in my last Sum-It-Up Sunday!

I certainly wondered what P-Day was as a prospective student, so I'm assuming you guys are looking for the lowdown as well. So without further ado, this is P-Day (which stands for "Preparation Day": your last day of celebration on the final Saturday before exams begin)!

Step 1: Preparation!

Sometime in the week leading up to P-Day, your RA will distribute P-Day bracelets to all of their residents. On the day of, P-Day workers will distribute "coins" to all bracelet-wearers. These coins plus your bracelet will serve as your admission into the food tent! Once in the food tent, your coins will act as currency! (Other than that, food is completely free!)

Step 2: Eat!

In my book, the free food tent is by far the best part of P-Day! Local restaurants set up their tables inside, and the long (lonnnggg) lines form from there! Some favorite places that have participated every year include Hop Sing Chinese restaurant, The Skinny Pancake (aka the best crepe you'll every have), and of course Ben & Jerry's! Other delicious goodies include pizza, french fries, burritos, and more!

Step 3: Enjoy the (also free!) activities!

Along with the food tent, several inflatable bouncy houses, slides, and other games cover the 300s field!

In addition to the inflatables this year, there was also a free photo booth! These are my souvenirs against a backdrop of tasty Nutella crepes from The Skinny Pancake table! 

Overall, P-Day is such a great day filled with friends, food and fun. It's just the break all of us need before the exams, stresses, and final remaining days of the year hit. And believe me, it will be well deserved!

I hope this post helped answer some of your questions about P-Day as a prospective student, and I hope you're looking forward to it even more now! You totally should be.

Stay tuned for this year's final Sum-It-Up Sunday on the 8th!




Let's Connect!
Instagram: @claire_cavanaugh
Twitter: @CavanaughClaire
E-mail: ccavanaugh2@mail.smcvt.edu

Sum-It-Up Sunday : Week #15

Hello all! It was a wonderful last full week of classes here at St. Mike's! Finals officially start at the end of this upcoming week, and everyone is scrambling to finish final projects and study for exams. Naturally, it's been a busy week!

This Tuesday, we experienced a bizarre late-April snow day after a week of beach-worthy weather! Thankfully, it melted by the following day and we were back to spring.

On Thursday, we celebrated a semester's worth of weekly Sloane dinners for the last time. Unfortunately, Sloane closed its doors for good this week. We're sad to see it go, but we had a great run!

Potato, bacon and cheddar pizza at American Flatbread Friday night! This one goes down as one of my favorite Flatbread pizzas to date, and that's saying a lot coming from a lifelong fan such as myself.

A breakfast fit for P-Day morning! Sausage, egg and cheese on a garlic bagel at The Bagel Place this Saturday!

This Saturday, SMC celebrated P-Day! With the sun finally out for it (which has not been the case for the past two P-Days I've had!), it was a wonderful day filled with food, friends and fun. Wondering about more P-Day specifics? Stay tuned for this week's upcoming What-to-Know Wednesday, when I'll be going into more detail!

I hope everyone had a wonderful week and an even more wonderful P-Day! I wish everyone luck on our last half-week of classes before finals.

Let's Connect!
Instagram: @claire_cavanaugh
Twitter: @CavanaughClaire
E-mail: ccavanaugh2@mail.smcvt.edu

What-to-Know Wednesday : 5 Perks of Attending a Knightchat!

With this year's final Accepted Students Knightchat coming up TONIGHT, I can't think of a better time to discuss the top five reasons why you should be logging in tonight at 7:30!

1.) Get the chance to ask all your last burning questions about SMC before you make your decision!

2.) Get candid answers from current SMC students!

3.) Get advice and information from members of Admissions!

4.) Make connections with other prospective students!

5.) It's so much fun!!! 

I'll be there tonight, and I hope you will too! We look forward to your questions and conversation at 7:30 PM!




Let's Connect!
Instagram: @claire_cavanaugh
Twitter: @CavanaughClaire
E-mail: ccavanaugh2@mail.smcvt.edu