Excited to abandon the humdrum commotion of high school, senior Mary Kate Dean is enthusiastically preparing to enter the next phase of her life as a college freshman.
“I’m really excited for college because it will bring a whole lot more current opportunities than I currently have in high school,” Mary Kate said. “I want to be able to meet new people, study something that I’m actually interested in, and become more independent as I navigate my young adult years.”
Likewise, with the constraints of a high school schedule, Mary Kate hasn’t had adequate free time to practice her favorite hobbies and develop new skills. For example, as a former member of FHC’s girl’s golf program who had to quit to get a job, she is looking forward to being able to practice her sport once again.
Now that she will be able to choose her own class schedule, Mary Kate can spend more time away from classrooms doing other, more exciting activities. She is looking forward to being able to spend more time in the outdoors in Michigan, but also when traveling to other, less-familiar areas of the United States.
This fall, she will be attending Cornerstone University to study film production and creative innovation, two fields that she has enjoyed delving into throughout her high school career.
“I have taken Media Communications and done some projects in English class that have required me to make videos,” Mary Kate said. “I want to go into video editing and use my creative side.”
Even though she is looking forward to the openings of the many opportunities she will have in her future, she knows that the shift from high school to college will be a significant change. Consequently, she has tried to be as ready for Cornerstone as she can be.
As debatably one of the most integral parts of college preparation, Mary Kate has made sure to become as well-informed as possible to the university’s location.
“I have [done a lot of things to prepare for college],” Mary Kate said. “I have taken multiple [Cornerstone] tours because I want to get as familiar with the campus as possible.”
Cornerstone, a local Christian university, was Mary Kate’s choice because of its smaller size, religious roots, and proximity to her home. Its comfortably walkable yards and buildings lie near a pond and are accessorized by ample greenery.
Even so, to Mary Kate, one of the most compelling elements of the school she enjoys is its amiable citizenry.
“[On my campus tours], I really liked how friendly everyone was and the sense of community [there was],” Mary Kate said. “[I am] maybe [planning on joining clubs when I get to college]; I am just going to see what there is.”
For the most part, Mary Kate is going into college with a blank slate in terms of who she knows. However, her coworker is currently a sophomore at Cornerstone and Mary Kate is excited to attend university by her side.
In regards to living on campus, Mary Kate is going to become a resident in the freshman dorms and is currently on the journey of finding someone she wants to room with.
Accordingly, to ensure she will enter university with a few contacts, she has made sure to optimize her social interactions prior to the beginning of the school year.
“I’ve signed up for this social media app called ZeeMee,” said Mary Kate. “[It] is an app for college students [where they] can join their university’s server and connect with other, future students, professors, and current students.”
Even though adjusting to the commotion college will bring will be uncharted territory for Mary Kate, she is passionate about the adjustment that will ensue and ready to leave behind some of the less-favorable aspects of high school.
Specifically, she is eager to not be forced into the same daily routines as countless other students and is fond of the non-interconnectedness of university life.
“[I am excited to leave behind] the concept of popularity,” Mary-Kate said. “[I think that in college] everyone is going to have their own life. It’s not like everyone will have the same exact schedule in high school [so popularity won’t really exist].”
