Student to faculty ratio- 12:1. With the average class size being 19, I find that it gives more of a chance for the class to interact as well as the students to develop more of a connection with the teacher.
The faculty. Compared to larger lecture halls of 200 or 300 students at universities, the class size of 20 or so students gives the students to form a connection with their teacher. What I personally like about these small classrooms is that the teachers know your name and care about how you're doing in the class. Most teachers post grades online through E-college, but if they don't, it's easy to e-mail/talk with your teacher to find out where you stand in the class and what you can do to improve your grade. They are more than willing to help you out. Also, interesting fact from the Saint Mike's website: 94 percent of the faculty hold their Ph.D. or other terminal degree.
Entertainment brought to campus. Each year, Student Life puts on a concert either in the fall or spring. Last year, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals came! There's a lot of other entertainment on campus ranging from comedians (David Koechner from Anchorman and The Office) to dances for Orientation and Halloween.
Student Discounts around the area. One of the perks that I enjoy most is how taking the public bus is free by just swiping your student ID. I'm not a skiier or snowboarder, but for those people that are, Saint Mike's also offers a $30 season pass to Smuggler's Notch.
Informative panels. Our Saint Mike's e-mail is never empty. New e-mails come in about events that are happening during the week. So far, I've only attended the 9/11 panel on U.S foreign policy and a panel on Eating Animals, the book we had for our summer reading. Also, I went to an educational event on Mission Wolf., an education program about wolf refuge. Live wolves actually came to our school!
Clubs and Activities. There are approximately 40 student organizations and 25 intramural teams (in addition to varsity athletics). What I like is that there are so many things to get involved with, but at the same time, if nothing particularly fits your interests, you can easily start up a new club with your friends. To check out some of the clubs and activities blogs, go to www.smcblogs.com.
The location: Colchester, Vermont is minutes away from Burlington, which was recently rated #8 on the list of Top Ten College Towns. It's convenient because through Saint Mike's, you get free transportation on the buses that bring you to the city. Here are some main attractions for dining, shopping, and other events in Burlington:
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| Church Street. It has a plathora of things to do, such as shopping and dining |
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| Burlington Town Center. Burlington's mall that has stores such as Abercrombie, Macy's, The Loft, Coldwater Creek, American Eagle, Old Navy, FYE, and much more. To get more information, click here! |
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| Ben and Jerry's. Also located on Church Street |
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| Sweetwaters. A great place to eat inside or outside on Church Street. |
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| Waterfront Park. A perfect spot to see the beautiful Lake Champlain. Also, ECHO aquarium, Skinny Pancake, Splash Cafe, and sailing and boating tours are in this area, too. |
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| The Flynn Center. A place to see live music, dance, and theater performances. |
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| Higher Ground. Similar to Flynn Center, Higher Ground has music artists and comedians come to perform. |
Weekend events. Every week, Student Life sends out an e-mail informing us on what's going on around Saint Mike's and around the area Friday-Sunday. Here's what an e-mail looks like:
FRIDAY NIGHT Hot Dogs in the Quad 11:30pm-1:00am
CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE RESIDENCE HALLS!
7:30pm Wings, Pizza, Hallway bowling Joyce 1st floor
8:00pm Highlighter Dance T-shirt Decorating Cashman Great Room
8:00pm Make your own Quesadilla Alumni Basement
8:30pm Highlighter Dance T-Shirt Decorating Lyons 3rd Floor Lounge
9:00pm Foosball, Wings & Games Ryan 4th Floor Lounge
12:00am Midnight Cupcakes 300s Fields outside TH 322
CHECK OUT WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE AREA
11:30am - Book Signing and Tasting - healthy Living, South Burlington, free, info 863-2569 ext. 1
2:00-7:00pm - Made in Vermont Festival - Waterfront Park, Burlington, $5-10, info 735-1435
