Colleen is a freshman from Greenville, SC. We decided to ask her a few questions to see how everything is going her first few months on campus. Sounds like she enjoys it and is busy!
1) You have been on campus for seven weeks now and survived your first mid-term week. Is school what you expected?
Well,
it was sort of what I expected. In high school, I was very fortunate to
be able to take dual enrollment classes (real college classes with
college students at an actual college that count for both high school
and college degree requirements) and earn my Associate's Degree, so my
freshman year here at UD is actually my fifth year taking college
classes. I've been used to the whole college thing for a while now, yet I
am definitely being challenged here at UD! The work load is sometimes
difficult to handle, and the teachers are always so kind as to supply
their students with lots of reading assignments to make sure their
students aren't having too much fun while out of class!
2) How was your first week of basketball practice?
The
first week was a little rough! I don't think I've ever been so sore in
my life! Despite my frequent muscle pains, it was great to begin the
official season with my new teammates. We focused on defense and
rebounding, and I feel like I am already improving upon each area in
every practice. When I feel like I'm not getting any better, it is
wonderful to have such encouraging teammates!
3) You live with Christen Bounsall (also a freshman on our team). Do you two get along? And how are the dorms?
I
absolutely love Christen! I knew after the first day in the dorm with
her that we were going to have a great year! We enjoy a lot of the same
things, so it is nice having common ground on which to get to know each
other. We are also different, though, as Christen loves Star Wars, gummy
fruit snacks, and anything Captain America, while I like Degrassi, Dr.
Pepper, and anything hot pink! I've learned a lot of things from
Christen, and she has been an awesome friend to me!
The
dorms are nice for the most part, but I wish I had a bigger bed. Being
six feet tall, it is a little hard to fit in a twin sized bed, and I
often get my feet stuck in the wooden rail at the end of my bed. I
really, really miss my queen size at home! I have tried to make my room
nice and "homey" feeling. Along with pictures of my family and friends, I
have my laptop, lots of pink desk supplies, heating pads and ice packs,
my favorite stuffed animals, and a fake taxidermy moose head above my
desk!
4) What has been your favorite part of campus life? (besides basketball, of course!)
The
Catholic part of UD is something that I have loved getting involved in.
I have met many new friends through attending Campus Ministry events,
and I really enjoy the availability of the sacraments on campus. It
truly is a blessing to go to school with so many people that share your
faith!
5) What is your favorite cafeteria food?
Wow…
this is so hard. I actually am a big fan of the food here at UD, and
there are so many things to choose from! I love my daily breakfast:
scrambled eggs, oatmeal, hashbrowns, bacon, fruit, a biscuit, and apple
juice. I tend to have the same breakfast every day, because I like it so
much! I also love when we have Tex Mex day, which is when we have
burritos, chips, and salsa for lunch. The coconut cream pie is amazing! I
think my favorite thing may be the chocolate milk machine, though. It
is awesome to be able to grab all you can eat, which is what I tend to
do after workouts and practice!
6) What has been your best experience about UD so far?
My
friend, Leah, and I recently took a trip on the DART rail to the
American Airlines Center, where the Mavericks play. Both Leah and I are
obsessed with women's olympic gymnastics, so we went to see the Kellog's
Tour of Gymnastics Champions. We had front row seats to the performance
and special back stage passes to meet with the gymnasts. I was able to
meet my favorite athlete, Aly Raisman, and take a picture with her, and
get her autograph! We also met Nastia Liukin, Gabby Douglas, Jordyn
Wieber, John Orozco, and many other gymnasts of USA Gymnastics! That is
the great thing about UD: You can attend a small, quiet school, but be
in touch with the exciting DFW area! It really is the best of both
worlds!
