Mia Sypherd ‘24

FORMER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Despite the sun setting before 4:30 and the frigid cold temperatures making it necessary for me to wear leggings under my sweatpants and a scarf with gloves everywhere I went, my first semester at Boston College (BC) exceeded my expectations. I went into the beginning of my freshman year with the mindset that I wanted to make the absolute most of my time. “No” was not a word that I wanted to be overly familiar with. 

I experienced my first college football game day. While Boston College isn’t the best team in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), I was there for every home game of the season while I was on campus. I even stayed for the entire game in the Boston cold and rain to rush the field after a win against Michigan State. I waited in line for an hour to get into the arena to sit in the front few rows to watch BC’s hockey team dominate over Northeastern. I got to explore Boston through Italian dinners in the North End, shopping on Newberry Street, movies in Arsenal Yards, and my favorite Snowport in Seaport. I joined Chaarg, a nationally known non-profit organization that has a chapter at BC and promotes fitness and wellness among female college students. With this organization, I was able to meet other amazing girls as well as attend a variety of fitness classes around Boston. 

  College life is not like high school life. Much to my surprise, I felt Unionville prepared me for what I would face academically. My workload was similar, and I carried over many of the skills I had accumulated during my time at the high school. I used my checklists. I took handwritten notes instead of typed. I used recall study methods.  The Unionville Post taught me great time management skills that allowed me to prioritize my tasks and assignments in a way that allowed me to work most efficiently. I know my classes are only going to get more difficult as I get into the nitty-gritty of nursing school, but I plan to attack next semester using the same strategies as I did in the first. 

As 2025 arrives, I am reflecting on what my New Year’s resolutions should be. Upon reflecting, there has been one aspect of my life at BC that I want to address with my resolutions. I feel confident in my abilities to push forward academically, and my motivation to maintain my physical health is there.  However, my life was in constant motion. I had all this freedom, but I was scared to let myself be alone to relax and rejuvenate.  

With that being said, my main New Year’s resolution for next year is to maintain my social and academic life, but also prioritize self-care time. I want to allow myself time to charge my social battery, reflect on my mental state, and just take a little bit of “me time” each day, whether that means journaling, taking a nap, or watching an episode of my favorite show. Achieving this practice will hopefully allow me to enjoy every moment of college even more. So, I am hoping this resolution sticks, unlike the others I’ve made over the past couple of years … eating less chocolate has never really worked for me.