火爆社区

Students fortunate enough to attend St. Mary鈥檚 College of Maryland receive a 鈥渢op-tier education鈥� wherein they have ample 鈥渙pportunity to try new things and explore their interests.鈥� That extends beyond the applauded 鈥渞esearch-based curriculum鈥� to the environment鈥斺�� the campus is absolutely gorgeous鈥濃�攁nd even the food in the 鈥済reat dining hall.鈥� Where St. Mary鈥檚 shines most, however, is in its academic offerings, which 鈥渞eflect the challenges that [students] will face in the workplace,鈥� particularly for those in the STEM field who 鈥渃an really get a leg up by doing publishable work even prior to grad school.鈥� In this, the faculty are routinely praised for 鈥渁lways [being] super helpful,鈥� noting that they 鈥渃are about your experience and want you to understand the material鈥� and 鈥済enuinely try to engage students during lectures.鈥� Enrollees feel they鈥檙e able to properly assess their teachers because of the 鈥渟mall class sizes,鈥� which means 鈥測ou get to know your professors really well, and build relationships and networks with them.鈥� This sort of backing makes the rigor tolerable, at least according to those who say 鈥淚鈥檝e...definitely had to work hard but also had the support of professors when I needed it鈥� and note that 鈥淭hey are willing to work with you, to enable and encourage you to have the best academic experience possible!鈥�

Though the St. Mary鈥檚 community isn鈥檛 the most diverse campus around, students emphasize that they are very proud of the diversity they do have, describing their 鈥渧ery creative鈥� and 鈥渦nique鈥� peers as 鈥渆xtremely accepting.鈥� Undergrads are quick to note that 鈥渕inority communities [are] visible and present鈥� and that the school is 鈥渟uper inclusive [with regards to] LGBT+ students.鈥� This applies to personal opinions as well; while many individuals identify as 鈥渇airly liberal,鈥� classmates are described as 鈥渧ery open to different cultural viewpoints.鈥� In fact, some even refer to the friendliness as 鈥渜uite bold鈥� in that 鈥淚鈥檝e never been at a place where more people will randomly walk up to you and just start a conversation.鈥� Indeed, 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 walk for five minutes in any direction without getting a friendly greeting from someone.鈥� Of course, you鈥檒l definitely find a range of personality types, 鈥渇rom the athletes to dancers to light-saber fighters鈥� as well as 鈥渉ippie/hipsters, and nerdy academic students.鈥� Ultimately, when it comes down to it, there 鈥渟eems to be a place for everyone to fit into at St. Mary鈥檚.鈥�

There鈥檚 never a dull moment at St. Mary鈥檚 thanks to an 鈥渆xtremely active鈥� campus life (and the potential for getaways to nearby DC). Undergrads have the opportunity to participate in 鈥渁 wide range of clubs from windsurfing to student government to theater and sword fighting.鈥� Moreover, 鈥渢here are multiple events on campus each week including guest magicians, comedians, and musicians,鈥� as well as 鈥渁 murder mystery.鈥� The quality of those events has recently improved, as well, with the addition of 鈥渁 brand-new stadium鈥� which has led to an increasing number of students attending sporting events. And those looking to see a sillier side of their faculty appreciate the various 鈥渟ocial events where you can play a game of Cornhole with your professors and get to know them more.鈥� St. Mary鈥檚 gorgeous waterfront location also gets a lot of love: 鈥淒uring the warmer months the river center has free kayak and boat and paddleboard rentals for students and many students go swimming in the river or just sit on the docks.鈥� As for weekend-specific activities, it鈥檚 not only common to find 鈥減arties [happening] all over campus,鈥� but 鈥渕ost of the time you can just walk [in]...and join...without an invitation.鈥�

There鈥檚 no denying that St. Mary鈥檚 students flourish when it鈥檚 time to hit the job market. To begin with, undergrads can easily reach out to their 鈥渄epartment chairs [who] are great about sending out internship opportunities and creating events where students can learn from and network with alumni in their field.鈥� Indeed, 鈥渆veryone in the faculty has contacts they鈥檙e willing to leverage for students鈥� benefit, and this is really the best thing about coming here.鈥� The college鈥檚 Learning Through Experiential and Applied Discovery (LEAD) initiative guarantees every student the opportunity to participate in an internship, international experience, or research. Micro-Internships allow students to take on paid, professional assignments to build out their resume and demonstrate skills to potential employers. Of course, undergrads can also turn to the Center for Career and Professional Development for guidance and support, including resume review, advising, and internship coordination. Payscale.com found that the median starting salary for St. Mary鈥檚 College graduates is $62,300, and 54 percent find a high level of meaning in their job.