Three Reasons Why I Wish I Joined Pre-College Experience

What if you don’t have to wait until you graduate high school to experience college? Saint Rose is making it possible by offering a Pre-College Experience summer program for high school students interested in music, visual arts, digital filmmaking, criminal justice & forensics, and esports. This program allows students to gain new skills and tools they can use in their future academic and professional careers and get a jumpstart on the college experience — all within a two-week time period.

The program provides day and overnight experiences to students entering grades 9 through 12 (grades 8 through 12 for music). Students who want to stay on campus will experience a real college environment, staying in dorm rooms and eating at the dining hall.

The esports program is new this year and involves learning all aspects of this growing field, such as administration, production, and gaming (of course!). It is guided by Golden Knights head coach Dan Marino and gives students the opportunity to learn more about collegiate-level games like Overwatch and League of Legends. Students will also have the opportunity to play in the College’s new Golden Knights Esports Arena.

As a College student wrapping up her last semester of senior year, in retrospect, there are many reasons why I wish a pre-college program had been accessible when I was a student in high school. Here are my top three:

1. I wish I had had a head start on choosing a career path. The Pre-College Experience offers a plethora of different programs I would have loved to explore. Instead, I went through two full semesters of college without having any idea of what I wanted to do. Actually, a lot of students enter college without declaring a major, which is fine, but the Pre-College program gives students a great opportunity to learn about what they may (not) want to study ahead of time.

2. I wish I had prepared for the social aspect of college. Not only does the program give students the chance to learn more about their potential area of study, but it also gives them an opportunity to socialize. We spend so much time preparing for the academic part of college and sometimes forget about the social part. It can be a bit shocking when you first step foot on a college campus (at least it was for me): There are so many different types of people, and different clubs and groups that you can join — it’s overwhelming. You don’t know many people, which can be scary. Eventually, everyone finds their #squad, but I just wish I had had a little bit of practice so I didn’t have to feel as out of place the first few days.

3. I wish I had met other students outside of my school. When you are in middle school and high school, you tend to mostly know the kids that go to your school. Joining the Pre-College Experience allows you to meet kids from all over the area with the same passions as you! In addition, you get to know faculty who are experts in their areas and learn from their sage advice. You’re never too young to start making contacts and connections, especially when it comes to college.

Don’t miss out on this chance to get ahead! Sign up for the 2020 Pre-College program!