Catching up with Class of 2025 Grads
Three months into their newest academic journeys, our Class of 2025 graduates are adapting to new routines and life outside of St. Michael’s College School (SMCS).
Read some testimonials below to learn more about their experiences at university and how their transition to this new chapter is going so far.
Max Annese
Wilfred Laurier University – Film Studies
It gets busy around mid-September and November after midterms. I find there is always a project assignment or lab to prepare for. It is easy work-wise; you just have to be prepared, build a schedule for your days and weeks, and give yourself the time you need to be ready for the assessment. University is a very fun time. When you’re away from home you get to meet new people and maybe see old friends from childhood, and you will for sure see brothers from St. Mike’s past or those you graduated with. I felt very prepared for the transition into university. It was quite easy for me. Habits that had a big impact on me were St. Mike’s teachers and staff having office hours, which showed me how to use this resource to my advantage while at St. Mike’s and now in university. Another habit that helped me feel prepared for university was our mid-terms, finals, and moratorium. This just overall showed me what university is going to be like and what to expect when I get there. St. Mike’s also gave me the tools to develop strong communication and public speaking skills, and taught me how to communicate with my professors in a professional manner.
George Carayiannis
McGill University – Commerce
I am finding the transition from high school to university very similar to a transition from one grade to another at St. Mike’s. It’s not as busy, time-consuming, or challenging as a full course load at St. Mike’s, but keeping on top of stuff is more challenging. I believe that SMCS prepared us extremely well for university. The study and time management habits I developed during my time at St. Mike’s have allowed me to focus less on the transition from high school to university and more on getting things done. Additionally, I have noticed that St. Mike’s grads are ahead of their peers in what they learned in high school, with both content and habits.
John Wilcox
Huron University – Political Science
So far, I’m really enjoying my time at Huron University College. It’s definitely been busy adjusting to life on my own as well as my workload and balancing classes, but it’s also been a great experience overall. The courses are a bit more challenging than I expected, and midterms come quickly in mid-October rather than December at St. Mike’s. However, the small class sizes and supportive environment make it easier to stay on top of things. It can get stressful at times, especially around midterms, but I’m having fun meeting new people and getting involved on campus. Overall, it’s exciting to be part of the Western community and to keep learning and growing here. I felt well-prepared after graduating from St. Michael’s College School. The strong academic expectations and emphasis on discipline really helped me develop good study habits and time management skills that I’ve carried into university. St. Mike’s also taught a lot of material that I’m now seeing again in my first-year classes at Huron, which has made things much easier to pick back up. Because I learned many of these concepts last year, I’ve been able to focus more on understanding them in depth rather than just trying to keep up. The school’s focus on critical thinking and communication also made the transition to university-level work much smoother, and balancing academics with extracurriculars taught me how to manage my responsibilities effectively. Overall, SMCS gave me both the knowledge and the confidence to succeed at Huron.
Maddox Ganesh
University of California, Berkeley – Chemical Engineering
I knew before coming to Berkeley that it had a reputation for being highly rigorous academically. After nearly a semester here, I can confidently say that reputation is well-deserved. The school is very hard and stressful, and I am greatly enjoying the experience of being challenged at Berkeley. The material in my classes is highly challenging, but that is what I was looking for when choosing a university. My experiences outside the classroom have been very exciting thus far, as I explore the new responsibilities of living in a foreign country and meeting a diverse array of individuals who come from radically different circumstances. I believe SMCS prepared me to be able to identify resources and form healthy habits to support my academic success. During my time at SMCS, I consistently completed my homework and sought extra help when needed, these habits have carried over to my studies at Berkeley. Additionally, there is significant overlap between my Grade 12 courses and many of my first semester classes at Berkeley, which has tremendously helped me as I adjust to Berkeley’s fast-paced environment.
Cole Luik
High Point University – Business and Finance
I have been very busy playing sports and being involved in the investment club. It’s definitely a big adjustment being away from home. I feel very well prepared from SMCS. The rigorous academics and elite lacrosse coaching gave me a very strong foundation that has allowed me to thrive in university. SMCS taught me to manage my time effectively as well as how to study effectively.
Sebastian Ryterband
University of Waterloo – Science and Aviation
University so far has been a blast in all aspects; the workload is manageable, and there’s a great balance between social life and studying time. The only real change that was difficult to adapt to was the studying methods: In high school, the workload was more like 70% in class, 30% at home, and in university, it’s the complete opposite. I found the initial week stressful more so in the social setting when everyone’s trying to find a group to stick with, but after that initial chaos it calms down, and everything works out. The change in the amount of freedom is very obvious, so it’s really important to continue pushing yourself to study and attend classes. SMCS had a huge impact on the initial transition to university. The high school almost over-prepares you for the workload, as you usually take fewer classes and it’s throughout all semesters. The variety of clubs/activities at SMCS also provided a great base for my future interests, and it had a huge benefit to my social life at the beginning of my undergraduate studies. SMCS’ approach on Goodness, Discipline, and Knowledge are skills you carry throughout your future studies, and it’s prevalent in the way I treat people, get ahead in class, and manage my time.
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