The Student Library Advisory Council, spearheaded by Julia Zhang ‘22, hosted a College Chat for current students to learn more about life at university. The webinar included recent graduates of Kent, including, Caroline Haack ‘20, Zoe Benjamin ‘20, Becca Cohn ‘21, Katherine Herrema ‘20, Yimo Chong ‘20, Daelan Mangiafico ‘20, Rei Collasse ‘21 and Amanda Ward ‘08 (Secretary of the Alumni Council). The zoom meeting was moderated by Julia Zhang and Mrs. Voorhees. Many students joined in via zoom, some also attended “in person” at the library with Mrs. Zibro and Mr. Russo facilitating. 

There were many takeaways from the talk, and it was a great way to see old friends again but also to get a glimpse of the reality of college life. Many graduates agreed on how Kent prepared them for the academic rigor of higher education. They agreed that it’s important to get in the habit of finishing homework during freeblocks since time management is key, and there won’t be a designated time for studying in college or a dean to chase after you for missing class. 

Social life in college was another key point that the speakers brought up. They noted that at Kent it is much easier to meet people and make friends. However, in college one must really make an effort to reach out. Clubs are also more accessible at boarding school, especially with a schedule that has clubs and music built into it. At college, the school is often so large that it is unclear how and where to join a club. A point that Caroline Haack brought up is to not overcommit oneself to activities and to make sure to take time for oneself. Mental health is crucial at college.

The webinar was a wonderful event that offered great advice to the current upperformers at Kent. We can’t wait to see more events that the Student Library Advisory Council puts on.