On February 25, I had
the opportunity to visit Franklin and Marshall College with a group of juniors
from JBHS. Franklin and Marshall is a liberal arts college that sits in the
heart of downtown Lancaster, PA. We had the opportunity to not only tour the
college, but to talk to professors, eat in the dining hall, and even hear the
college president, Dr. Daniel Porterfield, speak to us regarding his ideas about
education.
After about a two hour drive, the first part of our
college visit started with meeting some of the professors. Each of us had been
asked to choose two majors that we had some interest in before we left for the
trip and when we got to F&M, we each had the opportunity to sit down and
talk with professors that teach in our desired fields. In my case, I got to sit
down with Professor Crannell, a mathematics professor, and Professor Morford, who
teaches Chemistry at F&M. Both of these teachers were able to give me a
better idea of what college classes were really going to be like. They both
emphasized that many college students change their minds about what they really
want to major in, and they advocated keeping an open mind when it comes to
college.
Later in the afternoon, we got a campus tour and we got
to listen to Dr. Porterfield speak. The campus is very well laid out and
according to Miss Loh, a former F&M student, you can walk across the whole
thing in about eight minutes. The campus is split up into different
"houses" and each student is put into a different house when they
come to the school. Each house has its own distinct colors and mascot and this
system helps new students feel welcome
to their new school. At the end of the day, we got to hear Dr. Porterfield
speak to us about his views on education. He believes in a very friendly
system that allows for teachers and students to communicate one on one. He
even keeps ice cream in his office for students that come and visit him! He
tries to make sure every student is known by name and that is a very important
part of what F&M has to offer.
What the trip really gave me was the opportunity to see a
college in action, so to speak. I got to see what everyday life is like for the
students at F&M. If you are looking at a school, and you really think that
you like it, make sure you go for a visit. There are people there who want to
talk to you! All of the professors and administration at F&M were very
friendly about talking to us and answering our questions. If you are looking
for a small, friendly, liberal arts college that really values you as a
student, then definitely take a look at Franklin and Marshall.
-Sarah Lechleitner
No comments:
Post a Comment