Freshman Experience

Overcoming Doubts-Jake Smith, Class of 2018

Posted May 10th, 2015

My freshman year at St. Augustine was a blast. From the thrilling atmosphere at the football and basketball games, to the Brotherhood days filled with fun sports and activities, I have enjoyed every moment I have spent at the Prep. The sporting events with the Rowdies were some of the best times I had at St. Augustine. Being in the stands with my brothers, cheering on my other brothers, made me feel part of a second family. I was euphoric to be a Hermit.

Academically, the workload has definitely been challenging, but it has pushed me to become a better student, and it has taught me how to manage my time wisely. I learned a lot about the history of our world, how to lift weights properly to make me stronger, techniques to make my writing better, insight on the Catholic faith, and many other things that will be useful in the future. Not only have I gained knowledge in the classroom, but I also learned a lot about myself. During the first semester, I kept thinking about whether I should transfer back to the high school in my town because I missed my friends, wearing normal clothes, and seeing girls. When I saw my friends from my town on the weekends, most of them would make fun of me for going to a prep school with no girls and having to wear a uniform every day. What they said really affected me in a negative way at first. However, as the school year went on I realized that I shouldn’t let the bad things that other people say about me affect how I live because the only thing that matters is how I feel about myself, and I loved being here. I soon threw away the thoughts of transferring and started to really appreciate where I was.