Terresa Stalard studied business administration at the University of Notre Dame located in South Bend, Indiana. After graduation, she agreed to an interview with me, a WGU Indiana graduate. Terresa found the social situation at Notre Dame as challenging as the academic one, and wanted to share some things that every Notre Dame student should do.
1.) Visit South Bend without Being a Student
South Bend has some interesting places to visit, but you don’t want to brag about being a Notre Dame student while you are out and about. Instead, you might avoid mentioning Notre Dame if you want to really enjoy South Bend.
Such unique events as the salmon run and places like the Football Hall of Fame make South Bend a fun place to visit as long as you aren’t expecting special treatment as a student of Notre Dame.
2.) Attend all Classes
Going to college isn’t like going to high school. Your teacher isn’t going to give you a hard time about attendance simply because you are now an adult and in charge of your own education. However, Notre Dame does have strict expectations when it comes to attendance.
They aren’t an elite school for nothing, and the way they look at it, the more classes you miss, the more likely you are to fail. Since Notre Dame likes keeping their graduate numbers high and maintaining bragging rights on the success of their students, the “powers that be” almost take it a a personal offense when you don’t attend classes.
On top of that, missing classes really does mean you are likely to fail. Unless you don’t mind throwing away a lot of time and money, try to get there every day.
3.) Visit the Surrounding Lakes
Yes, there really is more than corn in Indiana. In fact, South Bend isn’t all that far from Lake Michigan, or even Michigan itself, known as the “land of lakes.” If you prefer to stay closer to the school, take a trip to St. Mary’s or St. Joseph’s and enjoy a stroll on the beach or the pathways that surround the lake. Take your bike with you and get some fresh air on the bike trails surrounding the lakes.
4.) Embrace the School Spirit
The social atmosphere at Notre Dame can be difficult to navigate because of the wide span of socioeconomic differences. You might even see a difference between the ways that the Catholic students treat the students who aren’t Catholic, though Notre Dame has no religious membership requirements.
It just happens to be a Catholic school that allows for a diverse student body. The one avenue that is a sure bet for a social “in” is embracing the school spirit. Notre Dame is famous for its school spirit and that fame crosses even international boundaries. Go to a game or two or just find your own way to become a Notre Dame fan as well as a Notre Dame student.
5.) Be Considerate of People in Your Dorm
You may be tempted to push the bar a bit, but don’t push it too far. Terresa learned that drinking alcohol in the dorm wasn’t really a big deal at all, but having a member of the opposite sex there past midnight was. Even if alcohol isn’t a big deal as far as Notre Dame is concerned, you should still be careful not to bother the people in your dorm or prevent them from being able to study.
When you consider the fact that South Bend isn’t all that welcoming to college students, you tend to think more about how friendly you are with the people in your dorm. Enjoy yourself, but not to the point where you are disturbing other people in the dorm.
Kathy Foust, a graduate of WGU Indiana and a freelance writer, has a keen interest in various college experiences. Terresa Stalard, who attended the South Bend Indiana campus of Notre Dame University generously offered to share some of the details of her experience in order to help educate potential future students of Purdue about some of things college students might be most interested in. Terresa enjoyed the academic challenge of Notre Dame, but found the social atmosphere to be less friendly than she would have liked.