First Impressions
Feb 24th, 2009 by Admissions Counselor
First impressions mean a lot – maybe not everything, but a lot. Think of the first time you step onto a college’s campus. What do you see? How’s the weather? Can you see yourself here? In their own words, here are three of our students’ first impressions of Goucher…
When I came to Goucher for the very first time there was an unseasonable rain storm that came down in sheets and soaked clothes within minutes. Needless to say, my tour was a haphazard running between buildings and dripping on to the tiled floors yet it didn’t put a damper on the way that felt about this school. Despite the inclement weather, I fell in love with the campus. It was a little gorgeous corner of earth right next to a big city and I thought it was perfect. I could just imagine the students sitting on the quad studying or playing volley ball on a warm spring day just like my tour guide described and I knew that I wanted to become a student at Goucher. As soon as we got in to the car and drove to the hotel, I turned to my grandma and said to her that I really liked this place and could totally see myself going to school at Goucher. A lengthy conversation ensued, banter about what dorm I wanted to live in , if I would do sports here, what kind of classes interested me and the fact that I wouldn’t have to deal with nearly as much snow as at home. She also told me that this was her third time visiting the school. I was so surprised by that and she explained that both she and my mother considered attending Goucher, and that she regretted not coming here. Her revelation really resonated with me; I knew that I didn’t want to pass this opportunity up and I’m so glad that I didn’t. - Abby C., a sophomore from Massachusetts
My first impression of Goucher was most definitely influenced by my total lack of sense of direction. I was scheduled to meet a volleyball player, Rachel, at the Sports and Recreation Center (SRC) that morning. For some reason my mother and I could not figure out where we were going as we drove around the campus loop road, trying to figure out which building was the SRC. We thought we had found it, but weren’t sure, so we drove the loop… again. When Rachel (my current friend and teammate) called to figure out where my mother and I were, we discovered that somehow my mother and I had ended up behind the SRC near the dance studios. Needless to say, I was sure that I was never going to be able to figure out where I was going on campus. It was the middle of February, it had snowed the night before and the campus was covered in a layer of snow that was mostly undisturbed. I remember wishing I had brought a hat, but also being shocked by the fact that my guide, despite it being 9 in the morning, seemed genuinely interested in making sure that I enjoyed my experience that day. I felt welcomed and could tell that she sincerely enjoyed meeting me. It was a sharp contrast to some of the other schools I visited where I had to follow the volleyball coaches around to get them to acknowledge my existence, or when the other schools’ official tour guides presented a “holier-than-though” attitude that made me feel unwelcome. – Rebecca S., a sophomore from New Jersey
My First Impression of Goucher… hmmm! I do not think that there is one particular word for it. Being at Goucher is like being at home away from home. I personally like to think of Goucher as the land of opportunity: Anything is possible. I am an introverted person, and believe it or not, I was able to find comfort in this little community that I like to call my “second home.” At first, I was extremely skeptical, considering I’m from Florida, and I did not know anyone here. As you may have imagined, the cold was a welcome to be remembered, but it would take more than that to discourage me. If you are like me, reserved, adventurous, and love to travel, Goucher as I found out, is the place to be. The school sight is splendid. Even if you don’t like nature, you’ll learn to appreciate its beauty. I remember thinking, “Is this really a college?” Becoming a student at Goucher is like becoming part of a big family. My advice is to be open-minded, and try different things; it’s only a matter of time before everything comes together. - Sophia A., a transfer student from Florida (by way of Haiti)