This week, we sat down with our very own Her Campus Clark campus correspondent, Kelly Rourke, to hear more about her experience at Clark! Read on to hear her important advice for underclassmen and the furry thing she’ll miss most about Clark…
Hometown: Grafton, MA
Major: Cultural Studies and Communications
Minor (if you have one): Business Management
Favorite Professor at Clark: Professor Murphy in the Management department! He’s the best, I highly recommend taking a class with him if you can.
Favorite Class at Clark: Urban Community Journalism with Professor Schachter. I took this class my junior year and this past fall I was the TA for it. Even if you don’t want to go into journalism, you learn a lot about improving your writing and communication skills, and you get to explore the city of Worcester.
Favorite Spot to Study on Campus and Why: I live off campus and actually prefer studying at my house, but if I had to choose a place on campus I would say one of the student computer labs in Carlson Hall. They’re tucked away so they’re usually pretty quiet and you can easily access computers, printers and more.
Favorite Bistro Snack: While it isn’t necessarily a snack, I am obsessed with the Bistro breakfast sandwiches. That is the one thing I miss most about not being on the meal plan anymore!
What has been your favorite thing about going to school at Clark?
Clark was actually my last choice when choosing where I would go to school and I ultimately came here for financial reasons. However, I learned quickly that Clark was actually the perfect place for me. I like that it is a small school and I think that the size allows for more opportunities than some other big schools do. I have really appreciated being able to get involved in so many things on campus, getting to know professors and becoming part of the Clark community over the past four years.
What will you miss most about Clark?
All of the friends and connections I’ve made here! Also, the squirrels. I think they’re so funny to watch.
What clubs and activities were you involved with on campus?
I’ve been on Dance Society since I was a freshman, started Her Campus Clark as one of the Campus Correspondents when I was a sophomore, and I’m also a part of the Lambda Pi Eta honors society for communications students. I’ve also been teaching weekly Zumba classes through Clark Fitness since sophomore year and have loved getting to know more people through that!
What are your best words of wisdom for underclassmen?
I would say to be conscious of what you can actually handle. Freshman year, I had a hard time adjusting to all of the free time that comes with a college schedule, so I ended up getting an internship as well as a part time job in addition to my school work and extracurricular activities. Needless to say, that was a bad combination and I ended up getting burnt out very fast. It can take a while to find a good balance, but don’t try to fill up your schedule just for the sake of being busy. Trust me!
What are your plans post-graduation?
I’m going to be sticking around to do Clark’s Accelerated Degree Program and getting my MBA. It feels weird to know that graduation is right around the corner with the knowledge that I’ll still be here taking more classes next year. However, I do have a big trip planned to Paris after graduation, so that’s a big thing to look forward to! I’ve also been working at The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts since my freshman year, and I plan to stay there through next year and possibly after I graduate from the MBA program.
Thanks, Kelly!