Interview by Sophie Marcum
Over winter break we had the chance to catch up with Nicholas Slinger. He graduated from Bluffton High School in 2013 and has shared some great insights from the perspective of a college upperclassman.
Where do you attend school and what are you studying there?
Ashland University studying Psychology, Criminal Justice, and Political Science.
What led you to choose this major?
I've always been fascinated by criminal Psychology, and I've actually been planning to major in some combination of Psychology and Criminal Justice since Middle School.
What has been your favorite class while at school? What made it interesting to you?
I just completed a Political Science course on a historian named Plutarch. Plutarch wrote about ancient rulers, but not just about history. Plutarch wrote about their lives and the ways that they ruled. I found this interesting from a psychological standpoint and really enjoyed the class.
If you were approached by the people in charge of writing the English dictionary and asked to write a definition for “college student”- what would you put in the dictionary?
I would say…”someone who wishes to receive a specialized education in a field he or she is passionate about.”
If I remember correctly you’re quite the saxophone player. Have you continued this passion while at school?
I've been taking private lessons from the music department throughout my time at Ashland. I've been a part of various quartets and octets, and I've just taken over the music ministry for the Catholic Campus Community at Ashland! I've been playing at each Mass in Ashland since I was a freshman.
That so exciting! Congratulations. How have you grown as a musician by practicing and performing at a collegiate level? (Assuming that your program is more intensive than it was high school…)
I've definitely been forced to refine my playing style in order to play with music majors and minors. I'm not studying music as a major, but when taking part in small groups of players (say a quartet) the other musicians really rely on your ability to keep up!
What is one life lesson you took away from being in the Bluffton High School Marching Band?
Weird as it might sound, I took Mr. Sycks very seriously when he talked about balance in the band. Balance is crucial in everything you do, but in a band you can literally hear an example of its importance. When you're listening around yourself you can tell where you are in comparison to the group and adjust as necessary. I always thought that that moment was really interesting and tried to apply that outside of musical practice.
Are you involved in anything else on campus?
I was a founding member of the Alexander Hamilton Society on campus and am currently its Treasurer. I'm a member of the Catholic Campus Community's leadership council and was on the national leadership board. In addition to these groups, I am also a resident assistant on campus. I am also part of the scholarship-based political science honors program entitled the Ashbrook Society.
How did you survive finals week? Seriously, speaking as an underclassmen, what are your pro tips?
Espresso.
But really, time management is everything. You’ll be getting a ton of assignments at the same time, and you’ll need to devote a lot of time to a lot of different areas. Start studying the things you know will be tested early on, and then plan out your time carefully once assignments start coming. The worst thing is getting caught with 60 pages to write in five days and another two exams to study for at the same time.
I have come to believe that the stress of finals week helps to prepare college students for real world scenarios in which they’ll be presented with more responsibilities than they can handle. Has college led you to develop any life theories of your own?
As an upperclassman and an RA, I've definitely noticed that there are some students who are and aren't prepared for the autonomy that comes with college. Being able to manage your own money, time, food, and being held accountable only to yourself has a different effect on each person.
Sometimes I think of college as a huge transitional period between being a dependent person into becoming an adult. Some students take to this change very well and thrive in the collegiate environment, but there are students I know who struggle with the sudden freedom. This change is sometimes reflected in grades. Even if they were good students in high school, some students get a bit overwhelmed by the rest of the details surrounding a student's life.
Learning to deal with total autonomy is obviously important, and that is definitely the biggest struggle I see in new college students. My life theory is just that people learn skills in college that show them a glimpse of the real world, and eventually I see people taking that very seriously.
If I were to inform you that 20 years from now you will receive a national award…what would you hope that award might be for?
I've honestly never been one for recognition. I like being praised for efficiency, but public recognition makes me extremely nervous. I would love to be recognized as a crucial part of a team that produced some cutting edge research in Psychology, but I've never paid much attention to national level awards. I can't truthfully say that there is an award I have in mind right now.
If I was being informed that I had contributed to some groundbreaking achievement in Psychology, or that I had been a credit to my years of service in some government occupation, then I would be more than satisfied.
