An Interview with OP Alumnus Mark Miyashiro

In this interview, we catch up with Mark Miyashiro who graduated from Oratory last year and now attends The University of Notre Dame. During his time at Oratory, Mark was very busy within the school by participating in many of the clubs and sports that the school has to offer. He was part of the Omega and Sports Enthusiasts club as well as playing three sports. On the lacrosse field, he was a dangerous opponent scoring 25 goals with 11 assists last year. Thanks to all of his time at Oratory, he has a great wealth of wisdom to share that can benefit those who are new to the school as well as those who have been here for a while.

What was the hardest part about transitioning from high school to college?

The hardest part about transitioning from high school to college is definitely time management skills. In high school, classes are on a consistent, daily schedule whereas in college they are spread differently throughout each day. This makes it crucial to prioritize what work needs to be done at different points of the day to ensure that you won’t fall behind.

What is your favorite class currently? What is your least favorite class?

My favorite class currently is Medical Counseling. It is a course that discusses how to compassionately take care of all kinds of patients in the doctor’s office. My least favorite class is chemistry just because it’s my hardest class in terms of the difficulty of tests. The professors are very good at explaining though so it isn’t actually that bad.

What was the biggest change you had to adjust to?

The biggest change I had to adjust to was creating my own schedule. As mentioned, high school is a lot easier to manage because of the consistent school time. In college, you need to make certain activities a priority. This includes work. I have spent countless hours in the library when I would rather be playing Fortnite or going to lacrosse practice, but the main goal of college is to get a good GPA and therefore work takes up most of my time.

What was the best part about transitioning from high school to college?

The best part about transitioning from high school to college was the independence. Being responsible for yourself is a crucial part of growing up. That means working towards your future in every way possible. Once you’ve adopted this mindset, your goals for your career become a lot clearer. This provides a feeling of security, as I now know exactly how hard I need to work to achieve my desired career in medicine.

Do you have any idea what you want to major in? If so what?

I came into Notre Dame with an intended major, as we do not officially declare until the beginning of sophomore year. This major is Science-Business. It is unique in that if the student holds a high enough GPA, they are qualified to either enter medical school or receive their MBA. It gives me a good option for when I graduate, and the classes I take through the years will determine which one I choose to focus on in my career.

When you compare your teachers from Oratory and your professors now, who do you think is/was tougher on you? Why?

There is a big difference between my teachers at OP and my college professors. OP teachers may seem tougher than college professors because they explicitly state their expectations from everyone, and that may seem like a lot. However, in college or at least at Notre Dame, the students are supposed to read the syllabus and determine the expectations of work based on this. Professors will mention the goals of the course in the first few days of class but often won’t remind the students of important deadlines as that is considered a part of the student’s responsibility.

Looking back at your years at Oratory, what was your favorite part and why? (Like an event or activity)

My favorite part of my years as a Ram was without a doubt the school-wide sports tournaments (dodgeball and handball). Our handball team won the tournament both my junior and senior year (greatest dynasty since Lanigan’s team). These events allow all grades to compete for the same prize and also leave chances for huge upsets (like if a middle school team beat a senior team). Bragging rights as the best handball/dodgeball team in the whole school are also very nice to have.

What do you think best prepared yourself for college?

Having a hard-working mindset definitely prepared me well for college. Oratory challenged me in this sense, where I sometimes had to grind out a couple of assignments so I could give myself free time. College is simply a bigger scale. Rather than grinding out a couple of assignments to get free time, I am attempting to complete a whole week’s worth of work in a few days so that I have time to relax. Acknowledging this truth is important for transitioning to college because if not, I wouldn’t have good time management skills and would most likely load up with assignments due at the end of the week.

As someone who spent numerous years at Oratory, what advice would you give freshman?

To all the freshman, respect your elders and make the most out of your high school years. College is more fun, but you have to work a lot harder to be able to have the luxury of free time. So enjoy your years at oratory, make good friends, and don’t take APs just for the reputation of the classes. AP classes can actually help prepare you for college because they give a good sense of the difficulty of material that a typical college will use. Also, explore your interests through the different clubs OP offers. I was on the Omega, Sports Enthusiasts club, and played three sports. All of these helped develop my passion for sports, which was a main reason why I chose Notre Dame (12-0 football team but who’s counting).

If you had to go back and redo your high school years all over again, would you change anything and why?

If I were to go back and redo my high school years all over again, I would definitely not procrastinate as much. Procrastination is relatively easy to accommodate in high school but it is a detrimental habit to have in college. Work piles up without you knowing and if you continue to procrastinate, there is a high chance that you will miss deadlines. Breaking this habit in high school can leave you more free time in those years to have more fun and to be better prepared for college workloads.