Monthly Archives: February 2015

What I’m Looking Forward To

So if you haven’t noticed already, I really like making lists (a lot). So here is a list of short term and long term events that I’m looking forward to.

1. Posse Plus Retreat – It’s this weekend and I cannot wait to get waist deep in discussions.

2. Spring Break – I’m going home as usual and I plan to eat food and watch TV all week.

3. Easter – I’m going back home for Easter. Every year my family gets matching outfits and this year we are adding Sunday hats to our ensemble.

4. Decision Day for Customs – Although this will be stressful I’m looking forward to start planning with a new cohort of customspeople.

5. May Day – No explanation needed. This is my favorite tradition.

6. Summer Vacation – I’ll be going home for the summer and hopefully doing an internship.

7. Senior Year – After summer break I will be a senior at BMC!!!!!!

10 Reasons Why I Could Use A Snow Day

I don’t just want a snow day… I need a snow day. I feel like I’m so behind on like everything. So here is a list of 10 things I could be doing today if classes were cancelled.

1. I could be sleeping.

2. I could be doing homework.

3. I could be reading customs applications.

4. I could be wasting the day away by watching reality TV on hulu.

5. I could be finishing off these schedules for Hell Week.

6. I could be watching Beyonce’s Stevie Wonder tribute (over and over and over again).

7.  I could be aimlessly scrolling through facebook, twitter, and instagram.

8. I could be resting. (Yes this is different than sleeping).

9. I could be coming up with a list of 10 more things I could do.

10. I could be starting back at #1.

Why I Chose Customs

Looking back at my first year experience, I can say that the customs program was one that separated my experience as a first year from my friend’s experience as a first year. Customs isn’t just an orientation week that happens at the beginning of the year, it is an ongoing, year-long program catering to and engaging new students. As a new student, it was comforting to know that someone was looking out for me and that there was a group of students who were experiencing Bryn Mawr for the first time, just like me.

Why did I choose Customs?

I chose customs because it mimicked the type of involvement and commitment I had at my high school. I was used to welcoming new students, introducing them to the high school atmosphere, and helping them get accustomed to life at my rigorous, often stressful, high school. I was always happy to be a point person for questions or helping out with White Coat Ceremony (a ceremony my high school has similar to Lantern Night). So, being a customsperson was a natural course of action for me.

Why did I choose Customs again?

Last school year I applied to be on the customs committee. I applied because I wanted to continue to improve and strengthen the customs program. One of my main goals as a member of the committee was to diversify the group of customs people so that incoming students could see themselves represented in campus leaders. A goal that the entire committee shared was sustaining and building upon the bi-co “customs cousins” relationship. As a member of the customs committee, I found that doing customs “from the other side” was challenging, but all the more rewarding especially as the then first year students accepted their roles as custompeople.

This academic year I applied for the position of Customs Committee Co-Head along with my good friend Xavia.  We are so excited to be working on this committee again alongside five other students and Dean Heyduk (another great reason to do customs as well as the glue that holds the program together). We are already off to a great start bringing in fresh perspectives and a refreshing lens to customs.  I look forward to the work that we can and will do.

Customs is definitely one piece of Bryn Mawr that I can’t let go of.

Overcoming an Overwhelming Schedule

If any of you are like me, then you tend to sign yourself up for the maximum number of activities that you think you can handle. Sometimes you sign onto so many activities, that you forget about important things, like school work. Somehow I manage to involve myself in so many tasks that it gets to be overwhelming, but having to decide which activity to drop is pretty close to impossible. So here are my tips for overcoming an overwhelming schedule.

 

1. Calendar (or planner) – My Google calendar makes life so much easier. I set aside time specifically to update my calendar with events, meetings, and classes. I personally like to color code events and activities, as well as set reminders for certain activities.

2. Folders – However you save documents, whether it’s through a drive on your computer or a cloud drive, I find it helpful to have folders to help organize your documents. I also find it useful to have folders in my email inbox, it helps to organize my messages (especially when I refuse to delete them) and have easier access to messages I may need.

3. To-Do Lists – I am a fan of the to-do list because I can physically cross off items and the act of crossing items off of my lists helps alleviate the pressures of always having something to do. I typically make two separate lists, one for homework assignments and one for clubs/activities. To-Do lists also help me prioritize tasks and allows me to see which tasks I can put on the back burner and which tasks need to be handled immediately.

4. Limits – You have to know what you can and cannot do. You don’t have to take on every leadership position or always volunteer yourself for extra tasks. Sometimes it is okay to step back and let others take the lead. This can especially give an opportunity to people who may want to take the lead on a certain project or initiative but haven’t had the opportunity because someone has already volunteered to fulfill the role.

5. “Quitting” – In the same way that you have to know when to step back, you also have to know when to step down. Sometimes, being in too many activities can be more stressful than you intended. It is OKAY for you to step away from a club, activity, or task if it crosses the line from a challenging but rewarding to stressful and overbearing.

6. Self Care – Always schedule some time for you. Even though there seems to be fewer and fewer hours in each day, remember that you come first. Save room for time to pause and reflect. Whether you choose to use this time to catch up on a TV show or to just lay in your bed and think, the time that you set aside for yourself can be beneficial to your effectiveness in whatever you do.

 

It is taking me a long time to master tips 4 & 5, but I am slowly learning how to step back. Developing a sense of how to organize your time doesn’t occur overnight and while all of these tips may not work for you, there are ways in which they can be tweaked to cater to your needs. Maybe none of these tips work for you, but it is important to find out what does work and how can you continue to use this method throughout your years at Bryn Mawr.