First Week Woes and Parade Night

It’s a lovely Sunday afternoon, I think. I have not left my dorm today to find out; one of the perks to living in Erdman. I have spent the majority of this weekend doing homework… and it’s only the first week. Sophomore year is already proving itself to be a challenge but I’m ready. After a summer of relaxation, I had to convince myself to get into “school mode” and slowly but surely I’m getting used to attending classes, doing readings, and using BiONiC. Shopping week was a little hectic and I changed my schedule at least 3 or 4 times but I think my schedule is set. Now I’m trying to see when I’m going to do homework and when I’ll have time for fun. One thing I try to do is find blocks of around 2-3 hours where I’m not doing anything and then make that my homework or laundry time. It helps me to do my homework in the middle of the day while my brain is focused on school work versus at night when I just want to sleep (but don’t get me wrong, some people do their best work at night). It also helps to know what time of day you work best. It gets easier to figure out your homework schedule when you learn more about yourself as a student. Whether it’s the environment you work in or the time of day, knowing what works best for you will help move your college experience along.

On a different note, Parade Night was amazingly wonderful. We welcomed yet another year of students into the Bryn Mawr community with water, candy, and… apathy? I was able to watch as the first-years learned their class song, round, and parody in the Erdman common room – that is before a few of my friends and I surprised them with water guns and water balloons while they were waiting for instructions on how to line up. The first-years got to experience their first tradition as well as their first step sing. For the first year students, it can be a bit overwhelming but exciting at the same time. Last year I didn’t know what to expect, but I was having so much fun singing out of a songbook and chanting sister class that I didn’t care that it was getting cold or that I could barely hear anything, I was having a good time.

Last year I didn’t notice how the campus buzzed before Parade Night. There was no one in sight as I walked from Erdman to the arch, but on the other side sophomores, juniors, and seniors were waiting for the festivities to begin. As the first-years got closer, people began to chant and cheer and the pressure was high. Parade Night was filled with high spirits and will hopefully be a time that the first-years remember forever.

P.S. Thank you to everyone who read my first blog post. Keep providing me with feedback! I really do appreciate it.

P.P.S If you wanna see a clip of the first years singing their parody to Toxic by Britney Spears, I posted one to my instagram (@shorrtiie_)

P.P.S … we’d rather be the evens than the evil green and red!

Customs Week and Homesickness

Hello everyone!

Customs week is hectic, even the second time around. I got back to Bryn Mawr about two weeks ago and since then I have been in training, attending meetings, and welcoming first-years. When I wasn’t doing that I was trying to sleep, eating, and decorating my room (which I still haven’t finished doing). I was honored to welcome the class of 2017, transfers, and McBrides. It was fun to watch as they chose their class song, parody, and songs mistress. It was weird though, remembering that only a year ago I was in the same position wondering what the year would bring me and being excited about all the traditions and the community the school had to offer. I also remember the excitement that the upperclassmen had about welcoming the “babies” and the excitement I now understand as a sophomore. It’s different not being the youngest class anymore; although I do recall chanting at the end of May Day with some of my friends, “we aren’t babies anymore.”

I also remember that is was around this time last year that I felt my first bout of homesickness. It wasn’t because I missed my mother or my little brother, it was because I was missing the biggest event that my family hosted each year. It was my first time missing this event since my birth and even now I’m struggling with coping with the fact that I’m not home. Every year we have a pre-labor day cookout (picnic) at my grandparents house. There is food, music, and good company. I’m usually stressed out though, because this takes a lot of planning and preparation but I always look forward to this time of year, especially since I’m old enough to invite people myself. Last year, I think I took it harder than I did this year; so to everyone (especially first-years) that is worried about being homesick, the feeling may not go away… but it does get a little easier.  It’s okay to be homesick, but don’t let that rule your life. The community at BMC will always support you and can become your home away from home.