With the obligatory “done is good” tweet sent on Saturday afternoon, my sophomore year of college is officially finished. As I start packing up my room in Rhoads South, saying goodbye to some friends, and goodnight to others, the reality that I only have two more years here at Bryn Mawr is insane. This year, though has been tough-emotionally, physically and academically tough (yes the sophomore slump is real.) But I learned a lot about myself emotionally, physically, and academically that I hope will really help me at Bryn Mawr, and in the future.

This year I’ve lost friends, it’s true you don’t always stay friends with everyone from your first year. But I made some pretty amazing new friends. One of the biggest draws for me about college-especially Bryn Mawr was the friendships I would make. It’s amazing the people you meet here, and I honestly don’t know what I would do without all the people I’ve met and made connections with.

Emotionally, this year has been tough. I got rejected from things, I lost friends, and sometimes (a lot of the times) school work made me cry. I still found difficulty socially in finding my place at Bryn Mawr. This year has made me more confused about my future now more than ever. I questioned myself, my goals, and my aspirations. And honestly, I think this is something that will be occurring for a while.

Academically, my classes got way harder than I was expecting. I got waitlisted to classes right from the beginning. Labs got harder and required more time. My schedule was unbalanced-8AMs everyday, some days from 8-4PM with only an hour break. I had difficulty choosing my major going back and forth between 3 majors for months, stressing my mom out with the “Mamma, what should I do” question every week (seriously), and eventually picking one.

This year was definitely an uphill battle, but if I can make it through the sophomore slump, I can do anything right?

Below is a poem that my friend, Kyra, introduced me to that resonates with me and I feel accurately describes my year:

“it has been one of the greatest and most difficult years of my life. i learned everything is temporary. moments. feelings. people. flowers. i learned love is about giving. everything. and letting it hurt. i learned vulnerability is always the right choice because it is easy to be cold in a world that makes it so very difficult to remain soft. i learned all things come in twos. life and death. pain and joy. salt and sugar. me and you. it is the balance of the universe. it has been the year of hurting so bad but living so good. making friends out of strangers. making strangers out of friends. learning mint chocolate chip ice-cream will fix just about everything. and for the pains it can’t there will be my mothers arms. we must learn to focus on warm energy. always. soak our limbs in it and become better lovers to the world. for if we can’t learn to be kinder to each other how will we ever learn to be kinder to the most desperate part of ourselves.” ~rupi kaur

~Thank you all for dancing through sophomore year with me!~

It is that time of the year. Tomorrow will be our final “Monday wake up,” for classes as the final week approaches. We are less than a week away from May Day-one of the best traditions at Bryn Mawr.

As we make our “Done is Good” lists and slowly stress out over everything that needs to be finished in the next couple of weeks, May Day is the one day where Mawrtyrs can take a step back, appreciate all that they have accomplished this year, and just enjoy themselves before the craziness of finals and deadlines ensue. May Day is a time for everyone-yes even those with scheduled exams the day or next day after May Day (I have a final on Tuesday *insert crying emoji*)-to enjoy the day and of course take pretty pictures!

Important things for May Day:

1. A White Outfit, if you want of course.
2. A Flower Crown, again if that’s what you want.
3. A picnic blanket or something like it to claim a spot on Merion Green for the day with your friends,
4. Water! Gotta stay hydrated out there-last year it was so hot!
5. Comfortable shoes, you’ll be walking on grass for most of the day so wear shoes accordingly.
6. Sunglasses, will depend on the weather

Some things I learned last year:

• Take pictures!
• Don’t be upset if you don’t end up hanging out with the people you expected to. Things happen, make the best out of the situation.
• Try to not think of school work. Obviously it’s that time of year but try to think of life outside of the library for at least an hour 🙂

May Day with KCass!

The past week, campus was full of admitted students from the Class of 2020. While this is an exciting time for these soon-to-be college students, this time is often the most difficult and stressful time for current college students. While we are piled with exams, papers, readings, etc. it is not only a physically/mentally time of stress, but often an emotionally one as well. This is often the time when first years, and even some sophomores, decide that they want to try something new and transfer.

It is no question that Bryn Mawr College is not the typical college experience. With a focus on traditions and quiet intimate gatherings rather than tailgating and ragers, Bryn Mawr is far from what college life is portrayed in movies.  It can be difficult to accept this for some people, as society and the media has made “the typical college experience” the expectation for most high school students. I know because I have felt this way, and sometimes still do.

There are days when I call my mom in tears claiming that I made a mistake coming to Bryn Mawr and I want to transfer. I want the sports, and the large co-ed college feel. I want everything that Bryn Mawr is not. But what do they say? The grass is always greener on the other side?

Then there are these amazing, magical days, where I feel like I belong here. Knowing that I’m in a place where women went to get an education when they weren’t allowed to, a place where it is encouraged to step out of your comfort zone and do something for the sake of learning and not for the sake of a grade. The days where you can just soak in the amazingness of the people around you, knowing that you too are a person full of amazingness-those days are the best days.

I know that academically, I have some of the best professors in the world. And they care. They know my name, and ask me how I am doing. They talk to me about big things going on in the world, and about trivial things, like sports. They invite me (and my classmates) into their homes for a home cooked meal and to play with their pets. Those are the times that I know that I am in a special place. I know no other place would give me this opportunity-this connection with professors, faculty, and staff.

So yeah there are bad days at Bryn Mawr, but honestly, where aren’t there bad days? It can be really difficult to accept the reality of the situation-college isn’t what was expected. And it is totally fine to say “hey, this isn’t the place for me.” But what I have found on the days were I go “ugh Bryn Mawr,” is to open your eyes to what is in front of you. Often we dwell on a few things that don’t appeal to us because that is just human nature, that we don’t see what is in front of us: a place where you are challenged to achieve a better you academically and socially.

Last weekend, my friends and I spontaneously decided to go to New York…just because. We took the bus from 30th Street Station to SoHo and spent 14 hours in the city. It was super easy to get there, and I am amazed how quick and cheap it was to get to the city. Usually, when I go to New York with my family, we take the train which is efficient but expensive. We got our tickets for Bolt bus on the way there and Mega Bus on the way back, all together a $35 round trip (not counting the cost of Septa getting to 30th street and a Lyft back to Bryn Mawr.)

The aesthetic was on point that day.

Our day consisted mainly of walking and eating-what else could one want? 🙂 We went to cool places like Laudrée for macrons and Dominique Ansel Bakery. We went to Halal Guys for lunch which was delicious! I spent the day with two friends, whom I didn’t necessarily know super well, but I am very glad to say that we are now really great friends. I guess spending fourteen hours walking around New York City and eating does that. We managed to eventually get to Times Square and walk around the chaos there for a bit before taking the subway down to SoHo for dinner. We ate at this super cool Ramen place in SoHo where we met up with two other friends from Bryn Mawr.

Our bus back wasn’t until really late at night so we explored New York City at night which was fun. Of course, we ate more (the Gelato at Fresco Gelateria was amazing!) and just talked. I ended up not only exploring New York, but made four new really great friends.

This was my first time getting really off campus in a very long time. Sometimes when you are so focused on school, and work, and just getting through the tough days at Bryn Mawr, it is difficult to remember that there is a world out there waiting to be explored. There are friends out there waiting to be met, and of course amazing food out there waiting to be eaten. So be spontaneous once in a while-you probably
won’t regret it!

March Madness is a time when college students all over the United States cheer on their school’s basketball team as they play to become champions of the NCAA. This is often a time where school spirit is at an all time high. As mentioned in a previous post, I am a huge sports fan. It is usually around this time, and during college football season where I question by decision to come to a small liberal arts college because of the lack of that type of atmosphere. However, around Bryn Mawr-and Philadelphia in general, we are surrounded by some pretty amazing sports schools including Villanova University, Temple University, and St. Joseph’s University. And of course there’s Penn and Drexel, but their sports teams aren’t as good as the schools mentioned before (sorry).

Nova, Temple and St. Joe’s all were all seeded in the tournament and this had Philadelphia buzzing with excitement. Three local teams going to the big dance (aka March Madness tournament) had all of the local news stations buzzing with dreams of a championship in their eyes (this city has been deprived a championship for almost 8 years.) Unfortunately, Temple lost in a close game, losing by 2 points in over time, but Villanova has made their way to the Sweet 16, and St. Joe’s will play later tonight.

So being at Bryn Mawr, my loyalties will be going to Villanova, our neighbors two miles away. I distinctly remember last year, when I tweeted about supporting Nova during March Madness, I got some comments from current Bryn Mawr students like “ew, why would you cheer for Villanova?” Well, since Bryn Mawr is not playing, I need someone to cheer for, so why not cheer for a school close by, who are also very good? I don’t really understand the dislike some students have for Villanova. It is a great school with a great sports program, and I really appreciate having someone to root for during March Madness.

So for the next few weeks, I will consider myself as a “cousin” to Nova, cheering for them and hoping they win it all! 

Students have been making their way back to Bryn Mawr today, settling in before the second quarter begins. This is the home stretch…there are only 49 days until May Day! Out of all four quarters in the academic year, this is the hardest quarters of the year, in my opinion. We jump right back into school work, but summer is so close!

I remember last year my HA told me the weeks after spring break, are the toughest because we come back from a week of rest straight into second midterms, essays, projects, etc. And for many of us, these are super important (not that the others aren’t important), but for many, it is the final exam/project/essay until the final! There are also no breaks between now and summer-and probably no snow days either :(.

It can be very difficult to get back into the momentum you were in before break, but it is imperative that you quickly regain that momentum…and of course you will because you are a Mawrtyr and you’re not afraid of anything and you can do anything…and just remember Done is Good, and Done means SUMMER!

Spring break is in less than one week! But standing in front of me and the luxury of home is six hours of work, four quizzes, two interviews, and one lab report. In this crazy It is really easy to get overwhelmed and start stressing out, but there is a lot of things to remember during this time.

1. BREATHE. Do not let this get to you. It is easy to get caught up in pulling all-nighters 4 days in a row, Don’t do that. Take a deep breath and then resume what you’re doing.
2. Make a list. It can get crazy when suddenly you have 4 tests, a group project and an essay all due in a week. It is imperative that you stay organized!
3. Just do it. Sometimes the hardest part of an assignment is getting started. Just sit down and do it.
4. SELF-CARE. Please take a shower. Take a nap.
5. Eat in the dining hall. It can be tempting to just go to UnCommon and get something but don’t waste all of your money. If you’re on the go, get take out from the dining hall! Don’t forget, New Dorm Dining Hall is open until 8!

This weekend was South Asian Student’s (SAS) annual culture show. The theme this year was Dekh Magar Pyar Se, which in Hindi means ~loosely~ look, but look lovingly. As usual, the show was full of colorful clothes, fun Bollywood music, an energetic crowd, and of course delicious Indian food to follow.

Adding to the customary Bollywood dances and the Fashion Show finale, there were poems and a stand up routine. All in all it was a great time and I had only seen happy faces around (except for when we all waited in a very long line for the food!)

The show started off with the traditional welcome from the E-board- a video of what the theme means to them and their dance. The show continued with various performances including the graduating seniors, the first years, Mayuri and Afreen. Rhea Manglani ’17 recited a powerful and personal poetry and Sanya Aurora ’16 performed funny yet personal stand up which got a rouse from the crowd. There were two guest performances, both from Penn. PENNach (dance group) and Penn Atma (female acapella group) also performed. (To end the show, the annual fashion show happened when students (including yours truly), walked from the back of Goodhart to the stage twirling (and not falling) on the way!

The night was freezing, but it was tons of fun and the food was great, but the company was even better! Congrats to the SAS E-board and performers for a wonderful culture show!

It takes me about 20 minutes to get to Bryn Mawr from home. Even with that close distance, I get homesick quite a bit. I see my friends who come from places far aw

The distance between Bryn Mawr and my hometown.

ay like California and Chicago and often feel like I shouldn’t feel so homesick. I mean, technically I could go home whenever I want-but let’s be real. With all of the work that Bryn Mawr demands including exams, readings, problem sets, labs, etc. I have days where I can’t even call home, let alone get home (there is no direct train by the way.)

Me visiting a school in Florida my senior year of high school.

It can be exasperating getting the “well you live so close by,” or “you can go home whenever,” comments. Yeah I could, but I can’t. I came to college for the college experience. It isn’t my fault that Bryn Mawr College is close to where I live. I didn’t necessarily choose Bryn Mawr because of location (although I love Philly, and would hate to be elsewhere.) Truth be told, before coming to Bryn Mawr, I was getting ready to go to a school in Florida-a school that was 1,040 miles away.

There are definite pros to going to a school close to home. Getting home for breaks usually just depends  on when my parents can pick me up (again no direct trains to where I live). If I forget something at home/need something, I just need to coordinate with my parents to figure out how I could get it. But there are also a bunch of cons. I’m still in suburban Philadelphia. There isn’t much of a scene change for me which is something that I wanted when searching for schools. And again, I get the comments and looks of “you live close by, why are you complaining?” 

While I know how lucky I am to be going to a school close by, it doesn’t make the homesickness just go away. I get days where all I want to do is go home, just like students who are very far away from home too.