Hi everyone!
It鈥檚 my last semester here at Scripps, which I鈥檓 trying not to think about too much, but I have been thinking retrospectively about my time at Scripps. I鈥檝e loved it so much, so I鈥檝e compiled a few of my thoughts here about what I would tell my first-year self and some of my takeaways from my four years.
1. Social stuff can be hard, so keep putting in the effort!
My older sister and some of my older friends assured me that friendships aren鈥檛 really solidified until after the first summer break of college, but I didn鈥檛 want to be in friend-limbo until then! While it turns out that they were right in a lot of ways, that didn鈥檛 mean that I was going to give up on making friends my first year. I would encourage any first year navigating the college social scene to keep making that effort, even when it is tiring, to spend time with people you like. Ask to have meals together, make a study group, hang out on the lawn, join a club together, and more! Growing friendships takes time, so please remember that it is worth it, and eventually you will find people who put just as much effort into you.
2. Remember that you can drop classes.
In high school, I basically had to take whatever classes we had and stick with them. Here, we choose our classes, which sometimes means that I change my mind. Either the class wasn鈥檛 what I expected, or I had the opportunity to get into another class that I wanted more. If it鈥檚 the beginning of the semester, this 鈥渟hopping around鈥� is totally expected, so I鈥檇 encourage people not to be self-conscious about switching courses. Professors understand! And if it鈥檚 later in the semester, but the class just isn鈥檛 working, take the time to think about what you gain or lose from sticking with it. Scripps has a generous deadline for dropping classes without an impact on your transcript, so maybe meet with your advisor and see if it makes sense to drop the class. If you don鈥檛 need it, and it isn鈥檛 bringing you joy, the drop might be right. I have needed that reminder before.
3. Embrace your intellectual curiosity!
If something in a class sparks your interest, but it isn鈥檛 really touched on more in the syllabus schedules, don鈥檛 forget it! Scripps is full of people with intellectual passion, which I have loved so much. Talking with my friends about our classes and research is so exciting. If a topic comes up that I鈥檓 especially interested in, that can turn into something! From summer research to thesis, those kinds of lightbulb moments can lead to something more. My thesis, for example, is based around a historical phenomenon I first learned about spring of my sophomore year in a Spanish class. It came up again in my preliminary research, and I knew I wanted to pursue it more!
And to finish this off鈥�
4. Explore the Village!
The Village is what we call downtown Claremont, and it鈥檚 several blocks of cute shops, restaurants, and other small businesses. I regret that I didn鈥檛 explore the Village more before this year! There is a Farmer鈥檚 Market on Sunday mornings, yummy breakfast and drink places if you want a good weekend brunch, and many other attractions. It鈥檚 only about a 15-minute walk and can be a breath of fresh air away from campus but still accessible.
Hope this is helpful!
Siena