Author: Eron Smith

Independent Study and Small-College Education

Posted on by Eron Smith
On the Wednesday afternoon of spring break, I sat in the Coop Fountain staring at my laptop screen. My real spring break had started thirty seconds beforehand, when I clicked “send” on an email to my advisor containing the first draft of my independent study paper. The moment felt surprisingly anticlimactic. I shut my laptop, walked outside into the sunny spring weather tha...
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“We Should Totally Get a Meal Sometime”: The Seven Lunches You’ll Eat at Pomona

Posted on by Eron Smith
It may come as a surprise to some people, but there’s a lot of work to be done in college. Papers, lab reports, readings, projects, paperwork, applications… We students are a busy bunch. Some (unfortunately for their schedules) are also very extroverted and social. During the week, it can be extremely difficult to find time for everything you want to do -- either you lose sleep...
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Zooming Out: Life at the Claremont Colleges

Posted on by Eron Smith
Going through the college admissions process, we get a lot of advertising and a fairly limited perspective. I know that’s a bit ironic to hear, coming from a Pomona student blog, but really! Receiving mail from Pomona, I remember seeing a lot about great academics, great faculty, nice weather, etc. Don’t get me wrong, these things are true, but the other four Claremont Coll...
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Professors Test “Positive” on Humanity

Posted on by Eron Smith
If you’re a prospective student, you’re probably spending a lot of time wondering what college will be like. Maybe you’re wondering about your future social life, living away from home, or what clubs or organizations you’ll try/join/hate. As we collegefolk get ready for the spring semester and as you gear up for your college acceptances and decisions, I felt this would be the b...
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Let’s Talk About Dorms!

Posted on by Eron Smith
There are some things that you’re allowed to say in college that sound totally creepy out in the real world. In this case, the one I’m thinking of is the casual question to someone you just met: “Where do you live?” It’s probably the #1 question first-years get asked. You can ask about the person’s major, but they don’t know. You can ask where they’re from, but you’re...
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Anecdotes from the Discomfort Zone

Posted on by Eron Smith
One of the ways I like to evaluate the discomfort zone is to complete the following sentences: “Oh, I’m just not really a ____ person.” “I just don’t do ____.” “Nah, there’s no way I could ever ____.” Growing up, I tried ballet, gymnastics, piano lessons, aikido, youth group, Girl Scouts, clarinet, oboe, the spelling bee, French, and various summer camps. I was thro...
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A Major in Music and a Minor Identity Crisis

Posted on by Eron Smith
I’ve heard so many stories and jokes surrounding the indecisiveness of the majorless first-year, those lost liberal-artsers who constantly change their interests, take courses from every department possible, and woefully declare the hopelessness of their future. The good news is that all of these confused first-years eventually find something they love or something at which the...
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