Approaching Normalcy

icon for 5C friend is chicken with antlers
By Porter Reyes ‘25 Being a first-year at Pomona last year was weird. We were getting close to “normal,” but the pandemic’s effect on the first-year experience was tangible. This year, however, things are different for the new first-year class and the entire student body as Pomona approaches normalcy. Staples of life at Pomona, such as Orientation Adventure, cross-campus...
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Making a “Home” at Pomona

5 students eating outside
By Arie Lewis Pugh ‘26 It’s the third week of school, and I’ve said the words “I’m Arie” more times than I can count. It’s strange meeting so many people and wondering which of them will feature in the memories everyone says college is about. In these first three weeks, I’ve tried my hardest to attend every event, dance, and group dinner in the hopes of finding “my people.” ...
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Super Study Spots

Emma and a friend on a rooftop with San Gabriel mountains backdrop
By Emma Grace Howlett ‘25 During my first semester at Pomona, I found myself swept away by a shower of fun social events and extracurricular opportunities. However, I found it hard to balance a heavy school workload with such a wealth of social resources. It took a few months to find an equilibrium, and, most importantly, good study spots. Thanks to the natural beauty and Ed...
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Top Ten Tips for Incoming First-Years (From an Outgoing First-Year)

3 students eating burgers
By Hasana Parker '25 (1) Get a nice lamp for your room. Good lighting makes all the difference in your room! Warm lighting makes your bedroom feel homey and changes the look of your room completely. My roommate and I turned on the overhead lighting in our room like 5 times during the school year because we just absolutely loved the lamp I got off of Amazon. (2) Bri...
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My First Year of College—Again

Sonam with 2 friends, all holding fro-yo
By Sonam Rikha ‘24 Stress, excitement, and nervousness filled the air as sweaty sophomores dragged their luggage to their new home. As I watched Orientation staff and student workers enthusiastically wave their pom-poms while I walked toward my dorm, reality seemed to hit me. I’m here. I’m finally here. After an exhausting first year of Zoom university, I was finally able to...
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The Power of Sitting Alone in Frary

grass in background with hand holding card with painting of flower pots
By Nelia Perry ‘24 After 18 months of online graduations, classes, birthdays, religious ceremonies, and study sessions, Pomona finally opened back up in August! As a rising sophomore who had yet to live on campus, I anxiously awaited move-in day, in-person classes, eating in Frank and Frary dining halls, meeting new people, cartwheeling through Marston Quad, getting in the p...
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The Intangibles

trees and grassy area with building in background
By Serena Lin ‘25 What makes Pomona, Pomona? I distinctly remember filling out a "college and career planning" worksheet during my first year of high school  and describing Pomona as having "quirky chill philosophical vibes." Having only been here for about a month now, I would say Pomona is many things. But I’m going to focus on three that stand out to me: Approachabi...
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Looking Back: Academic Advice from a Transfer Student

Transfer group 2018
By Isabel Callahan (Dec. ’21) “Let me know if anyone needs help with their schedule!” As I peered up at our sponsor from my spot on the hallway floor of Harwood’s basement, I had no idea just how generous his offer was. “How complicated could a schedule be?” I wondered. As my sponsor and I soon realized: for a transfer student, sometimes more complicated than expected! ...
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Move-In Day, Take Two

Lucy taking selfie with 4 friends
By Lucy Pan '24 Move-in day for first-year college students is often seen as a significant moment in one’s transition to college. It’s the day when we leave our families and truly step into adulthood for the first time, and it usually occurs at the beginning of our first semester. I’d watched videos of students celebrating this step in their journey with their families and a...
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My (Not So) Strange Addiction to Social Media

Icons for 9 social media apps
By Sonam Rikha ‘24 Addiction: “a compulsive, chronic, physiological or psychological need for a habit-forming substance, behavior, or activity having harmful physical, psychological, or social effects and typically causing well-defined symptoms (such as anxiety, irritability, tremors, or nausea) upon withdrawal or abstinence” (Merriam Webster Dictionary). If I’m being hon...
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