Enjoyment > Perfection

Hayeon and friend in the makerspace
By Hayeon Lee '23 The extent of my drawing is sketching nice Kirbys or Pokemon; if you told me to draw a hand, I would most gladly produce a stick figure drawing. However, one of my New Year's resolutions this year is to treat myself with kindness and patience. In my journey of healing my inner child, I find myself naturally returning to my hobby of arts and crafts. Whether ...
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Rediscovering the Joy of Music

hand holding heart object with words about creativity and joy
By Serena Lin ‘25 "You cannot count the beats. You must simply feel the music." As someone who is very numbers-based and methodical, this was quite a challenge. There was something stressful about not being able to protocol-ize a music note. As I stumbled through the first semester of my beginner's clarinet lessons, I originally expected just to "get through it" for th...
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Why a Liberal Arts Education Is Like a Thali

Vids and friends arm-in-arm, smiling
By Vidusshi Hingad '25 A liberal arts education is like a thali. I promise you this analogy makes sense—just stick with me! Just like the thali is a large plate in which a plethora of dishes are served, a liberal arts education is like tasting different flavors of areas of knowledge which eventually develop your taste buds to their maximum potential. [At Pomona] you are requ...
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Not Knowing What To Do

By Lucy Pan '24 When I first applied to Pomona in the fall of 2019, I was a nervous seventeen-year-old who didn’t have a clue about what I was going to major in or have concrete future goals. College application season was stressful; I remember hearing my friends and classmates discuss their own long-term plans—some wanted to go to medical school, others had plans for gradua...
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Never Say Never: My Journey Through Math

two math medals
By Sonam Rikha ’24 I will never take a math class again, I promised myself. It was my last day in high school. I proudly exited out of my virtual AP Calculus class and then hurled my calculus notebook into the trash. Despite the deep disgust I’d developed for analyzing functions, I’d miraculously aced my math class and passed the AP test, all while during the pandemic. Only ...
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A Breadth of Fresh Air

Leslie's small dog cuddling a copy of Hesiod
By Leslie Paz ’24 Enrolling at Pomona comes with a breath of fresh air. The lenient general education requirements and the vast array of courses mean that students are free to explore to their heart's content. As an undecided first year this past fall, I want to share how these two factors helped guide me to my current interests. It was 2:27 p.m. on August 12th, 2020, and...
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First-Year Course Registration, Or The Subtle Art of Not Knowing What You Are Doing

Nelia holding up her laptop
By Nelia Perry ‘24 About a week before fall registration, I decided to make a table outlining all of the classes I intended to take for the next four years. That’s eight semesters, four classes each, for a total of 32 classes. At first, that seems like a lot. It’s plenty of room to explore different subjects and take classes outside of your major. But, in the process of plan...
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A Pitch for the Liberal Arts

students having dinner at a professor's house
By Chris Meng ‘23 “Why would you choose Pomona over a more well-known school?” As a tour guide and summer fellow for the admissions office, my peers and I discuss the most common questions we get during tours and other interactions with prospective students, and this is one of them. While my neighbors in Pennsylvania may not know Pomona, graduate schools and employers cer...
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It’s Really Not About the Major

TSL staff second year
By Siena Swift ’22 These days, most high school students are pressured to decide on a major, if not an academic field, before applying to college. Many colleges or universities require you to apply into a major or school within the university, and transferring into a different major can often be difficult. I personally didn’t think about these issues when applying to college...
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Early Decision, the Best Decision I’ve Ever Made

Deanna standing in front of Bridges Auditorium
By Deanna Han '23 October 30th, 2018  I took a deep breath and submitted my application. There was nothing else I could do; all that was left was the wait. With one click of a button, I had sealed my future — but I didn’t know that then. In 45 days, my whole world would  change. December 14th, 2018  I rub the sleep out of my eyes and yawn. My heart starts pounding a...
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