A First-Year’s Largely Unhelpful Guide to Showing Your Family Around Campus

bowls of berries
By Emma N. ‘26 A couple weeks ago, my family came to visit. Since I’m an international student, that was the first time they’ve made the trip “across the pond” to see the place I now call home, the first time they got to see Pomona College with their own eyes, rather than through FaceTime. I was overjoyed, of course, and incredibly grateful that they were able to come to visit...
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An Unforgettable Halloween

3 people in shark costumes dancing in front of a crowd
By Sonam Rikha '24 I stopped celebrating Halloween in 7th grade. What once was a fun time to dress up and stuff myself with candy became a regular, uneventful day. So when Halloween rolled around this year, I expected my normal wave of apathy to rush in. While I’d heard of Halloween parties and events being prominent in college, I underestimated how much fun Halloween weeken...
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Harwood Lounge, a Pomona Gem

Bilal with 4 friends in hallway
By Bilal Adamjee ‘24 Harwood Lounge will forever be for me a place of fond memories, fun, and new beginnings in coming to Pomona College. After finishing my first year on campus as a sophomore (my first year was spent remote), I can only look back at the moments I’ve had with friends and see what I think is a microcosm of what Pomona College offers. The Lounge itself—the ...
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Pomona’s Dining Trio: Frank, Frary, and Flex

Emily with a boba
By Emily Kim ‘25 As a summer fellow for Pomona’s admissions office, I frequently get asked about dining. “How’s the food?” students ask, followed by the parents’ concerned inquiries: “Will my child go hungry here?” In response, I reassure the students that the dining options are tasty and plentiful, and the parents that their children will have a variety of dishes to choo...
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10 Favorite (Underrated) Spots on Campus

outdoor tables with sunshade
By Vids Hingad ‘25 We all know about Marston Quad, and Big Bridges and the Smith Campus Center. However, I wanted to share my personal favorite spots on campus. They are curated to give you a truly insider experience of Claremont’s most beautiful (and sunniest) places. Seaver Theatre roof It’s magical. That is how I will describe it. It feels like you have walked...
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A Day in the Life

students at Pendleton pool
By Porter Reyes '25 On a sunny Friday afternoon, my friends Rebecca, Ruthie, and I wanted to unwind without going too far off campus. Laying in the sun is one of our go-to de-stressors, so we decided to head over to Pendleton Pool. While Haldeman–Pomona’s 50-meter by 25-yard outdoor Olympic-sized pool–is also nice, we settled on the smaller Pendleton because it is the closes...
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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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Do You Love the Beach Like I Do?

Bilal and 2 friends at the beach with Santa Monica Pier in background
By Bilal Adamjee ‘24 I love the beach. When people ask me, ‘What brought you to Pomona College?’ the beach always comes up. The beach does remind me of home – that, and the warm weather and palm trees. It was honestly a big factor in deciding where I wanted to study when I first started my college applications in high school. I was born and raised in Kenya, where I’ve spe...
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Dealing with Stress

work harder sign
By Porter Reyes '25 As an eighth-grader, I went through the stressful New York City high school application process. Being thirteen, I had no idea how to manage my stress; I even broke out into hives. But now, after finishing the high school application process, the college application process, and my first semester of college, I have learned some valuable stress-management ...
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