Nelia Perry – Voices

Bagel Envy: Getting Creative in the Dining Halls

Posted on November 18, 2021September 21, 2022 by Nelia Perry

By Nelia Perry '24 Everyone arrives at Pomona with a different expectation for the food. Some people’s parents are avid cooks, so they are destined to miss home-cooked meals. Some people are avid cooks themselves and are sad to no longer be cooking (they luckily have the advantage of using Pomona’s residence halls kitchens). Other students are eager to try being vegan for th...

The Power of Sitting Alone in Frary

Posted on October 18, 2021September 21, 2022 by Nelia Perry

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...

Semester Wrap Up: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Posted on May 13, 2021September 21, 2022 by Nelia Perry

By Nelia Perry ‘24 With the semester coming to an end and finals fast approaching, I thought I could shine some light on what the end of a (virtual) semester looks like at Pomona. There are good things, bad things, and maybe a few ugly things thrown in as well. While “the good” comes first in the saying, I like to save the best for last, so let’s start with “the ugly.” Fi...

The College Search: Sage(hen) Advice from Nelia

Posted on April 27, 2021September 21, 2022 by Nelia Perry

Nelia with 2 other orientation leaders, all in red

This is the first in a six-part series of advice for high-school-aged students about the college search process. Enjoy! By Nelia Perry ‘24 As I approach the end of my first year of college, I have been reflecting back on my high school experience: What led me to a small, liberal arts college? How did I know Pomona would be a good fit? Why didn’t anyone tell me how valuable ...

Mentorship at Pomona

Posted on April 1, 2021September 21, 2022 by Nelia Perry

By Nelia Perry '24 Transitioning to college, navigating college, and transitioning out of college can be stressful, overwhelming, and confusing to manage. But you do not have to face these stages alone at Pomona! Whenever people talk about layers, they use an onion as a metaphor, so I guess I will do the same here: Pomona mentorship is like an onion; it has many layers. Thes...

Braving Office Hours

Posted on March 8, 2021September 21, 2022 by Nelia Perry

small white dog in costume with sign encouraging voting

By Nelia Perry ‘24 So, you’ve decided to attend a small college––meaning you must be interested in close student-to-faculty relationships. But, if you’re anything like me, you’re wondering how to actually create a close relationship with a professor. First of all, let me say not all of the work is on your part. AND, the work that is on you, isn’t actually all that muc...

First-Year Course Registration, Or The Subtle Art of Not Knowing What You Are Doing

Posted on February 5, 2021September 21, 2022 by Nelia Perry

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...

Application Do’s and Don’t’s From the Experts

Posted on December 14, 2020September 21, 2022 by Nelia Perry

image of college application with coffee cup

This is a special group post, with Oluyemisi Bolonduro, '23 Bryce Kelly '23, Chris Meng '23, Nelia Perry '24, and Sonam Rikha '24 conversing about their college application processes, in hopes you can benefit from their wisdom (and their mistakes). Bryce: What’s the strangest piece of advice you got when you were going through the college application process? Sonam: Be f...

Online School: A Small College Just Got That Much More Important

Posted on November 18, 2020September 21, 2022 by Nelia Perry

By Nelia Perry ‘24 There have been a lot of posts already about online school but bear with me as I add one more to the list. I’m sure those of you reading this are already interested in attending a small school–you are at least contemplating it. So, let me tell you why attending a small college just got that much more important. Let’s get straight to the point: meeting p...

Why I Defied, Rather Than Deferred

Posted on October 15, 2020September 21, 2022 by Nelia Perry

By Nelia Perry ‘24 I was excited to start college before even entering high school. I went on my first college visit when I was in seventh grade—okay, it was technically for my older brother, but bear with me. Watching my two older siblings go through the visiting and touring, essay writing, applying, deciding and eventually leaving phases of the journey to college I eage...