Adjusting to College – Page 4

Not Knowing What To Do

Posted on August 9, 2021September 21, 2022 by Lucy Pan

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...

Drawing Conclusions (A Pomona Pals Retrospective)

Posted on July 23, 2021September 21, 2022 by Ben Baraga

By Ben Baraga ‘24 I don’t know how to draw. My hand’s way too shaky, it’s a lot of work, and half the time I don’t have the confidence to start on a project, let alone keep going after I make a mistake. But the funny thing about the pandemic, especially the pandemic during summer vacation, is that it forces you into such deep boredom that you’re willing to give every failed ...

A Breadth of Fresh Air

Posted on July 9, 2021September 21, 2022 by Leslie Paz

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...

Finding Home in Online Spaces

Posted on June 25, 2021September 21, 2022 by Lucy Pan

By Lucy Pan ‘24 When the COVID-19 pandemic first started back in March of 2020, I could’ve never imagined that it would completely change the course of my entire first year of college. The abrupt transition from everyday in-person classes to Zoom school was uncomfortable, but I accepted this changing reality as temporary— a short phase from which we would eventually return t...

Somehow, Some Way, Community Finds You

Posted on June 17, 2021September 21, 2022 by Ben Baraga

group of 7 students attempting to do freeze frame jump

By Ben Baraga ‘24 Although I’ve finished my first year of college, just like the rest of my classmates, I’m mentally stuck in March of my senior year of high school! Indeed, nothing wakes you up out of a 15-month spring break like being called a “rising sophomore” and the wave of nausea that comes with it. But being bitter about a global pandemic is sooo last semester. I’...

Embracing My Inner Grandma

Posted on June 10, 2021September 21, 2022 by Sonam Rikha

By Sonam Rikha ‘24 I feel like I’ve been sprinting these past five years, thinking that if I stop, I’ll trip and fall. Growing up, my parents emphasized two things: “Education comes first” and “Take advantage of every opportunity.” When I started my first year of high school I clung onto these phrases and made sure to fill my schedule with difficult classes and many extracur...

Class Registration: The Most Hectic and Overwhelming Time of the Year

Posted on April 22, 2021September 21, 2022 by Danny DeBare

professor in Buddhist robes at desk, talking with student

By Danny DeBare ‘22 The craziest time on campus isn’t during finals. It isn’t orientation or move-in day, either. No, the most hectic, overwhelming time at Pomona is class registration. A few weeks prior to registration, the course catalog goes public. Everyone spends a whole afternoon fantasizing about their perfect schedule. However, most first-years and sophomores then...

How To Make Friends At Pomona

Posted on April 12, 2021September 21, 2022 by Bryce Kelly

Bryce running with his classmates through the gates, beginning of his first year

Bryce Kelly ‘23 This is decision season! People from all over the world are making the final choice to come to Pomona. After so much confusion and anxiety, congratulations on completing a chapter of your life and beginning a new one. Since you no longer have to worry about which college you’ll get into/attend, your brain might find something else to feel dread about in its p...

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...

A Few Recipes to Try (Now That You’re Living Away from Home)

Posted on March 18, 2021September 21, 2022 by Bryce Kelly

hand holding plate of garlic shrimp on zucchini

By Bryce Kelly ‘23 Portland, Seattle, Claremont, Santa Fe, San Diego, and Tucson. Those are just a few places where many of the people I know are spending the semester. Not because they live there, no, rather the opposite. “Classes are online, so we might as well take them wherever we want” has become a philosophy popular amongst 5C students. But with neither dining hall sta...