First-year Experience – Page 4

Reflections on my First Semester…

Posted on December 21, 2021September 21, 2022 by Serena Lin

By Serena Lin ‘25 It's hard to believe that I am almost one-eighth of my way through college! Taking some time to reflect, I share a few of the non-"school-related" lessons I’ve learned: 1) Don't psych yourself out! Imposter syndrome is real, but don't sell yourself short. Your experiences and perspective are worth sharing. Don't underestimate your strength. I made ...

The Intangibles

Posted on October 12, 2021September 21, 2022 by Serena Lin

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...

My (Not So) Strange Addiction to Social Media

Posted on August 27, 2021September 21, 2022 by Sonam Rikha

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...

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...

What Is Research Anyway? (Don’t worry, I had no idea either)

Posted on July 30, 2021September 21, 2022 by Youssef El Mosalami

group of 9 students smiling for selfie shot outside

By Youssef El Mosalami ‘24 After a grueling online semester full of multiple spontaneous FaceTime calls, outings in NYC with other Pomona students who lived in the area, and turning off my camera during class to nom down on some lunch (don’t tell my professors), I definitely missed being able to give friends hugs when I saw them or just being in the physical presence of oth...

Never Say Never: My Journey Through Math

Posted on July 27, 2021September 21, 2022 by Sonam Rikha

$two math medals$

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 ...

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’...