International Students

Combatting an Erasure of My Identity: Feeling Unforeign in Oldenborg

Posted on March 29, 2023March 29, 2023 by Vidusshi Hingad

Vids in long skirt against glittery backdrop

By Vids Hingad ‘25 A ticket from Terminal 2, Chattrapatti Shivaji Terminal in Mumbai to LAX. A 26-hour journey. Four oceans in the middle. Before boarding the flight from Mumbai to LAX, my dadi (grandma) always used to put a teeka on my forehead. This red dot symbolized that, no matter where I am, she would protect me and guide me. Guilty of wondering what strangers would...

Midnight Walks Around The 5Cs

Posted on January 10, 2023 by Young Seo Kim

By Young Seo Kim ‘26 You’re one of the 50 Pomona College first-year students who came early to campus. It’s nighttime, and you’re bored. The Village is closed and you and your friends don’t own a car to travel outside of Claremont. What’s a better idea than going out at night and walking around campus with your friends? It was my third night in Claremont. After going thro...

Big Bear Snow Summit 101: Do’s and Don’ts

Posted on January 5, 2023January 5, 2023 by Bilal Adamjee

By Bilal Adamjee ‘24 Let it be known that until I went to Big Bear, I had only experienced snow once, and it wasn’t your typical Hollywood soft snow, but much rougher, frosty snow (the least of my complaints while 4,500 meters up Mt. Kenya, Kenya’s highest mountain, but that’s a story for another day). We’re fortunate enough that the 5C Ski and Snowboarding Club sponsors a c...

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

Posted on November 28, 2022 by Emma Neeb

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...

First-Year Adventures in Southern California

Posted on November 8, 2022 by Marc Beaulac

By Marc Beaulac ‘26 As a first-year, it has been interesting transitioning into independent life, especially as the plethora of activities that Pomona College offers keeps one in the 5C bubble. However, one of the elements I have appreciated the most is the activities that can be found in Claremont as well as the whole of L.A. county. During the relative peacefulness of f...

Visit Joshua Tree Now

Posted on August 11, 2022September 21, 2022 by Bilal Adamjee

Bilal in front of Joshua Tree with explanatory sign

By Bilal Adamjee ‘24 “Dude, this place looks like a scene from Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner” and “Bro, those rocks look like my MacBook wallpaper” were the first comments my friends blurted out when we finally arrived at Joshua Tree National Park. Oh, to be a Gen Z-er. But seriously, during your time at Pomona College or Claremont in general, make the time to see Jo...

Roller Skating After a Chemistry Midterm? My Experiences in Pomona Scholars of Science

Posted on July 8, 2022September 21, 2022 by Giuliano Richetta

students around long table in restaurant

By Giuliano Richetta ‘25 Taking a college class for the first time can seem daunting. I grew up hearing rumors about weed-out classes, huge lecture auditoriums, and professors who are not interested in getting to know you. A lot of times, the first response I got when I told people I wanted to major in STEM was “good luck!” Before being accepted to Pomona, I prepared myself ...

Do You Love the Beach Like I Do?

Posted on June 21, 2022September 21, 2022 by Bilal Adamjee

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...

How To Ask for Help When You’re Drowning in a Scary College Class

Posted on June 8, 2022September 21, 2022 by Seohyeon Lee

illustration of ghost-like figure with question marks and anxiety around it

By Seohyeon Lee ‘25 I was clueless about everything when I started my first year at Pomona. As an international student from South Korea, I didn’t know what to expect from going to college in the United States. I was happy to get into a good liberal arts college, but I was terrified that I would face a steep learning curve with very little preparation. Looking back, I did...

Why a Liberal Arts Education Is Like a Thali

Posted on January 6, 2022September 21, 2022 by Vidusshi Hingad

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...