Embracing My Inner Grandma

Sonam with cream and maroon scarf
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...
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Four Hurrahs for Finals

sunset with trees in foreground and crane in background
By Oluyemisi Bolonduro ’23 Salutations, I am finishing my sophomore year at Pomona! I still have four more semesters to go, but I’m marking this Spring 2021 semester as the best finals season so far (and maybe overall). My four core classes in photography, philosophy, French and research methods are the reason why. Without further ado, I shall describe each final… hurrah, hu...
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Semester Wrap Up: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

two bags of coffee
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...
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Class Registration: The Most Hectic and Overwhelming Time of the Year

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...
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What Time Is It? DECISION TIME

singer Lucky Daye with microphone
By Sonam Rikha ‘24 “AHHHHH I GOT IN!” We’ve all heard the screams, we’ve all watched the reaction videos, and some of us have even screamed those same words ourselves. The college application process is tough: which schools should I apply to? Who should I ask to write my letter of recommendation? Can I even afford to go to this school? Though for some, the decision proces...
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How To Make Friends At Pomona

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...
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Admit Advice

dark photo of students with POM 47 in green
By Oluyemisi Bolonduro ’23 Salutations! This is a follow up to my blog Application Advice. I’m going to assume that you’re reading this as a Pomona admit (if I’m wrong you can cackle at your screen and enjoy the rest of your day with a smile). Continuing with this assumed audience, I offer congratulations on your acceptance! If you don’t know, we Sagehens have a huge thin...
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Mentorship at Pomona

students and staff hanging out in QSC
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...
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Braving Office Hours

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...
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Memories of Mentorship

zoom screen with mentees smiling
By Oluyemisi Bolonduro ‘23 People are oftentimes surprised when I say I don’t like working in teams, it’s strange coming from someone who frequently does group activities. This is because I grew up in competitive environments. My high school ranked the students with the top 25 GPAs, and many students in my class invested time into tracking who applied and got accepted into w...
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