Tag Archives: first year

Hitting My Stride

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Over winter break, I took some time to reflect upon my first semester at Scripps. I had many accomplishments to be proud of such as getting a job on campus at the Office of Parent Engagement, being placed on the Dean’s List, joining the Scripps Economic Society, and meeting amazing and loving friends. Yet despite these accomplishments, I had a nagging feeling that I had stayed within my comfort zone, and did not push myself to my fullest potential.

Going into the second semester, I was on a mission to truly fulfill my potential. In my first week back on campus, I spent hours on Handshake looking at summer internships, applied to be a CP&R blogger, and applied and interviewed for the position of Development Manager at The Student Life (TSL). I was delighted to be chosen both to be a CP&R blogger and Development Manager for TSL. I was ecstatic that I would have more on my plate this semester but also concerned whether I could truly do it all.

With six weeks of the semester now complete, I am realizing that I am capable of more than I thought I was in my first semester, and that I can thrive beyond my initial comfort zone. This semester, I am busier than I have ever been, yet am truly passionate about the classes, jobs, and extracurricular activities that fill my hours and my days. Blogging for CP&R has given me a great outlet for self-reflection, fueled my interest in my future potential career, and connected me with CP&R staff. Working for TSL has enabled me to forge partnerships across the 5C’s with admissions offices, parent relations offices, professors, deans, and alumni. Searching for a summer internship has allowed me to connect with 5C alumni and CP&R staff in order to find, interview with, and receive an offer from the best possible internship for me.

Looking back at my first semester at Scripps, I realize that while I pushed myself in some ways, I was careful to stay in my comfort zone. I did not challenge myself to make connections beyond my everyday interactions, or take advantage of all that the 5C community has to offer. This semester, I feel like I have hit my stride. I am proud of my accomplishments. Most importantly, I feel truly immersed in the 5C community. Every role that I have taken has given me the opportunity to develop relationships with 5C alumni, faculty, staff, and students.  With each new relationship, I feel more and more a part of this amazing community. I realize that the more I contribute to the community, the more I get out of it, and the more I feel truly a part of it. Based on my experience this year, my one piece of advice for new college students is to take risks, try out, apply, engage, and connect. The more you do, the more you will feel that you truly belong.

What is one piece of advice you would give to incoming first-years?

“So, What Are You Going to Major In?”

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The summer before leaving home for college, first-year students are constantly asked “what are you going to major in?” I never had a definitive answer. I would usually reply with a vague “I’m not sure”, or sometimes, “I am going to a liberal arts college, I’m not supposed to know what I will major in yet”. I knew I did not particularly enjoy STEM classes, and kind of enjoyed writing, but did not feel the urge to declare my love for any one subject just yet. In addition, I did not believe in the assumption behind the question. How are students who have not taken a single college class supposed to be certain of the academic path they intent to pursue?

College is a time for self-discovery and for taking classes that you enjoy and are genuinely interested in. Now that I am in the midst of my second semester at Scripps, I have a better grasp of what subjects interest me, and what subjects definitely do not interest me. I see my potential major as a puzzle and I’m discovering the pieces that will make the picture complete. Last semester, I took an “Introduction to Digital Art” class where we learned how to use Adobe Photoshop and created portfolios of our work. Through this class, I discovered my interest in video editing. My Writing 50 class reminded me of how much I enjoy analytical writing. Taking French 22 and French 33 taught me that I enjoy the grammar of French but do not enjoy comprehension. I am now taking Psychology and find the topic intriguing and applicable to so much in life. Through taking Macroeconomics, I am discovering that I probably won’t be an Economics major but can benefit from understanding basic economic principles.

While I will probably change my mind more than once, I currently see myself majoring in Psychology and minoring in Media Studies. Even though I have not yet taken a Media Studies class, I plan to next semester and have a feeling that I will enjoy it.

I think that one of the biggest lessons the first year of college is teaching me is not taught in any course: the lesson to accept and be at peace with uncertainty.  I am in the habit of constantly trying to plan every aspect of my days and of my future. Planning gives me great comfort and a sense of security, and it helps me feel in control. College is teaching me that even though I do not yet know what I will major in, let alone what I will eat for lunch tomorrow, that’s ok. What I do know is that I am going to take amazing classes, continue my passion for learning, and, eventually, discover what my major will be.

 

Breathing in Breathtaking Claremont

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Being at a place like Claremont has me in constant awe: constant awe of the beauty on the campuses, constant awe of the passion my professors possess, constant awe of the above average cafeteria food (okay maybe not constant)…but definitely constant awe of the intelligence of my peers.

In classes I am enlightened by fellow eighteen to nineteen year olds. That, my friends, is rare. The different backgrounds and unique ideas coming from each individual make for extremely interesting class discussions. I gain insight into new topics that I have covered and I’m delving into new concepts I have yet to explore. Sometimes in class we discuss a wide array of topics with no input from the professor. On these days I learn more from my classmates than from my professor. I enjoy going to class and I cannot iterate how inspired I am by the intelligence around me. Claremont sets and meets high standards.

Yes, we all know that Claremont is a special place. It IS the city of trees and PhDs, but at Keck Science Center, the collaborative science center shared between Scripps College, Claremont McKenna College, and Pitzer College, I have seen first-hand the quality work that students are producing. Keck’s faculty and resources truly cultivate smart people who are doing interesting things.

Philip Paulson ’12 and Associate Professor of Chemistry Kathleen Purvis-Roberts prepare a gas chromatography experiment in the W.M. Keck Science Department.

Philip Paulson ’12 and Associate Professor of Chemistry Kathleen Purvis-Roberts prepare a gas chromatography experiment in the W.M. Keck Science Department.

I saw a few fascinating projects my peers were engaged in last Wednesday when my science class offered an extra credit opportunity to go and listen to senior thesis proposals. In the deep, dark, basement of Keck I made my way to Burns Lecture Hall. The three individuals that I listened to were working in labs with test specimens ranging from cold-sensitive plants to fruit flies and writing their senior theses about their results. Listening to my peers–just a few years older than I–was inspiring but intimidating. These people are doing such cool things, and I am highly impressed, but it brought upon a lot of self-reflection. Should I be working in a lab already? How do I even begin that process? Will I ever gain technical experience? And it all culminated into the big, overarching question that I have been consistently asking myself in these first two months of college: What am I going to do for the rest of my life? (Notice how when in panic mode your mind jumps twenty to thirty years ahead in time.).

At that point I took a deep breath. Claremont sets the bar high, with people achieving things I can only dream of, however, Claremont provides the resources to excel. If I express interest in working in a lab I can probably get a position at neighboring Keck or at another lab nearby. With enough drive, persistence, and hard work, I guarantee opportunities will arise. My professors are here to guide me, my peers are here to help, and I am determined.

The awe-inspiring atmosphere at the 5Cs makes me strive to achieve great things. There is still time to figure things out; I am still adjusting; I just need to take a deep breath. We all need to take a deep breath. Who knows, three years from now maybe another girl will be writing a blog post on my senior thesis proposal presentation.

First-Year Balance and Beyond

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As my first year of college comes to an end (a brutal end at that; finals sure are grounding), I reflect on all that has happened this past year, all that I have learned and become, and all that is now familiar to me, and I look forward to what comes next.

I feel like a first year of college is not something easily forgotten. It’s among the most eye-opening, stimulating, overwhelmingly terrifying-yet-wonderful times of life. The opportunities are endless in the community of driven, bright, unique, and passionate people. College is where intellectuals flock to exchange everything from music to ideas to book recommendations to social commentary in an environment unlike any that existed before and any that could ever be replicated again. Recalling my first year navigating through this incredibly stimulating environment reminds me of the single afternoon I spent alone at the Met in New York last summer—there were too many wonderful collections and beautiful pieces of art to see, too many people I wanted to share my experiences with, and too little time to do it all. Yet, despite being astounded by the sheer volume and quality of what was offered throughout the exhibits, I managed to weave my way through the halls, spending time with what piqued my interest the most and admiring all that I could.

A first year of college offers so much that begs to be experienced. Knowledge is everywhere, begging to be delved into. Yet, we cannot choose everything.

As I begin to consider how I want to color my sophomore year, I am trying to balance what I love, what I am interested in, what I find to be fun, what I want to learn about, and what it I feel compelled to do. This means trying different things than I did this past year, but also building on what I have done to continue to give back and learn in this community in enriching ways. I cannot get involved in everything. I decided I want to take five classes next year, but that means I had to cut some other co-curricular activities. I am taking on positions with more responsibility in some of my out-of-class involvements, which means my schedule will end up being more locked down than this year. Despite the give and take and the loss and gain, I am looking forward to a new batch of endless opportunities.

The most important thing I have learned this year is simply just to go do. Do what makes you happy, what helps you grow, what might be intimidating at first, but always what you think may help you develop into the kind of person you want to be, in every respect. There’s no reason not to try what interests you at least once, you never know what may catch your fancy!

The First Foray into Professional Life: Finding A Summer Internship

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When I came to Scripps, I had a three-page resume and could not define “curriculum vitae” or even “business casual.” Fortunately, I never had to implement any of these professional necessities before seeking a heavy dose of TLC from CP&R.

But alas, the time has come to start putting all the skills, documents, and important career information I have built up over the past year to the test. Summer internship season has arrived.

I underwent the gruesome processes of assembling my resume into a single-page document, wrote cover letters, and perused The Gateway, Idealist.org, and Life Connections. But with no definite major and no concrete decision about my future plans, what was I to do next about summer plans?

Never turning down the chance to explore, I attended the Panel on Careers in Writing, Publishing, and Media earlier this month. After speaking with CMC and Scripps alums with experience working in fields I might be interested in pursuing, I connected with them via email and LinkedIn to keep in touch and begin to build my network.

A minor, somewhat comical, digression about LinkedIn: I am new to the professional networking site, and if you are too, I recommend avoiding humiliation by not sending requests to connect to your entire email contacts list… I unwittingly sent invitations to my uncle, the mayor of Claremont, and half of the CP&R office simply because they were in my contacts list. I am now happy to be connected to these people, but be careful and be sure to (intentionally) send personalized requests to anyone with whom you wish to network.

To return to the topic internship searches, my advice is this: never turn down an opportunity or a chance to travel down roads you can potentially see your future heading towards. My resume took its maiden voyage into the professional world when I sent it off to a nonprofit organization that works to create policies regarding environmental protection and restoration. My dad, as an environmental lawyer, works with a man who attended Pomona as an undergraduate student and was excited enough about my status as a Claremont student that he was happy to put me in contact with the organization. After a phone interview, I was offered a position of communications intern. I am still working out the logistics of this opportunity, but the fact remains that I would not have gotten this chance had I not taken all the necessary steps and put myself out there beforehand.

Making sure to have all the basics down is the first most important step, but if it is unclear about where to go from there, sniffing around potentially interesting opportunities almost always turns something exciting up. I was able to secure an opportunity after probing opportunities offered by the panel, LinkedIn connections, and the discussion I had with my dad. At any stage of career searching, an open mind and an assertive willingness to experiment might be all it takes to find an incredible opportunity. Now is the time to say yes to everything… and even to risk making mistakes while they are remediable (and while there are resources like CP&R available to help work with them). So build that network (purposefully and responsibly so as not to annoy every person you know)! Talk to that professor about research opportunities! Attend that lecture! You never know where it might take you.