New Kid Starter Guide

I have been so excited to write this first blog post, and now HERE I AM.  I can hardly believe I have been at Scripps now for almost a month. If you have not read my biography, which is on our website Beyond the Elms(under Meet the Bloggers)I just transferred from NYU (Go bobcats!) So, to say that I am in a different environment is an understatement. Although, I am happy to report: so far, so good

I have only been here a month, so I can’t confidently tell you I know all the “ins and outs”or “do’s and don’ts” of the transfer process yet, but in this blog post, I am going to attempt to tell you what I think the “new kid” on the block should know about coming to Scripps, and (sort of) the 5Cs. I want to share what I wish I had known some of these small facets about the 5Cs before arriving.

Not sure how much this will interest those students already here, but…who knows? It might refresh your memory on all there is to do on our campus. It might even encourage you to be a little bit gentler to that new kid, as they attempt to navigate a whole new world.

      Theri’s Do and Don’t Guide For Scripps Beginners

  1. DO ride a scooter, skateboard, etc. around campus-

I could not stress having wheels on campus enough. During my first week, I walked to and from my classes, between the various colleges, and it was exhausting. I envied those with skateboards whipping by me.  Many of you have cleverly kept all your classes on campus to avoid the walking hassle all together. If only I had thought that far ahead. At this point, you may be asking yourself, “How did this girl survive New York City if she hates walking?” The short answer is: I am still alive but barely breathing.

On the second week, I dragged myself to Target and bought a kid’s scooter for $39.99, and MAN was it the best investment of 2018 (thus far). Instead of taking me approx. 10 minutes to walk to my daily 8am at CMC, it was now taking me 1/2 that time with my new Razor scooter! #Scootergang Although, let it be known, I know how dorky riding a kid’s scooter may sound to you, so if you know how to ride a skateboard, do that, because #Tbh skater girls are the coolest #Sorrynotsorry Bikers are cool too.

 

 

 

 

 

2. DON’T go home on the weekends if you are a local

If you are tempted to go home on weekends, like I am because I live in LA, consider not going.  Especially if home is nearby i.e., Pomona, Claremont, Anaheim, Los Angeles, etc., it can be tempting to want to go home. I came home the first couple weeks of the school year because it felt comfortable to be at home, but I realized that I was feeling some major #FOMO as I watched snap, instagram stories, etc. of various friends getting together. The next week, I nearly missed a SCORE community event on campus because the traffic from LA to Scripps was so nightmarish. There is plenty going on around campus and so many new people to meet. On a side note, I think all the beautiful Scripps study spots make doing homework actually enjoyable. Take care of yourself, but my advice is to push your comfort zone and create some new roots here.

     3. DO utilize all of Scripps facilities and resources

OK, maybe it’s over stressed, but the facilities and resources on campus are truly extraordinary. Whether you are done with studying or just need a break, I highly recommend our pool at the Sallie Tiernan Field House. I mean our field house is essentially a hotel spa, with all the accommodations you could ever fathom: yoga classes, zumba, running, walking, spinning classes, and so much more. You also have your Motley coffeehouse for your daily bagel and caffeine fix. Read the Scripps Voice since its the official Scripps newspaper on campus, and happens to be a club I just joined (so you should come, so we can become friends) If you’re thinking AT ALL about going abroad, I suggest just dropping by  Office of Study Abroad to see if you can make a meeting with one of the advisors to talk about your questions and concerns. Stay up to date on SCORE events which you can find in your emails from SAS; Finally, check in with your one of the career counselors at CP&R once in a while…

      4. DO visit CP&R

Regardless of where you are in the career journey, Career Planning & Resources is here to help. Feeling overwhelmed by different passions and just want someone to pick one for you? CP&R can help you sort things out. Whether you’re are a freshman or sophomore and still have loads of time to think about your major, study abroad, or whether or not you want to apply for a fellowship, or if you are an upperclassmen, and need help planning your next steps for internships or job opportunities – Seriously, make an appointment with CP&R as early as possible in the term to see what steps you need to take, and how to stay on track – there is no limit to the number of appointments you can have, and you can also utilize their drop in hours Monday – Friday 10am – 5pm if you have quick questions. Take a deep breath, try your best try to stay organized throughout the semester, get to know your resources, and connect with the staff on campus here to support you. Yay for small liberal art schools and a rigorous amount of individualized attention!

5. DO hang in there… Fall break is right around the corner!

   Well, that’s all for now folks. Today has been a beautiful day to save lives.

 

 

 

 

 

Xx,

Theri

An Unexpected Learning Opportunity

As I reach the final week of classes here at Queen Mary University of London, I can’t help but feel like this chapter is coming to a close despite the fact that I still have another month and a half before I return to sunny California.  Speaking with my professors has increased that sense of finality.  I still have final papers due over the course of the next month but I will not see some of these amazing, inspiring people.  My professors here have truly been some of my favorite ever and I believe that each one has fundamentally changed the way that I view Media, Theater, and the world.  I could not be more excited to bring these new ways of thinking back to Claremont. 

But my end-of-term discussions with them has also inevitably turned to the fraught nature of this semester.  This term saw the largest academic industrial strike action the UK has ever seen.  Because of a significant cut to academics’ pensions, the University and College Union (UCU) called for an unprecedented strike action from its members.  Classes that unfortunately fell on strike days were canceled for three weeks.  Two of my classes were affected and I lost out on almost a month of instruction time.  While I cannot help but be sad, and a little bitter, that I missed out on time in classes I loved so much, I am also extremely grateful that they had the opportunity to strike.  I am extremely grateful that professors exercised their right to fight for themselves because you can’t do that in all parts of the world.  So while I have personally mixed feelings on the strike, I’m thankful that I live in a world where that right exists.  Its fascinating to think how much I have learned over the course of the semester, both inside and outside of the classroom.  Here’s to some more London adventures ahead!

https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/tensions-mount-campus-uss-pensions-strike-looms

For more information on the UK Universities Strike, visit the following:

https://www.ucu.org.uk/strike-action

http://bright-green.org/2018/03/24/the-ucu-strike-a-tale-of-student-staff-solidarity/

A New Adventure!

Welcome back to the spring semester. I hope everyone had a restful break and is primed and ready to crush another round of classes.  I am sending my words to the Scripps community across time and space as I find myself across the pond.  I am studying in London, England this semester at Queen Mary University and I am excited to continue to share my professional and academic ups and downs from across the pond!  It has been a wild adventure in these first few weeks and while I imagined it would be a little more like this…

London City GIF by Burberry - Find & Share on GIPHY

It been a little like this…

Confused London GIF by Paddington Bear - Find & Share on GIPHY

Also very cold and rainy,  but from the comfort of my warm dorm room, I am happy to share some thoughts about moving away from home.  Even though many of us moved away from home to go to college, there was a system set up to welcome us with open arms at Scripps.  Moving to study at a large university in a major city was more of a challenge than I was expecting because of how much you must do independently.  And I’m very grateful to have this opportunity to live indecently for a while.  Because chances are that we will have to relocate at some point in our professional careers and it can be intimidating to start over in a new place.

I have two tips so far when starting afresh.  Firstly, put down the phone and go enjoy.  Because of social media, it’s easy to get caught up in what you’re missing back home.  But being present in the moment and enjoying the new place around you helps with those feelings of homesickness.  And secondly, it is ok to feel alone.  Adjustment takes time and it is important to learn how to be comfortable in your own company. 

Otherwise, here’s to a new semester and exciting adventures all over the world!

Animated London GIF by Al Boardman - Find & Share on GIPHY

Final Papers and Summer 2018 Plans

Based on my time spent here at Trinity and the number of assignments I have turned in, you would think I had done absolutely nothing since arriving here. The truth is, I have read nearly ten full length books, in addition to poetry and other excerpt readings, but have not had any essays to turn in. For many courses at Trinity, your only assessment is a final paper at the end of the semester. Some courses have final exams as well, but as a visiting student I only need to submit a paper by December 15. During the former part of the semester, this fact made my time feel much more leisurely, as I was just focused on completing the readings assigned to me and, when I could, reading ahead. This made my weekends freer and I could relax, spend time with friends, and even travel! Now, as the end of the semester is looming, I am realizing just how much work I have to do before I leave (similar to how Joey must have felt in this scene).

Because the credit system is different in Ireland and I have to take enough credits to be considered a full time student back at Scripps, I am taking six courses. This means that I have to write six essays by December 15.

As I mentioned in some of my earlier posts, professors have distributed essay topics and even had assignments where we were required to think about our topics and even write an outline for what we wanted to discuss. I have just had another professor do this and I am very grateful to him for it because it will help give me some extra motivation to get a start on some rather daunting deadlines.

While on the topic of looking towards the future, I have started thinking about what I might want to do during summer 2018. Although it seems far off, applications for internships and lab positions are already being posted, many of which are due early next semester. If only applying was as easy as the gif below suggests. 

Because I am a chemistry major, I will need to do research in a lab that I will later write my thesis on. I have found many programs that offer lab positions for undergraduate students that I am interested in, where the next step is to figure out which ones I will apply to. My list is currently very long, so I will need to narrow it down. I found a position through the National Institute for Health that I am particularly interested in, as it focuses on public health, something that I have been interested in learning more about.

My current worry is whether or not that would produce enough hard data for me to write my thesis on it. If not, I have many other options, and may even end up in Claremont to do my research. This is when I am very grateful that I have the advisor I do, as I know he will be supportive in helping me make a decision that best suits my academic interests and future goals. I am also grateful for the other resources that Scripps provides in helping with these sorts of decisions, such as CP&R, which has helped me with internship applications in the past.

If you are worried about summer plans, please know that you have a kindred spirit in me. If you are feeling lost, please don’t hesitate to contact me or the staff at CP&R. That’s what they’re there for, and they are awesome! Cheers to the final weeks!

Final Papers and Looming Deadlines

Hello Scripps! I hope all is well in Southern California. The weather here in Dublin has been getting chillier, and I’ve been wearing, wait for it…. scarves! And a coat! Both of which are practically anomalies in Southern California.

As I’m sure it is for you all in Claremont, things are ramping up here in Dublin and professors have already started to discuss final papers. Eep!

Here at Trinity, and at many European institutions, humanities courses are graded based on just one, or occasionally two, essays that students turn in at the end of the semester. This past week, my professors have begun talking about these final essays and I‘ve found myself feeling more stressed than I have been all term. The fact that we are halfway through the term has set in, and the fact that I have to write six long papers has done a good job of scaring me into beginning to think about my essay topics.

Thankfully, most of my professors have given us assignments that require us to start thinking about potential topic ideas. This is convenient, as I’ve now had to start thinking about my topics and will receive feedback from my professors as well.

This is somewhat different from Scripps, where I will often stop by office hours to talk with a professor and discuss an idea for my essay. Here, where the class sizes are so large, it is hard to get individual attention during office hours. Thus, having a piece of writing that contains your topic ideas allows them to give you feedback and is a sort of substitute for that one-on-one time you might be used to in office hours.

I have also found that catching professors after class can be more effective if you aren’t able to make their office hours, or if they are too crowded for a one-on-one conversation. If I have a quick question about something that was discussed during the lecture, I will stay after to ask the professor, which I find to be most effective because the idea is fresh in my brain and then I don’t have to worry about trying to get to their office hours. Just like the professors at Scripps and the 5Cs, professors at Trinity are always more than happy to discuss topics from the lecture or answer any questions you have about the material.

One thing I was nervous about, coming to Trinity, was how accessible the professors would be, and they have proven to be very accessible. Particularly when it comes to emailing, I was warned that oftentimes, professors wouldn’t respond promptly and was nervous that I would have a hard time getting in touch with them. I don’t think I’ve ever gone more than 24 hours without receiving a response from a professor, which I would compare to the response time of professors at Scripps and was very pleased that it didn’t live up to its expectations.

As it’s the middle of the semester at Scripps as well, I’d like to empathize with those back home. Even though I’m in a different country and have been able to travel, I’m still spending my days in the library, doing lots of reading and writing, so just to emphasize that it’s not all play over here.

Please let me know if you’d like to talk with me about Trinity or study abroad; I’d be happy to share about my time here!