DearSmithie

So, New York.

(meatpacking district)

Last spring was my first time ever living in the city. Before this, I had never spent more than a few days in Manhattan. Now, having chosen to do a program at NYU, NYC was gonna be my background for everything.

After being at Smith for the past 2 1/2 years, it was definitely different to have the noise, life, and general energy of New York as my daily soundtrack. But here is a collection of some of my favorite parts of having the city as my home for a few months.

(whitney museum notes) 

- it was super cool to have the amount of art in the city available to experience. most museums had special student discounts & there are so many open galleries/exhibits all over - art is literally around every corner. i started to pick up this habit of doodling in my notebook whenever i visited any.

(chinatown during chinese new year celebrations)

- just stumbling upon random & unexpected places/events! my friend and i decided to get malaysian food near chinatown unknowingly when peak-chinese new year celebrations were happening - so, confetti was everywhere!

(walking on the highline)

- being able to explore and reroute yourself around the city in new ways. after going to the whitney one day, i decided to take an extended stroll along the highline - it was chilly, but it was a pretty day & the city was bustling.

(washington square park at night, going home)

- one of my favorite parts of the day normally became walking home. this often meant walking through washington square park after my classes at NYU finished & it’d be less crowded & slightly more quiet & the entire city would feel more grounded.

(train to brooklyn)

The city definitely was a different form of study abroad for me. It was a whole new world to experience and live within. If you’re considering going abroad, don’t limit yourself. I never thought I would wind up studying in NY during my junior year - I must’ve changed my mind on where I would go over 5 times from England to New Zealand to California. But follow where your heart’s calling and make the most of it. And open yourself to all the possible options you have all over the world. 

But after my few months in the city, I’m ready to go back to my home at Smith and get used to the lack of sirens outside my window.

Junior Year Abroad (JYA) at Smith is real. Around half of juniors go abroad in some form - either domestic, international, etc. And in general, there are plenty of opportunities to go abroad while here like during J-term and Summer break. For me, I had actually gone through the entire Smith procedure of going abroad - I had been accepted into a program, organized, had gotten approval from Smith, and by all means was going abroad. But following a change of heart during the Fall semester of junior year, the idea wasn’t sitting the same and I emergency decided to take a semester off to study elsewhere. And yes, you can do that! 

I knew I didn’t want to give up the opportunity to try and leave my comfort zone here and experience something new. So, I began my search into visiting student programs at other institutions in the U.S. 

I, sincerely, never thought I would go through the college application process again - but I did. I sent my application. Made the phone calls. Sent the emails. And got the approval I needed. And got ready for a semester away from Smith, and a Spring semester in New York City studying at NYU.

Study abroad, study away, whatever you want to call it is a big step for everyone. Whether it’s during the academic year, J-term, or Summer break. It is a very independent and individual process. From what my friends and I have shared from our times away from Smith this past year - from traversing oceans, to bustling cities. It is definitely an adventure. And although I didn’t go abroad in the way I originally planned; I’ve come back home with lessons I wouldn’t have learned if I hadn’t at least tried to figure out the best options for me to study away.

I’ve learned that the time we have away from Smith is time for us to test what we’ve gained while being here for the past 2-3 years, and apply them in new environments. And for us to bring back what the world has taught us in return. 

Check out any and all posts by other Smithies about their times abroad! And expect a post about my adventures in the city soon. 

Speaking as someone who wasn’t really raised with college culture, I’ve realized (in hindsight) how much I was unaware of what other students went through during the application season. But no matter where you’re at in the process, whatever environment you’ve grown up in, your exposure (or even lack thereof) to certain resources - the stress of this period is hard for everyone. You’re valid in your worry. So if you need to hear it from anybody, even a stranger like me: I believe in you. And trust me when I say, it’ll all be okay. 

Entering my senior year here at Smith, where you’re at feels a bit more distant to me now. But working in Admissions this summer, I hear how the pressure of this period hasn’t necessarily gotten any easier for students today. So, for those of you feeling the weight of this period on your shoulders right now - I hope these words can help in any way, no matter how small:

- i know it’s hard to really listen to any comforting words from those around you right now about everything going on in your head about applications/admissions. so feel free to ignore this, even though it’s true that… you’ve got this. 

- try your best to start early, like the summer is a great period to try to possibly lighten your load senior year. but, don’t forget that it’s summer! take breaks. be with friends & family! enjoy your time.

- you’ve done a lot of the hard work already. no one should ever underestimate junior year (or high school in general, tbh). so, don’t forget to give yourself some praise. you DID THAT. you’ve got one more year of high school left! HELLO SENIOR.

- make sure to communicate all your worries about the application process (housing, aid, etc.) with the resources offered to you. for example, if you’re concerned about aid at Smith - ask here on the Smith by Smithies blog or reach out to one of our amazing bloggers here!

- stop underestimating yourself. imposter syndrome is real. try to not let it overwhelm your application process if you can.

- you’ll apply, you’ll wait, you’ll get your answers. whatever anxieties or stresses you feel during this time are VALID. doing this is scary. putting yourself out there is scary. let’s not undermine our feelings or emotions! kick that poor self-care & bad self-love outta here folks.

Classes of 2020, you got this - happy summer & happy senior year! 

I’m Jemara and I’m a current rising senior at Smith (class of 2020 say what!). I will be around the Smith area this summer working as one of the Admissions Office’s Senior Interviewers. So, expect some summer posts from me about being here when school’s out. 

(this be me, hullo)

I’m an Environmental Science & Policy major, possibly unofficial Film minor. I live in Chapin. I’ve sort of lived all over the country as of recently - but I call California home.

I love photography, music, traveling to new places, writing nonsense, and making film projects. Right now, I really like making multimedia art things and am trying to create my own zine as a personal “thesis” my senior year.

Feel free to reach out if you have any questions, or if you just wanna chat in general! So nice to meet you!