#smith2021

Location, Location, Location....

Today (the 19th) is the first day of exam period. In just a few minutes, I have my Latin 100Y final (I’m taking a break- finals are stressful and taking your mind off of your work for a few minutes is healthy!)

For finals, I prefer studying in my room. Once reading period begins, 24/7 quiet hours are enforced, which really facilitates a productive atmosphere. I’ll play some quiet music and set about either writing, studying, or reciting whatever I need to do for that day. Having a schedule has proved essential for keeping me on track. When I need a change of scenery, however, I head to Josten Library (pictured above). The funky color scheme is a shift from the cool greys and whites of my room, plus being in a library automatically makes you feel more productive! A lot of my friends prefer Hillyer, but I find it too hot (personal preference, I guess!). There’s definitely a place for everyone on campus, regardless of study style.

This semester, I have a mix of 2 papers (one 8 and one 12 pages), a take home exam (for Logic 100), and an official final (Latin). This has encouraged me to not only shake up my study atmosphere (there’s a LOT of time involved!), but also my methods of studying. Practice declensions, conjugations, or problem sets are all very well, but sometimes route memorization is a must. Plus, my bad habit of writing papers right before they’re due doesn’t fly! I’m leaving campus before the end of exam period- and before all my due dates, so things need to be started well in advance and technically handed in early. All part of acclimating to the college climate I suppose!

Sending lots of warm winter cheer,

It’s that time of year again... the temperature is dropping, and so are the leaves. This means a few things- midterms, cozy sweaters, Halloween, and .most importantly, duh) my birthday! I turned 18 on the 26th, and I admit I was a little nervous about spending this birthday away from home. Last year, I actually toured and overnighted at Smith on my birthday, but this time, I felt a little lost, since I wouldn’t be going home to my family. Turns out, my family is now at Smith! My friends made sure I had a lovely day, and my roommate decorated my door with pictures of their face saying lovely things! (and they gave me a Hamilton Calendar- score!) It was an amazing day, and I feel very fortunate to have made such great friends here. (Pro tip- if you go to Herrell’s on your birthday, you get free ice cream. Free stuff is a collegiate’s dream :))

Fall weather has finally hit! Peep Chapin in all its glory

Halloweekend! My friends and I did the Addams Family- well, three generations of Addams women. I was Morticia, my friend Eve was Grandmama, and Tianette was the ever-iconic Wednesday Addams. Halloween at Smith is a great time- a lot of houses, Chapin included, have smaller parties, which pair well with the weekend’s more elaborate events.

MOUNTAIN DAY!!!!!!

Ft. Chapin House First Years, my new best friends, delicious food, and idyllic apple orchards.

Another beautiful sunset in Hampton, NH

It’s been a whirlwind month here, between work, goodbyes, and a boatload of packing, so I apologize for my inactivity. I can’t believe I move into Smith TOMORROW! I was lucky enough to get my first choice for housing:

The beautiful Chapin house! I’m on the second floor, sandwiched behind a column. My roommate, Chris, has already been in our room for about a week due to ISP, but from what I’ve seen, it’s cozy, with two windows and two ginormous closets! I’m also happy it’s only on the second floor, since I’ve definitely overpacked. Oh well, at least I’m (somewhat) prepared! Also, Chapin’s theme this year is “Harry Potter and the Chapin of Secrets” which is AMAZING!

I’ve also spent a bit of time at my family’s cottage in northern Vermont. Two weekends ago, we had my boyfriend up, which was a great time- we even pulled a couple of pranks while we were up there!

We have a running joke with some neighbors about flamingos, so obviously putting them all around the property was in order...

Chris got a little... sacrificial. I think my parents started questioning my choice in significant other shortly after...

My father didn’t kill us on the tube! A miracle!

I was so fortunate to get to have this time with the people I love the most. I’m grateful beyond words.

My beautiful best friend moved into Barnard College, so now we’re Seven Sister Sisters! We did fit in a farewell breakfast, though... 

:) 

I’m a planner. Always have been, always will be- even to the point of detriment. However, I’m also impulsive, which often results in my plans getting a major overhaul. When I submitted my advisor request form, I was planning on becoming a history and economics double major. When I filled out my trial registration, it was history and english literature. Now, it’s history and *something*. However, understanding that my interests will change throughout my time at Smith, I have decided to revise my course plan to fit my single constant goal: Latin Honors. Essentially, taking Latin Honors means that by fulfilling requirements in the seven major fields of knowledge, (similar to core requirements at colleges without an open curriculum) I will become eligible for the three different “cum laude” designations on my diploma, as well as eligible for Phi Beta Kappa. Now, obviously this is my choice, and not a path for everyone, which is part of the beauty of Smith. Taking Latin Honors doesn’t make you smarter or more qualified! It’s just if you’re like me, a wee bit overly analytical and with interests in everything under the sun, well, might as well shoot for the moon.

Originally, I had planned to continue French in college. However, as my anxiety regarding the placement test and class grew, I began considering other options- not as a cop-out, but because my brain was very clearly saying “no” to French. Now, I’m hopefully going to be taking Elementary Latin- not only to boost my ability to compute legal terms in the future, but also because the discipline and rigor involved in learning Latin will help improve my study habits. I’m also (hopefully) taking Logic 110 to fulfill my Math LH requirement, Historian’s Craft, which is a requirement for the History major, and Ambition and Adultery as a First Year Seminar (it focuses on the 19th century novel, not on the actual deeds- as I explained to my vert confused father. These are my hopeful first semester courses. I can’t wait to meet with my advisor and plan it all out in stone!

For extracurriculars, there’s been a lot of shifting as well. I’m leaving my beloved viola at home, simply because I won’t have the time to give it. I’ll be primarily focused on starting up a Mock Trial team with some fellow first years, as well as dipping my toe into the acapella scene at Smith. I’d also love to get involved in Smith Students for Reproductive Justice. The current debate is whether to get involved in the Leading Ladies, Smith’s musical theater group. Only time will tell!

Two weeks ago, I got to spend the day in Portland, Maine with two alumna. One, Sarah Mills, had been a contact for me throughout the admissions process, and the other is a docent at the Victoria Mansion, an absolutely stunning historical site in the downtown area. Over 95% of the original furniture and artwork have been recovered and currently sit inside the house. When I heard this number, my jaw dropped- it’s unheard of, especially for a home that sat vacant during a large portion of the 20th century. Family members had kept pieces stored in a barn, and, even more surprising, were willing to give them to the museum. 

Exterior details- stunning brownstone and woodwork!

Did I mention that this was a SUMMER HOUSE? It wasn’t even inhabited the whole year... obviously, there’s quite a bit of evidence for the traditional association between the Victorian period and opulence. 

Well, it is if you’re asking how many more days I have before I move into Smith! I can’t wait! 

As with quite a few first years, my family has become obsessed with making sure I’m “ready” (whatever that means) for college. As a lot of family members gave me Amazon or BBB giftcards for graduation, we’ve been getting an astounding amount of packages. Getting ready for college, I’m now convinced, is more stressful than college itself!

This pile is just... lurking in our foyer. Please send help before it consumes me in the middle of the night.

What’s In My Backpack?

I have a confession. It’s been haunting me for years- I pack way too much stuff in my backpack. Every textbook, highlight, old notebook, broken pair of headphones, and note find their way into the dark recesses of my bag. Since I value my physical wellbeing, I’m determined to downsize in college. I snagged a plain black Herschel backpack on Amazon Prime day, figuring that I’d be motivated to maintain its minimalist nature and also knowing that, given this is about 10L smaller than my bag for senior year, I literally can’t carry everything. Here’s a quick picture of what’s being transported in my backpack to Smith:

-Agenda (It has a waterproof cover! Praise!)

-Black pencil case (more on that later)

-Smith binder full of notebook paper, cause I do my final copies of notes in notebooks but write on looseleaf for class

-Double thick yellow pad, for creative writing

-Clear pencil case full of extra pens, highlighters, etc- this will actually end up in a desk drawer. I’m not carrying this around.

-SUPER AMAZING “Squad Goals” mug featuring the visages of Sandra Day O’Connor, Sonya Sotomayor, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Hopefully this won’t expand much more- although day-to-day at Smith I expect to be also carrying my laptop, earbuds, small power bank, wallet, 2 notebooks (only 2! Self control, people!), a novel, and as few textbooks as possible.

A Word on My Pencil Case

I love stationary. Always have, always will. I picked up this case on Amazon, used some graduation money to buy good quality writing utensils since I handwrite everything, and am ready to go. So here are two pictures of the beauty that is this case. I’m sorry, I’m in love.

Close-Up of My Mug and Some Nifty Pins

Aside from Shopping, What Else Do You Do In Your Spare Time?

I’ve been reading like a madwoman. Seriously. I’ve read thirty books since summer began, leading to a sleep schedule in shambles and my parents worrying about my wellbeing. Honestly, I’ve only had one literary disappointment (”On the Road” by Kerouc- honestly, it’s some “Manic Pixie White Boy” type stuff. Don’t get me started) and a whole lot of successes (notably, “The Night Circus” by Erin Morgenstern [who’s a Smithie], “The Collected Poems of Sylvia Plath” [another Smithie!], “The Republic” by Plato, and “The Buccaneers” by Edith Wharton). I’ve also been listening to a boatload of music. My boyfriend and his cronies have been exposing me to Celtic music, which is a little out of my comfort zone, but I’m really loving it. I’m also going down the rabbit hole on showtunes, indie acoustic stuff (Belle and Sebastian, Head and the Heart, Moldy Peaches). Given that a self-appointed theme of this season is “Blissful Summer”, I want an accompanying soundtrack :)

Well, except for the fact I don’t live in a city. I live in Hampton, NH, a small coastal town who’s population quite literally quadruples when the weather heats up. While it is my home, I often find myself seeking refuge from the tourists. I did have the oddest through- will I actually miss the clueless drivers, the aggravating patrons, the hopelessly lost families with screaming children? They don’t leave until September, and then they’re back in a matter of months for leaf-peeper season. It’s odd when you realize nostalgia will make you miss these “inconveniences”. I suppose that’s part of packing up your life and moving on. There are tourists in Noho, I’m aware, but none like the particular brand of sunburned, frazzled humans that invade the boardwalk here. Well, enough nostalgia... Let’s get down to what I’m sure you are all dying to know: what I’m filling my summer with! (Right? You all are so excited to find out all this :) )

-In The Beginning...

It’s my true feeling that Senior Spring should be considered a part of summer. There’s honestly more freedom, as no one’s started their summer jobs nor truly thought through the inevitability of moving separate ways. There’s not the aggravation of couples splitting up before college, of friends realizing the only thing that kept them together was a few shared classes- it’s just hedonistic youth at its finest. 

I’d say my Senior Spring started in late March when we produced our school musical, Evita. I’d already been admitted to Smith, and with the stress of college off my back, I could truly relax and enjoy being a part of a, while difficult, incredibly empowering show. Plus, I made more friends this year than ever, had more inside jokes than ever, and was in the front row (trust me, that’s a big deal when you’re 5′9!) more than ever. It was the perfect way to kick off spring.

On the last day of classes for seniors, we have a big ol’ tradition called the Senior Walk, in which, plot twist, the seniors all walk campus. We go through a tunnel of underclassmen and faculty, which is an amazing experience, and rock our college gear. One of these pictures is of my senior friends- all college bound, incredibly bright and talented, and honestly some of the greatest people I could ever hope to meet.

Some pictures of my school, to show the serenity and beauty of spring...

Seniors go off for two weeks on Senior Projects (mine was interning with a local attorney which was electrifying) and then, on the last day of classes for the entire upper school, we have a student-produced-and-run music festival called Woofstock (our mascot is a bulldog... it’s cheesy but hey, it’s high school) Everyone gets their yearbooks, and after a flurry of passing Sharpies around and a few judiciously timed tears, we all settle in for an evening of music. The above picture is of Berwick’s premier all-male choral group (never mind that they’re the only one), Low Key. I know, I know, an all-male choral group doesn’t really fit in to the blog of a women’s-college freshman, but I wanted to take a minute to appreicate my friends/boyfriend/Evita cast members for taking initiative and making the arts more prominent at BA. That initiative is something I hope to take for college.

If someone makes me talk about graduation one more time I’m going to cry, so here’s a nice photo of my best friend pushing me into the future (I jest, of course, but hey it’s a good caption) (She’s going to Barnard- Seven Sister Sisters!). This was actually taken the night of baccalaureate, the day before graduation, where I received the History Achievement award, something I’ve been low k ey hunting for since freshman year. It recognizes academic excellence in history, which is one of my future majors at Smith, paired with English.

-But First, Summer

My summer job is at Strawbery Banke, a living history museum in Portsmouth, NH. I work there as a historical roleplayer and interpreter- although I prefer my days as a roleplayer because I either get lovely 1920′s curls (thanks Mom!) or a full Victorian costume.. complete with corset. While I love wearing the corset because, well, it’s a corset and I’m a nerd, I’m also even more grateful for the fact our society has moved beyond those cause I can’t always breathe... oops!

New England really knows how to do the Fourth of July. Being the birthplace of liberty and all that jazz, it’s our only man-made claim to fame (other than the Boston Red Sox). My best friend took this photo of me- after she put stickers on my face and a bandana in my hair- when we went into Portsmouth to see the fireworks. Honestly, I look more relaxed here than I had been in ages. Probably cause I was! Hurray for a soothing summer!