Participating in Class Discussions

Posted on February 13, 2019 by Hannah Brukardt

From Andrea Lirio

Starting college with the fear of speaking up in class, and how I overcame it.

I’ve always had a fear of speaking up in class. When I was in high school, I had trouble speaking up in class because I hated getting answers wrong. You speak up in class, and your teacher tells you you’re wrong in front of all of your classmates. How embarrassing! It’s not easy to put yourself out there and throughout the years, I grew more uncomfortable participating in class discussions. In coming to Bryn Mawr, I hoped to break out of my shell and face my fear of speaking in class.

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Finding Your Why

Posted on November 26, 2018 by Hannah Brukardt

From Andrea Lirio

As the end of fall semester nears, one of my first college courses is also ending. The THRIVE seminar, a course that all first-years take to aid in the transition to college, is just 10-weeks long but we’ve covered a lot. We’ve discussed time management, mental health, the power of confrontation, and any questions we’ve ever had through our transition into college. In our most recent class, they gave us a worksheet with “Kick-Ass Questions About Life” for us to consider as we prepare to start our second semester. Here are a few of the questions:

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Lantern Night 2018

Posted on November 1, 2018 by Hannah Brukardt

Each fall, the Bryn Mawr community gathers in the Cloisters to welcome the first-years into our academic community during one of our most hallowed traditions, Lantern Night. Lit only by the light of student lanterns and surrounded by the crisp autumn air, this tradition has an ethereal quality that is hard to explain. Students don black robes and sing Greek hymns, swaying their lanterns back and forth. First-year students are entrusted with their own lanterns, symbols of wisdom and knowledge, from sophomores. The ceremony revolves around the idea of passing knowledge from generation to generation.

Even though there is a special emphasis on first-year students, everyone benefits from Lantern Night. We asked Andrea ’22 and Celine ’19 to share their thoughts about the tradition.

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Freshman Year vs. Senior Year

Posted on October 22, 2018 by Hannah Brukardt

From Celine Chen

Arriving at Bryn Mawr in August of 2015 as a freshman, I was bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, and simultaneously terrified. This was such an exciting new chapter of my life that would allow me to grow so much as an individual, but I was also scared of the challenge it presented — transitioning from attending high school and living at home to being across the country living by myself. It’s definitely a process, but I’ve learned and grown so much over my past three years in college. I wanted to share some of the differences between freshman year me vs. senior year me.

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On Homesickness

Posted on October 18, 2018 by Hannah Brukardt

From Andrea Lirio

If I’m being honest, I haven’t been particularly homesick yet. While many of my peers are homesick – calling their parents and siblings daily and crying over missing home-cooked food – I have yet to feel that way. Personally, I feel prepared and excited. When my parents and siblings left me at Bryn Mawr on move-in day, I was beyond excited — I felt ready. I was thrilled to get to meet new people, explore campus, and learn about a new area. My mom and dad message me every day and call me – usually during the worst times of the day – to check in. Through September, I reassured my parents that I’d see them again during Fall Break in October.

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Why making friends shouldn’t be on your list of college concerns

Posted on October 5, 2018 by Hannah Brukardt

From Andrea Lirio

Before going to college, I worried about a lot of things – how to decorate my room, how to balance work and life, how to make new friends, etc. Believe it or not, you’re not alone in these worries. That’s the great thing about your first year of college: everyone is new; everyone is in the same boat as you.

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