Jenny Chen

It was easy to maintain friendships I made last year, despite the changing circumstances that accompany a new year. I still had classes with many of my old friends, and given the small class size, this meant I was able to chit chat with them almost every day. In addition, the small student body size made it very common for me to just run into friends while grabbing a meal or walking through the library. Needless to say, everywhere I looked, a familiar face was there to ask me how I was doing.

People told me that after freshmen fall, it’s hard to make friends. I believed it, thinking that students simply get busier and don’t have time to foster new relationship. I was surprised when that was proven wrong. I have made so many new friends, most of whom I feel really grateful to have met, even if it’s already my sophomore year. I met them through my sorority, classes, and mutual friends.

This fall, I took organic chemistry (CHEM 51), human evolution (ANTH 41), and an introductory statistics course (PSYC 10). I loved all of them, especially because my professors were very available and accommodating, holding several office hours a week. I never felt like I was being thrown into the deep end or expected to manage everything on my own. Freshman me would barely ask questions or go to office hours alone, too intimidated by the professors. Now I understand that they want to help and will gladly answer any question on my mind.

Over the past few weeks, I have checked off a lot of firsts: my first trip to Chicago, first research experience on campus, first time watching the bonfire instead of running around it, first anthropology class - the list goes on and on. “Firsts” are usually pretty scary for me, but if there’s anything I’ve learned from this term, it’s that the things that make me the most nervous can, and often do, end up being the most fulfilling.

I clearly remember the first morning I woke up to find snow covering the trees outside my window. After sending a quick video to my family and friends back home, I put on my winter boots and took a walk to the gym, admiring the sights the whole way there. Besides a warm sunny day, snow is my favorite type of weather, as it always makes me feel cozy inside. But I’m thinking about taking a skiing class in the winter, so let’s see if I feel the same way after that.