isa-smithie-blog

[isa-smithie-blog]

shitty advice of a college student.

OR: some (actually helpful) stuff my first semester of college has taught me.

disclaimer: this is from the point of view of a community college student. my experiences may be different from other students, but overall I think this list could be very helpful to anyone going to a college, university, high school, or for any students just hoping to kick procrastination in the ass. I’ll probably be uploading updated versions/parts of this in the future, but here’s some stuff based on my experience so far.

do. work. every. day. even if it’s just a little bit of work. don’t procrastinate.

 college isn’t like high school; oftentimes, professors won’t expect homework from you every single day of class. usually, you’ll have due dates of when large sections of assignments or papers are due. make the most of your time. do not wait until the night before to get 6 sections of homework done by 11:59.

in reality, you should be doing homework and studying for every single class. but remember that you need to put more time into the classes that are toughest for you. For example, math is my weakest subject so I usually put more homework time into doing my Stats homework.

if you don’t want to do it, or have been procrastinating on doing it, it should be the thing you’re getting done first!!

books are hella expensive everywhere. if you can’t find any free versions of your textbooks online, try to buy your textbooks used. I buy all of my textbooks used, with the exception of one book which I’ve rented. Personally, I recommend buying your books bc it’s a great study strategy to actually own the books for your classes and be able to write and highlight inside of them… but this is a personal preference.

doing homework on your bed makes you lazy. work at a desk, library, coffee shop, outside; anywhere that will make you sit down and focus.

let your phone run out of battery and leave. it. alone.

if u don’t have a planner/agenda/calendar already then there is nothing more I can help u with pal ur on ur own

make a study playlist bc you’ll need it at some point. find music that helps you study the best! for example, I strictly can only study to soft music or just instrumentals, but I know some people who study really well to rap and hip-hop. find what works for you! remember this should relax you, not distract you.

hydrate. I keep a water bottle right on my desk when I study so when I look up I’m reminded to take a sip. being hydrated is important!!! not only will this make your body and skin happy but it’ll also make your brain work a little harder and focus more!

I know things can get tough and busy but pls pls eat and sleep well I’m begging u

follow-up to the last point: let yourself go pee as many times as you need to. it’s ok. it doesn’t count as your break. you’re not wasting time from doing work. do us all a favor and go to the bathroom already.

follow-follow-up: know the difference between taking a break and giving up.

learn how to say no to temptations like hanging out with your friends or distracting yourself in the depths of Youtube and Netflix. you have work to do and you know it!!! don’t make yourself feel bad by suffering. if you want good grades, your education (next to your mental/physical health) should be your first priority.

reward yourself for working hard. this could be a night out with friends, a candy bar, boba, whatever floats your boat.

I know it’s a drug but I don’t care what anyone says: if I need to drink coffee then I’m drinking that damn cup of coffee.

priority-wise, your education should always top your studyblr. every. single. time.

[isa-smithie-blog]

To anybody who may be wondering…

I graduated Smith this May, and I’ll be working in my hometown Tokyo, Japan for the next few years! I will work in an US based company where my job as a Clinical Research Associate will be to coordinate clinical research trials in Japanese hospitals. I plan on continuing to work on women’s education in various volunteer opportunities as well. After some work experience and getting to know Japan, I hope to go to graduate school for a Masters in Public Health.

I just thought I should write it here to let anybody who may still be around know about my life after Smith. Although I will not be continuing to blog here, my life is forever changed because of my experiences at Smith, and I will always be a Smithie.

My “Life as a Smithie” will continue outside of Tumblr. Feel free to message me if you’re interested. And definitely check out the younger Smithies who are continuing to blog!

Bye bye!

[isa-smithie-blog]

Hello Everyone!

 It’s been a couple of hectic weeks. The adjustment from having everything planned out for you to you making your own schedule has been tough. When I first came here I did not realize how much control I have over my life. However, Smith has such an amazing flexible academic program that can truly be tailored to whatever you want and gave me the power of choosing. The only requirement any Smith student has is the Writing Intensive course. While many first years choose to take a first-year seminar to fulfill this requirement, there are other options such as an English 118 class that also fulfill the requirement. Other than that, the rest of your schedule is totally up to you!

Below you will find my  schedule for the Fall term.

  I am taking the Writing Intensive class called Consumer Culture, because it fulfills the writing intensive requirement in an interesting way. I am also taking Calculus I and Chemistry 111 as I am interested in the sciences. And finally, an intensive beginner’s French class as I have always wanted to learn French.

             All the professors are super approachable and have several office hours that will work with any schedule. They truly set up their classes so the students are comfortable and feel personal connections with the materials covered. Additionally, most of the classes have students tutors available Sunday-Thursday that will help you understand any of the topics if you’re feeling lost and are a bit shy to go speak to the professors. The Spinelli Center also have tutors available on weekdays for quantitative classes. The Jacobson Center has amazing tutors that will help you out with any writing based class. With these resources so readily available it is difficult to feel as if you’re drowning here. I did not realize how supportive this community was before coming and I am pleasantly surprised with all of the resources that are readily available for me.

 Additionally, Smith has an amazing two week add/drop period in which we can switch our classes around. This period allows students to sit in classes and help them get a better understanding on what classes they really want to take this fall. For instance, I originally had calculus in the afternoon, however after 3 classes I realized that I would show up to class extremely tired. Because of the add/drop period I was able to switch to the morning Calculus class without any problem!

[isa-smithie-blog]

My summer of 2017 came to end by making a new family here at Smith College. All entering students of color are encouraged to apply to Smith’s Bridge Pre-Orientation Program. The application, while daunting at first, was worthwhile. While the program is very secretive in terms of the itinerary for the week, the friends made and the discussions had, were ones that made me feel empowered about being a student of color here at Smith.   While the programming itself was overwhelming as there was essentially no free-time during the day, the bonding experience we had created relationships that will not easily be broken in the next four years.  

             One of the best seminars during the program was that of the Smith Archives. Through this seminar we learned the names of the very first Smithies of Color, where they come from and how they made an impact on the campus that led to all 98 bridges to be on campus. The smithies of color were not always quiet, submissive women, instead they were trailblazers who set new rules to make Smith campus their space too. One of the smithies that resonated with me the most was Carrie Lee, class of 1917. When she first applied, no one knew she was black. However, once she arrived on campus her roommate refused to share a room with her because she was black. She was then told she could no longer live on campus. Instead of just letting this slide, Carrie Lee got Smith graduates & the NAACP to fight the school on not letting her room on campus. She eventually won the fight and was allowed a room in Albright house.

             Thanks to her & many others, I now am allowed a room in Talbot, but that does not mean I am completely at home. My culture is something that I have already begun to miss dearly but that I am hoping to bring to Smith to make this feel more like home. The bridge program definitely laid the foundation for creating my space here and gave me some inspirational words for whenever I am feeling as if I do not belong:

You are not the exception, you are the rule. You are not the exception, you are the rule. You are not the exception, you are the rule. You are not the exception, you are the rule.

 (P.S. shout out to Hannah Wang! I met her over bridge and she taught me how to make banners! <3)

[isa-smithie-blog]

Packing

Hello Everyone!

This year I am fortunate enough to be participating in Smith’s Bridge Program. Unfortunately, this means I left home a little earlier so the packing has already been done.

My parents drove me up to bridge and will also come back on actual move-in day which is on September 1st, so I took some things now and am purchasing a few items later. Below are the items I packed and how I organized it.

I have four large boxes:

1.       Box 1 (bottom box) contains all my fall/winter clothes: boots, jackets, coats, large sweaters and my bags 

2.       Box 2 contains all my knitting items: yarns, knitting, crocheting and sewing needles,

3.       Box 3 contains all my regular clothes: jeans, t-shirts, blouses, tank tops, pajama bottoms, legging s

4.       Box 4 (top box) contains: soap, shampoo & conditioner, leave-in conditioner, shower caddy ($10), wash cloths ($3), board games, camera, a fake plant, a little desk lamp, my favorite thick blanket, Dark grey pocket sheet set ($15), a Bluetooth speaker ($37), my humidifier, lotion, hair ties, post it notes, nail polish,

I have a smaller box that contains my undergarments, another box with my favorite books, a bookbag with all my shoes, and I have extra items such as: a robe ($20), Bluetooth wireless avantree headphones, workout clothes and newly purchased pajama shorts in a small shopping bag.

As for more beddings, such as the Global Stripe Bed Set ($37 in stores), my bedbug protection sheet ($18) and my pillows, they are just being placed in the car freely.

I am also purchasing a couple of extra items that are not necessary but I would like to have:

     A printer/scanner -- I’m currently looking at this one

     More plants*

     Throw pillows and blankets*

     Curtains*

     Fairy lights*

Again, all the items mentioned above are things that I do not necessarily need but want. I am trying hard not to over purchase things for my bedroom as I believe that I can make my room feel like home simply by bringing the items I have at home. Since I have a roommate we have decided to do a color scheme and I am holding off on buying a lot of items before meeting her in person. I also want to get a feel for the room to see what it has as each room at Smith is very unique in it’s size and interior structure. Additionally, I still do not know what expenses I may have at Smith. I would rather have money saved up for any extracurricular activities I may want to do than spend it all in decorating my room. 

Since my items are in large boxes, I have also organized a small duffel bag with the clothes I will wear the week of bridge. Only box 3 and 4 could fit in the car so I left the rest of the things to be brought by my parents on September 1st (move-in day).

In a future post, I will review my packing list and the printer I purchase. Additionally, I will make an extra post this week dedicated to the Bridge program.

Hope you’re having a great week and that those who took the SAT today did well, it’s finally overrr (hopefully)!! 😊

Best, 

Isabel Gomez <3

[isa-smithie-blog]

My Summer & Posse

Hello Everyone!

For my last summer before college I’ve been going crazy and basically been prepping for college. I am fortunate enough to be a part of Smith’s STEM Posse 3 (there are two other Posse already on campus), a cohort of 10 females from New York City who have gone through extensive training to learn how to support each other and the rest of our community.

 One of the final steps to the Posse program is getting to know the campus in which we’ll be living in for the next four years. That is why we had two weeks of what was known as “STEM Immersion.”

During our STEM immersion we stayed on campus at Northrop house, took a couple of classes and got to know Northampton. One of my favorite days was our geology class trip to upstate New York to collect fossils from millions of years ago...we even got to keep them!

Additionally, we made these delicious South African desserts called Koeksisters, which is fried dough soaked in syrup (yummy!) with our incredible mentor Peter at Unity House.

Another couple of my favorite things were having lunch with professors and faculty, meeting the dean of the first-year class and speaking to current Smithies who were on campus either working or doing research. 

These past two weeks reassured my belief that Smith is a campus that will provide me with the support and resources necessary to be successful in any path I choose to take. (It also taught me that I have many walls to break within myself, as I never saw myself as someone who could have a five minute conversation let alone an hour long lunch with a professor). I am so excited to get back on campus in a couple of weeks and continue to surround myself with positivity, amazing intellectuals and new opportunities to grow.

Hope you’re all having a wonderful summer too! 

Best, 

Isabel <3 

[isa-smithie-blog]

About Me

Hello everyone!

My name is Isabel Gomez (she/her) and I’m from New York City. I live in Upper Manhattan in a neighborhood known as Washington Heights where a lot of Dominicans and Puerto Ricans reside in. I myself am a first-generation daughter of Dominican immigrants so this entire college life and experience is completely new to my entire family and myself. I am super excited to begin my in-depth studies of the STEM field here at Smith and getting involved in the different organizations. I am hoping to continue salsa dancing, knitting scarves, watching lots of movies, and taking long walks while on campus as these are my favorite things to do, always. I’ll be living in Talbot house come September, so I’ll have a nice walk to all my classes. I hope my blog helps you (prospective smithies) get a glance of what life as a first year is like and answer questions you may have.

Best, Isabel <3