It is officially midterms season folks. Like many of my peers, I had an incredibly busy week with assignments due in almost all of my classes. I’ve been practicing lots of self-care by enjoying the warm weather we’ve been having and reading outside. It has been exhausting at times but overall a great week.
I had my first chem midterm on Friday. And I actually felt great about it! I have been going to Supplemental Instruction (SI) every week since the beginning of the semester and I think it paid off. TAs hold SI typically twice a week and it’s a time to solidify what was taught in class. I love SI. Partially because my SI instructor is incredible –– patient and kind –– but also because it helps me better understand the concepts we have been talking about in class. It’s an awesome opportunity to ask questions and do extra practice problems.
Honestly, I wasn’t sure if I would be able to keep up with STEM in college. Humanities have always been a comfortable place for me. In high school, I loved science and math (yes, I am one of those weirdos who actually loved calculus), but I convinced myself that STEM in college would be a whole different ballgame. This week though I finally admitted to myself that I love chemistry. Like really love it. May want to major in it? May want to minor in it? It has been a big week y’all.
Friday afternoon I worked on my chem P-Set at the Starbucks in the ville. It’s one of my favorite places to study because I can feed my caffeine addiction while also having a nice walk! Am I the only person who draws Lewis Structures on a Friday evening for fun?
To top off an already busy week, Saturday morning I left at the crack of dawn for Vermont with my water polo team for a tournament at Middlebury College. The tournament was a great opportunity to bond with my teammates and of course to play! Water polo is a club sport at Wellesley which is awesome because it’s a smaller time commitment than a varsity sport. I knew I wanted to continue to play sports in college since they were such a big part of my high school experience, but I wasn’t sure if I could commit to practice every day. With club sports at Wellesley, I can continue to play a sport I love with some pretty incredible teammates.
On Saturday, we played two games and finished off a long day with a team dinner at Olive Garden. Hello unlimited breadsticks! We spent the night at a historical inn in Brandon, VT. It was incredible and had so much character –– it was rumored to be part of the Underground Railroad. It was also a little creepy –– flickering lights and abandoned rooms! By the time we got back to the (slightly creepy) inn, we were all so tired we pretty much went straight to sleep. It didn’t help that we lost an hour of sleep with Daylight Savings Time! We played two more games on Sunday which ended in a beautiful goal by one of my teammates seconds before the buzzer in our final game. It was a perfect way to end the tournament! We made it back to Wellesley by around 8pm and had dinner together as a team. I ended the weekend playing a game of chess with a friend in her room.
Here’s to the next week!
<3 Caroline
The water polo crew after our last game –– tired, but so proud of ourselves!