Happy Wednesday everybody! This week has been much more “typical” than usual. I had my regular classes, regular clubs, and a few spontaneous events thrown in for spice. We are moving into one of those extra fun times when all of my classes all have papers due! Which means I am becoming intimately familiar with the study rooms at the library.
Today’s agenda is a whole lot of puttering around the dorm. Wednesdays are always weird here because it’s a flexible day in the schedule. Many STEM students have a lab today, some have an extra class thrown in there, and some people use the day as a break from all their academics. I have an e-lab day for my Spanish 201 class which means I have a bunch of work, but my professor doesn’t care how or where I do it. I like to put all of my basic care and keeping of Jessie items on Wednesdays too: laundry, shower, sweep under my bed, etc. Then Mock Trial tonight so a lot of the day will be spent finishing up the “homework” from Monday’s meeting.
Mock Trial is my “high commitment club” meaning it has a time commitment equal to an easier class at Wellesley (most people have one like choir, a sports team, student government, etc). We meet twice a week 7-9 pm but are expected to meet with our teammates throughout the week and practice on our own as much as humanly possible. It sounds awful, I know, but it doesn’t feel too bad if you love it. I figured my first semester of freshman year was a good time to take on a club like Mock Trial because of shadow grading- if I slack in my classes to make time for reading case law, grad school won’t be able to see it!
I have been spending a lot more time with the Hillel than I ever expected. At home, I attended Saturday morning services when I could and tried to make it to Synagogue events, but I was a less than active member. I go to everything at Wellesley though. For one, Hillel feeds me- they literally get a kosher caterer that always has a GS option to supplement the dining hall selection. Friday night services are a welcome break from the hectic week where I am forced to breathe deep and put away the phone for a couple of hours. I also love the community Hillel offers to its students. I see the same people at every event and absolutely love the Rabbi. In the past week, I attended Friday night dinner in the Sukkah, a Bagels with my Big event on Sunday (a lot of clubs, Hillel included, give their first years another Big on top of the Big they have through Flower Sunday), an Interfaith dinner in the Sukkah with the Muslim organization on campus, and Simchat Torah last night. With each event, I feel myself becoming more at home in my Wellesley community.
It is true what upperclassmen say when they promise it all evens out in the end. Without trying, my pages-long list of clubs I wanted to join was whittled down to a reasonable level. I have my classes, Mock Trial, Hillel, and the Wellesley News whenever I am inspired to write an article. I am also thinking of volunteering at the Child Study Center if it’s still open for student help and have my first QuestBridge meeting on Saturday! I have just enough to keep me busy but not so much that I can’t spend a night eating kettle corn and watching Practical Magic like I did on Sunday. Through no fault of my own, Wellesley is starting to work for me.
Until next time,
Jessie