Hello 🙂
I am tired of thinking about and writing about stress. And so, dear readers, you get a list of what I love about college. It may be hard work, but it is wonderful all the same :).
I love when I’m in psych class, and we’re talking about decision-making, and we’re learning about concepts that I read about in a book for fun over the summer. I love learning about how the human mind works.
I love eating with friends, and talking about eating with friends, whether it’s at dimsum in Boston or at the Lulu here. Food is a bonding experience that should be savored.
I love when my math professor gives us “cliff-hangers” for the next class, so that we know that learning the general way of how to solve a plane autonomous system is something to be excited for. I love that he is never daunted by our wary smiles, and is enthusiastic for what we can and will learn.
I love that our professors take care of us, and make time for office hours and meetings and say “Hi” in the hallways. I love that they know our names, and ask us how life is going.
I love that we did Hour Of Power yesterday at swimming, and had the Babson team over to participate in swimming sprint 50s. I love that everyone got competitive and cheered in acknowledgement of hard work and speed.
I love that my parents and sisters can stare bemusedly at all of the long, esoteric words I have thrown on their email screens. While of course we need clarity in the long run, there’s something thrilling about being one of the few that are speaking a scientific language.
I love that Angela’s birthday was Monday, so we went to Chinatown and bought persimmons and egg tarts. I love that I was the only one in the group who had not been raised with chopsticks.
I love that we made up the neuroscience lab we missed for Hurricane Sandy on Saturday morning, and that all save one came. I love that Ginny brought us a meal and her warmth. I love that when I left early, half of the class wished me good luck at my swim meet.
I love the swim team and am so proud of the work everyone puts in, the attitude we share, and the dedication to the sport and academics. I love that my inbox, cell phone, facebook page, and interactions are filled to the brim with athletes.
I love that when I sit in the chemistry research hallway and do homework, all is quiet and I feel safe. I love that I know almost every person who passes by.
I love that my fellow sophomore swimmers got into all of their classes during registration this morning. I am close, and I am on two waitlists now, and I love that professors are so willing and flexible.
I love that Professor A still invites me to sit with his lab on Friday afternoons. I’m no longer in his lab, but they treat me like I am.
I love that Audrey and Nathalie have started a new club for tutoring high schoolers online. I love the initiative and energy in all of the students I meet.
I love that if circumstances allowed, I could be friends with anyone. The cliques here are few and far between, I have met very few people who I don’t like, and many more are so amazing I wish I could spend hours with them.
I love that I can teach swim lessons, and that the parents and my students enjoy themselves. I love that my students are dedicated and focused and work hard to be better.
I love that computer programming in MATLAB is fun. I love that Rosa and Galina and Erin and Bevil are support and help me, and make me work to find the answer. I love that their emphasis is the pursuit of answers, and not the answer itself.
I love that I can talk to our class dean, and she can tell me that it’s all going to be all right. I love that she says that we shouldn’t say “I should” to ourselves, and that it’s good to be thinking, but there is always time.
I love that Veronica is getting and sending me the data we need to collect for our lab reports. I love that everyone trade little favors and it makes all our lives a little bit better.
I love that when I go to math office hours, Professor Fernandez is calm, and it spreads. I love that he took a picture of us all crammed into his office so that he and the math department can negotiate for bigger offices :).
I love the little funny things, like that Maria swims faster when she’s thinking of her boyfriend. I love the hugs and the high fives and the closeness of the team. I love that pairs of us hang out so much together that people think we’re dating.
I love that Charlotte and Karina attend on-campus fun events because you’re only in college once. I love that studying is all important and is never contested, but that we are all participating in so many things.
I love that I have great friends, a great family, a great community, a great college. There’s so much to learn and love and live.
Thank you.
Monica
