Second year of college is off to a good start! It took me a while to adjust to the workload and get back into my study routine because my mind was still in “summer mode” for the first couple weeks of classes. My motivation was… dormant, let’s say.
I wanted to continue chatting with my international friends on Skype, hang out with others, plan my life, chill, and focus entirely on anything else that had nothing to do with my classes. Once reality set in and I had a ton of work due day after day, and the Organic Chemistry prelim approached rapidly, I got it together. Thankfully, I was able to balance out the time I spent studying, interacting with my friends abroad and here on campus, and continuing to fervently plan my life day by day, month by month, semester by semester, and year by year.
I wanted to continue chatting with my international friends on Skype, hang out with others, plan my life, chill, and focus entirely on anything else that had nothing to do with my classes. Once reality set in and I had a ton of work due day after day, and the Organic Chemistry prelim approached rapidly, I got it together. Thankfully, I was able to balance out the time I spent studying, interacting with my friends abroad and here on campus, and continuing to fervently plan my life day by day, month by month, semester by semester, and year by year.
Living on campus
Last semester I lived on North campus with the rest of Cornell's first year undergrads. I was housed in Ujamaa ("Family hood" in Swahili). This dorm “celebrates the rich and diverse heritage of Black people in the United States, Africa, the Caribbean, and other regions of the world.”
I enjoyed living here. Aside from connecting with Cornell’s African American community and forming strong bonds with many who are now some of my closest friends, I then felt that I could branch out to the rest of Cornell’s community and diversify my friend groups.
My Dad didn't want me to live in Ujamaa because he felt that it would make me “ethnocentric” and hinder me from branching out. It most certainly didn't.
Now I’m living on West Campus in what is called a "Gothic" building. Pros? Beautiful scenery, wonderful people, the delicious food (better than the food on North), dorm events happening basically every day, and my closest friends are nearby. Cons? The slope (which creates strenuous walks on our way to classes) and the outmoded interior layout of the gothics (the dorm I'm living in doesn't compare to the modernity of Ujamaa). Overall, though, I love it. The cons can simply be turned into pros, because walking up the slope will get you into shape, and the "oldness" of the gothics is humbling.
I'm currently living in Boldt Hall, the "Language House" on campus. It's a language-learning residence where students practice their targeted language by agreeing to participate in certain activities and events. There are seven sections within this house, including Spanish (which I'm in), Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Korean, French, Arabic, and German. The primary activity we're expected to participate in are the dinners, where we get together with our section to practice speaking the language. There's a no English rule! I enjoy living in this intimate community and connecting with others who also are interested in the Spanish language and Latino culture :)
Last semester I lived on North campus with the rest of Cornell's first year undergrads. I was housed in Ujamaa ("Family hood" in Swahili). This dorm “celebrates the rich and diverse heritage of Black people in the United States, Africa, the Caribbean, and other regions of the world.”
I enjoyed living here. Aside from connecting with Cornell’s African American community and forming strong bonds with many who are now some of my closest friends, I then felt that I could branch out to the rest of Cornell’s community and diversify my friend groups.My Dad didn't want me to live in Ujamaa because he felt that it would make me “ethnocentric” and hinder me from branching out. It most certainly didn't.
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| Libe Slope, West Campus, Cornell University |
I'm currently living in Boldt Hall, the "Language House" on campus. It's a language-learning residence where students practice their targeted language by agreeing to participate in certain activities and events. There are seven sections within this house, including Spanish (which I'm in), Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Korean, French, Arabic, and German. The primary activity we're expected to participate in are the dinners, where we get together with our section to practice speaking the language. There's a no English rule! I enjoy living in this intimate community and connecting with others who also are interested in the Spanish language and Latino culture :)
