Category Archives: Kayleigh

March 25, 2013 · 10:57 am

Conquering Feb Club

Author: Kayleigh Smoot, C’13

As most of you may know, February is a very special month for seniors at Penn. The first of the February marked the beginning of a month long slew of different social events every day for the class of 2013, also known as Feb Club. Most of the senior class sees it as an opportunity to bond with classmates they otherwise would never interact with one final time or as a way to get free or discounted stuff. I, however, saw Feb Club as a rite of passage. I had been looking forward to February 2013 approximately around my spring semester junior year. I knew that it would take a lot of determination, time, and energy to attend every event but I was dead set on winning.

So, on February 1, I trekked down to XFinity Live for the kickoff event with my best friends and began my Feb Club journey. Every senior was given a Feb Club card, graciously donated by the Penn Club of New York, in order to mark how many events they had attended in order to tally prizes. If one made it to every event, they would not only win the entire assortment of prizes, they would also get their named engraved on a special plaque at Smokey Joe’s, the extremely popular “Pennstitution” that most seniors attend on a regular basis to grab drinks with friends and classmates.

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October 1, 2012 · 5:50 pm

Senioritis

Kayleigh Smoot, C’13

I’d be the first to tell you I am definitely a professional procrastinator. I try to play it off as “I just work really well under pressure” and that’s true to some extent, but sometimes, I am just straight up lazy when it comes to time management.

After three years at Penn, however, I definitely have fallen victim to a plight worse than plain procrastination: senioritis.

As I entered my senior year at Penn, I was prepared to conquer it all: a five class workload, an executive board position, my work study job, and a rigorous job search for after graduation. It turns out this is a LOT to handle, especially the job search.

Career fairs, late night info sessions, networking, resume drop deadlines – it’s overwhelming. Thankfully, I have support through my friends here at Penn. I realized going to college meant making new friends that would become study buddies, coffee pals, people to walk to class with, but I never truly realized how important they would become during times of stress, like finals week, or now during the most stressful time of senior year.

They also aid me in my procrastinating ways (clearly rewatching old Gilmore Girls episodes with your best friend on a Tuesday night is more productive than doing reading for your world music and cultures class).

So, even though I’ve been procrastinating sending those emails, searching for jobs, and putting off that last reading, I definitely get by with a little help from my friends.

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April 27, 2012 · 2:44 pm

Student Perspective on Hey Day, 2012

Author: Kayleigh Smoot, C’13

It’s hard to believe after all the study sessions, club meetings,  rehearsals, midterms, papers, parties, dinners out in Center City, and everything in between that I’ve become a SENIOR here at Penn. This past Wednesday, I  donned my red shirt and hat, grabbed my cane, and headed to Hey Day with the rest of the class of 2013 to celebrate becoming seniors. It  felt incredibly special to partake in a Penn Tradition that has been around since 1916. As I frolicked around with my friends at the  picnic, taking pictures and eating delicious food (and each other’s  hats!), I couldn’t help but start to feel nostalgic. It finally hit me that three of my Penn undergraduate years had  passed me by. This bittersweet feeling continued throughout the day as  my classmates and I boisterously walked down Locust to head to College  Green. There, our class board and Penn’s wonderful, beloved President,  Dr. Amy Gutmann greeted us. After a brief “test” from Dr. Gutmann, she  pronounced us seniors, and we all joined in singing a rousing chorus of  “The Red & Blue.”

Me and my friends--I'm the one of the far right.

The school spirit was at an all time high and I’ve  never felt prouder to be a part of this University. After the  celebration died down, I started to reflect on how I only have one more year left at Penn and I fully intend on making it the best
yet. There are so many Penn Traditions I can’t wait to take part in  next year: Feb Club, Final Toast, Commencement. But at the same time,  I’m hoping the days go by slowly and I enjoy every moment.

You can view more photos of Hey Day here.

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March 19, 2012 · 6:55 pm

Springtime at Penn

Author: Kayleigh Smoot, C’13

Almost every year, I change my mind about what season is my favorite here at Penn. However, with the weather being so beautiful lately, I have decided that I am in love with spring.

There’s something special about how all of a sudden the cold, dreary winter weather is replaced by bursts of sunshine and temperatures in the mid 70s. The entire demeanor of the campus changes for the better.

People spend their afternoons outside, attempting to study or just throwing a Frisbee around College Green. The flowers begin to bloom and robins can be found chattering in the treetops.

Unfortunately, I still have midterms to study for and papers to write. But the warmer weather makes walking to class that much more enjoyable. To be honest, the unseasonably nice weather is slightly absurd, seeing as it is only mid-March. However, I’m not going to question it! Instead, I’m going to grab my cognitive neuroscience textbook and an iced skinny vanilla latte and soak up the sun.

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February 25, 2012 · 3:43 pm

My Life as a (Pretend) Wharton Student

Kayleigh Smoot,C’13

Even though I am happily studying psychology in the College, I sometimes wish I were studying business at Wharton. The aura of Wharton is very strong at Penn and something about being a business student seems glamorous to me (although my disgruntled Wharton friends would definitely disagree).

Maybe it’s the beauty of Huntsman Hall, home to some of the nicest classrooms on campus. Or, it could be the fact that a majority of Wharton undergrads go on to become incredibly successful leaders of society. So, since my sophomore year, I have made a point of taking at least one Wharton class a semester.

Wharton classes are genuinely different from College classes. Professors cold call on students, name tags are required, and group projects are usually a given. This semester in particular I am taking MKTG 211: Consumer Behavior. The main purpose of the class is to get into small groups and come up with a strategic marketing plan for Microsoft’s Window Phone. Our final presentations will be made in front of some of Microsoft’s high level executives; I find this to be both exhilarating and terrifying.

But, I believe this blend of classroom and real life is probably the best way to learn. So, in my last few semesters at Penn, I will probably continue to take an occasional Wharton class, if only to have an excuse to keep up the illusion of being a (pretend) Wharton student.

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January 23, 2012 · 7:10 pm

Rainy Days and Mondays

Author: Kayleigh S. C’13

Not only is today our first Monday of the spring semester, it’s also raining; an ungodly combination. However, I can’t help but feel excited because the semester is finally getting into full swing. I’m all settled in the classes I’m taking, meetings have started again for extra curricular activities, and (sadly) the work is beginning to pile on. As a junior, I am definitely used to this by now, but I also feel that each semester gives new, surprising challenges and opportunities to students of all class years, something I can’t help but feel eager for. So even though it’s a pain to bundle up, grab my umbrella, and head out in the rain to class, deep down, I just can’t wait to see what this semester brings me. Personally, I have a lot to look forward to: Fling, Hey Day, and hopefully an awesome summer internship. Therefore, I refuse to let this little bit of rain and cold get me down!

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