Category Archives: Rachel S.

Author: Rachel Stewart, C’16

It’s that time of year again: Christmas songs are on a never-ending loop in CVS, I’m bombarded with hourly emails from Crate and Barrel and Lord & Taylor about holiday sales, and… finals are rapidly approaching.

The end of the semester is always a rush, but I think it’s important to take some time and appreciate what we’ve already accomplished so far. Here are some relaxation/indulgence techniques that my friends and I have picked up:

1) Baking. Nothing is better than a freshly baked batch of cookies, or the smell of gingersnaps filling your apartment. Although I can never make them quite as good as my mom does, they’re a comforting treat on a long night of studying.

2) Secret Santa! I love Secret Santa because it makes me feel like a ten-year old again. Presents! Secrets! A guessing game! And at the great “unveiling” party, even more food and time with friends.

3) Calling my mom. It’s nice to hear how everything at home is going, if my mom’s found a gift for my dad yet, and what she’s up to this weekend. After intense hours of studying locked in Van Pelt, talking with my mom is a reminder that life exists outside of the Penn bubble.

4) Speaking of the Penn bubble… Go off campus. Mid-afternoon walks to Rittenhouse Square are relaxing and good exercise. On Saturday mornings, I love grabbing a cup of coffee and window shopping, and not letting exams or papers or projects crowd my thoughts. It’s also a nice opportunity to interact with people who haven’t been studying fourteen hours a day for the past three days.

5) Watching Netflix. Yes, TV bingeing has been recently condemned in popular media, but I think it’s a great reward at the end of a study session. Letting your mind wonder through an episode of Mad Men is probably my favorite form of late night relaxation (with a cookie in hand, of course).

So, from Quakers who are in the midst of their first finals experience, to those who are seasoned veterans… Good luck! And have a good break.

Author: Rachel Stewart, C’16

“Why did you transfer?” is the common refrain when I mention that I’m a first-year sophomore. Two and a half months in, five classes down, a move from Hill to Harnwell, countless acquaintances made and too many dining dollars spent on coffee– and I still have no coherent answer as to why I transferred. Usually I rattle off some awkward jumble about the lack of social life or the complicated Columbia/Barnard relationship or my desire to get a little further away from home. But I know that Barnard is an amazing school that would have provided me with a great education and opportunities, its location is unbeatable, and the “small-school feel” within a big research university is ideal for me.

Beyond the rhetoric of admissions, however, I was not having the type of experience at Barnard that I had hoped for. Penn is comparable to Barnard in many, many ways, but what I love most about this school is the unquantifiable: making cookies with my roommate at 12am, running into my old friend from high school on Locust, the breakfast sandwich in Bridge cafe, the “Puck Frinceton” t-shirts that populated campus last week. I left Barnard knowing that I would miss a lot about the school and unsure of whether or not making such a big change would be worthwhile.

In my first year of college the most important lessons I learned helped me grow as a woman and understand the importance of community, support, and friendship– all of which I have found in abundance since my move from Philadelphia. I could have stayed at Barnard and succeeded academically but I wanted a college experience that was more than books and papers.

Lately when people ask me why I transfer, I smile and simply say, “For Penn.”

Author: Rachel Stewart, C’16

My first day of college didn’t begin with a walk down Locust to Huntsman or a long trek to the labs in DRL. I didn’t have breakfast with my hallmates in Hill or use dining dollars to grab some sushi in Houston.

On my first day of college, I woke up on the eighth floor of a dorm building on 116th and Broadway in Manhattan. I crossed the street to take a class in Kent, had lunch in Hewitt, and then on to more classes in Altschul and Barnard Hall.

As a sophomore transfer, I have a different perspective on Penn than most first-years. I appreciate much of what most freshmen take for granted: that laundry is free, that I can get Insomnia Cookies delivered to my room, and that Starbucks accepts dining dollars. More importantly, I appreciate the sense of community and interaction in my hall, classes, and on campus in general. At my school last year, I could walk from one end of campus to the other without spotting a friendly face or someone who wasn’t engrossed in reading their e-mail. When I walk down Locust to class, I say hello to my friend on her way back to Hill for a nap, run into the President of the cooking club I just joined (and briefly ask her about our next meeting), give an awkward wave to one of my TA’s, and finally sneak into class where my friend is saving me a seat.

Penn is truly “the social Ivy,” and after about a month here I’ve an incredible array of people who are genuinely interested in discussing topics ranging from Obama’s next steps on the Syrian crisis to the best flavor at Capogiro. I’ve made Facebook friends, gained Twitter followers, added numerous numbers to my contact list, and managed to form a group of friends who I actually hang out with in real life. While it’s easy to complain with my friends and classmates about the high stress levels and competition at Penn, especially during midterm season, I try to take a step back and appreciate that I have people to complain with at all.

View from my dorm room window last year.