Earlier today, I caught myself saying to a friend, “Anytime this week is fine — I don’t have anything going on.” A few seconds later, I realized how rarely I say something like this. No exams, no major papers — this is great! Seriously, it’s such a blessing just to be able to have a few weeks with no major stresses imminently looming on the horizon.
I’m also very grateful that it’s full-on fall now, which means that trees are turning the most brilliant colors. This is undeniably one of my favorite times every year. The view from Memorial Hill is especially great, since you can take in the magnitude of nature’s grandeur and glory. To get a closer look, I hit the nearby foot and bike trails with my friend Anna, who’s the resident counselor (RC) of a first-year dorm, and her residents.
(Photo: bike trails behind Greenway/King/Wieland dormitories (L), Anna looking all professional photographer-y (R). If you're a prospective student, this irresistible season should factor into your decision!)
October also means Fall Formal, which is a dance/socializing-type event. There’s Spring Formal every year, too. This was actually my first time going with the intention of staying for a while, which means that a group of friends and I took some time to choose our outfits, makeup, etc. before heading over and staying for a good two hours. The food was good, and so was the music — a student band played some hit songs for the first half of the night before turning it over to a DJ — but the best part was dancing in some really strange and silly ways with some great friends. This weekend also had a few other formals, including one held for residents of James/Stearns first-year dorms. I stopped by for a little bit — it was reminiscent of a high school dance, but also really great to see so many people having fun.
To follow this (rather predictable) theme, Fall Festival was held on Sunday! The college puts on this event every year and —as someone coming from Ohio — it feels very New England-y/Massachusetts-y. (I honestly don’t know how to describe it. It’s just the vibe that the event gives off!) The #1(ish) reason I go is definitely for the food, which ranged from clam chowder and lobster rolls to smoked brisket, fried dough and pumpkin whoopie pies. There were also apples, caramel and regular, and pumpkin-carving. It’s basically heaven for everyone who’s obsessed with this season. (It’s also been one of THE events where everyone tries to get a picture with their squad because everywhere you look, it’s Insta-worthy.)
(Photos: friends & food at fall fest (L); doing it for the gram (R)).
Again, all good things came to an end, and Monday sent us back to the grind. That evening, I attended a training session for pre-health mentors held by Dean Richard Aronson, our Health Professions advisor. Knowing that students have questions about the pre-health tracks and that we’ll all inevitably feel insecure, worried, lost or just in need of someone to listen and guide us in the right direction, the Health Professions advisors facilitate a pre-health mentoring program for underclass students thinking about a pre-health track. During our training, we talked about the different pressures students face at Amherst — or that we put on ourselves — and how we can mitigate the potential stress and anxiety that other students might face from that.
Honestly, it was a good reminder for me, too, that life is actually so much more than a list of accomplishments, test scores, honors, etc., because measuring by that standard will make anyone feel perpetually inferior. I’m still not immune to times of stress and anxiety, but I’d like to think I’ve gotten better at dealing with it. A phone call home also made things better and reminded me that life is actually about our memories and lived experiences and how they shape us — hopefully for the better.