Email This PageA Swarthmore Survival Guide
As the beginning of the semester drew near, members of the alumni community were asked for something they’re rarely unwilling to provide—their opinions. The following question was posted on the College’s Facebook page: What’s the most creative bit of advice you’d give a new Swarthmore student?
Following are some of the responses received. (The names are Facebook handles. Friend Swarthmore to find out more at http://bit.ly/swatfacebook.)
Kat Vid: “Enjoy yourself! Studying is great, and Swarthmore will teach you a lot, but make time for fun. College only happens once.”
Bianca Passarelli: “No one wins at misery poker. Just enjoy whatever it is you’re doing, and audit a really weird class or two.”
Jacob Mattison: “Having trouble understanding something? Talk to the professor!”
Avilash Pahi: “Don’t take yourself too seriously.”
Susannah Hogendorn: “Don’t even try to do all the assigned reading!”
Shoshana Kerewsky: “Learning and grades are not the same thing.”
Talia Haynes: “Get to know at least one professor well.”
Amanda Merwin Lewis: “Take risks—academically, socially, personally.”
Donata Guerra: “Enjoy the magic of the campus setting. Lie down in the grass near the tall trees along Parrish Hall. There is a richness here in this Quaker-found soil.”
John Schubert: “If you’re even faintly thinking of going out for a sport, do it. It’ll help you get your ya-yas out. You may surprise yourself with your progress.”
Dan Chung: “Take a day in the winter to follow the lines in the snow created by the steam pipes and see where they lead. In the spring, dance by starlight in the Crum and sleep under the moon.”
Alex Ginsberg: “If you start to fall asleep while reading, read standing up.”
Greg Davidson: “Remember to be kind to one another, particularly as finals approach and people begin to get stressed.”
Amy Cooper: “The well-off folks in town will pay top-dollar for a responsible, well-educated role model to babysit their kids. Renato’s ain’t free.”
Daniel Mont: “Think of Swarthmore as the beginning of your education, not the end of it. There’s lots of time to change.”
