Lectures Outside Class

I’ve recently been a lot more proactive about seeking out opportunities to attend guest lectures and other “nerdy” academic experiences. Despite the fact that I am busier than ever with classes and on campus recruiting, I find that the time I make, the extra hour here and there, has accumulated to some of the most interesting experiences of my fall semester so far.

About a month ago, Anthony Dunne and Fiona Raby, professors of Design and Emerging Technology at The New School in New York, came to campus and participated in a round-table where students and professors got to talk about what critical design meant to them in an increasingly technological and digital age. How does the professionalization of design affect creativity? What do we need to consider to design systems for humans? Is materialization necessary to create immersive environments? Suuuuper open ended questions that don’t necessarily have right or wrong answers, but the fact that Penn brought in experts in the field to discuss these ideas is, I find, an incredible opportunity that I’m not sure I would as easily have access to were I not a part of an academic institution.

Another really cool lecture I attended was by Billy Mitchell of the Apollo Theatre—this guy literally lived history. He was inspired by James Brown to try harder and do well in school; he watched as Ella Fitzgerald, then a nervous young girl, accidentally started scatting at Amateur Night; he’s seen people like Jamie Foxx, Dave Chapelle, and Adam Sandler all booed off stage I admit that I didn’t know about Billy Mitchell or the Apollo Theatre at all before this lecture (which I stumbled upon last minute from a listserv email from my department chair), but I was completely floored and somewhat inspired to hear about this man’s life and opinions as a cornerstone of modern American history. 

These events are not nearly as in-depth as a full semester’s worth of studying architecture history, but that I even have the chance to get these snippets from the people themselves has definitely been a highlight of my semester so far.

Julia W, C'18

From Applications to Elections

            Approaching the Early Decision deadline, every presentation seemed to end with one dreaded question: “What did you write about in your college essay?” This prompted me to reread the words I had written four years ago.

            I was surprised to see how I had written about my desire to go to Penn because of all of the ways it provides avenues for learning outside of the classroom. I specified how I wanted to intern at an art museum, work on the 2016 presidential election, and teach in Philadelphia public schools.

            Fast forward four years. This week, I spend my Sunday leading a gallery tour at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. On Wednesday morning, I wake up early to attend a rally downtown to stand in solidarity with the Standing Rock Sioux and protest the Dakota Access Pipeline. Every day, I spend countless hours making phone calls and knocking on doors for the Hillary Clinton campaign. On Friday, I lead a group of Penn students to West Philadelphia High School where I am the head teacher for a program that teaches News Literacy in a senior year government class.

            As a senior in high school, I had no way of knowing exactly what Penn had to offer or what I would achieve in my college years. However, I did recognize my passions and realize the issues that drive me. My love of art and politics are so engrained in my identity, that I knew these would be essential to the communities I formed in whatever university I ended up at.

            Two sweatshirts, a sweater, a jacket, hat, scarf, gloves, boots, a pocketful of snacks. I have all of the essentials ready for the six hours ahead of me to wait on line in Penn Park in order to see Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine on campus.

            I stroll up to the VIP table with the rest of the Penn Dems Executive Board. After spending months on our voter registration and get out the vote efforts, we were rewarded by the campaign with wristbands allowing special access to the front of the rally.

            Five more hours of waiting ensue…and finally Hillary and Tim come out. With the Philly skyline as a backdrop and Penn’s campus just around the corner, these are the moments I could never have even dreamed of as a reality of my college experience.

            After cheering throughout her speech, she exits the stage right in front of us. All of a sudden, Hillary Clinton, the woman who I have gave more hours of my life to this semester than I could even count is right before me. One of my friends tells her of the conference we had planned that weekend for college Democrat groups around the Northeast and she congratulates us for our success.

            With less than a week to go, I am so grateful for the contribution I have been able to make on Penn’s campus and in Philadelphia through my involvement in Penn Democrats. Years from now, I will be proud to tell my children that I did everything in my power to help elect the first woman president of the United States, and most importantly in such an essential swing state as Pennsylvania.   

Hannah C, C'17

Being a Fresher, A Second Time Around

A little over a year ago today, I touched down in London to start my junior year fall semester at University College London (UCL). This was a direct exchange program, so I took classes and lived alongside normal university students. What I didn’t realize until I got to London was that, in strange ways, my study abroad experience would feel like freshman year all over again. My dorm consisted of freshers (what English people call first year students) and study abroad students.

When I got to my dorm from the airport, I groggily made my way to the dorm’s dining hall to get food. It was so strange walking into a lunchroom setting again and having to find a place to sit in a sea of unfamiliar faces. Particularly in the first few days, everybody was so eager to meet new people; I relived that freshman year experience of meeting a million new people in passing at various new student events. At times, this was exhausting, but I also ended making a lot of great friends from all around the world during my term abroad. 

In classic freshman style, I went a little overboard at the club fair for the university. However, it was so refreshing to be able to try out so many different clubs while abroad and try out random activities that seemed interesting to me. For example, I participated in my first coding hackathon with the Tech Society, I attended dodgeball, rowing, and badminton practices, and I learned how to juggle with the Circus Society. However, I ended up being most active in Running Club. I absolutely loved running through London with the group -- we often ran to Regent’s Park, a sprawling, famous park right by campus. One night, there was an all-girls running event, in which we ran around the city covered in face paint and blasting music. Another one of my many favorite memories from study abroad was the club’s Christmas Dinner at the end of the semester -- everybody wore their most festive Christmas “jumpers” (aka ugly Christmas sweaters), and we had 3-course meals at a local pub while enjoying each other’s company and breaking open Christmas crackers.

A pit stop during our colorful run throughout London

Overall, I think it becomes natural past freshman year for people to get comfortable in a routine and with a certain group of people - and not branch out past that. For me, studying abroad reignited that fresher-like hunger to meet new people and to seek out new experiences that can be lost in the day-to-day college grind.

Emma H, C'17

Finding Your Study Spot

There are so many important decisions you have to make during your time at Penn: what are you going to major in, where do you want to live, what clubs do you want to join. But for me, the most important question I had to answer, was where do I want to study. I know what you’re thinking, ‘Matt, why does that even matter?’ but it was a question that plagued me (and many others before me) when I finally arrived on campus, my freshman year. Now, there are those out there who advocate for Van Pelt Library, others who swear by Fisher Fine Arts, and even some who won’t go anywhere besides the Starbucks in the basement of Commons (the new Starbucks at 39th and Walnut has proved to be quite the controversy).

There are so many choices on campus, that it can be a bit overwhelming. So what did I do? I just began to try out different spaces. This place was too dark, that one was too noisy, and the other one was just too far away from my room. But eventually, like Goldilocks herself, I found the one that was just right: the study carrels on the Sansom side of the second floor of Biddle Law Library. For me, the space is perfect: cozy yet structured, bright but not distracting, quiet without being isolating. I’m able to go there and get work done without feeling overwhelmed and stressed.

In general, there are so many options at Penn, and in the College specifically. But, I encourage you to be like Goldilocks-- test things out and eventually you will find what works for you! Try different classes, join different organizations, and meet new people. Who knows, maybe one day I’ll even see you in studying in the law library. Until then, take advantage of all of the opportunities here and you too will find your ‘place.’  

Matthew S, C'18

The Creative Meets the Professional

Penn’s College of Arts and Sciences has a multiplicity of resources in terms of professional endeavors, even if you want to go the more non-typical creative route, like me. I found my internship this past summer through a Penn-funded program called RealArts@Penn, which is further supported by the Kelly Writers House. Essentially, this program offers a couple handfuls of undergrads internships each year with a select number of amazing creative companies and institutions, such as museums, music studios, and publishing houses. All of which are distributed with a monetary stipend for the summer! It’s a pretty sweet deal in which I was lucky enough to partake.

My internship was with Settlement Music School, a Philadelphia-based community music school for people of all ages and skill levels. I was deemed the Digital Marketing and Community Engagement Intern for them (it’s a long title, I know), which meant I helped with everything from social media to community events. From this experience, I was able to integrate my music background with my professional development and had the chance to learn more about education too. It’s something I would have never thought I would be doing, and it definitely would not be possible without the help of this amazing Penn program. It’s totally possible, and even encouraged, to be your creative self at Penn, even in the workplace.

Karis S, C'18

A Domestic "Abroad" Experience

The number of cool programs that the College offers its students is incredible. This semester, I am participating in the Penn in Washington program, a semester-long opportunity for students interested in public policy to live in Washington, D.C., intern full time at a public or private agency of their choosing, and take interesting Political Science courses on topics such as the U.S. Presidency and foreign policy. After being here for only a month, I have already learned so much about the field I want to go into and the culture of our nation’s capital.

    The first week we were here was Orientation Week, where we traveled around the city to take tours of places such as Capitol Hill and meet with interesting professionals, such as Hill staffers, lawyers, and judges, who work in DC. The cohort really learned a lot about networking in DC through that week, as well as how the federal government works. This week culminated in group presentations on how policymaking occurs in DC at the federal level.

    Since orientation, I have been working full time at the United States Department of Education in its Office of Innovation and Improvement. Specifically, I work on one of their Teacher Quality Programs called Teacher Quality Partnerships, which is a grant program that allocates federal dollars to universities to reform their colleges of education and set up non-traditional programs that allow professionals already in their career but wanting to switch over to teaching obtain their certifications. ED is a really cool place to go to work everyday--it’s right off of the National Mall, and it has a great cafeteria and fitness center within the building.

    I’m so grateful for this unique opportunity to study and learn more about political science in the best place to do so. I’m most looking forward to seeing what the environment down here starts to look like as the election heats up going into November!

Patrick Z, C'18

On Campus Recruiting

On Campus Recruiting is stressful. Companies from all over the world send representatives to interview Penn students for internships and jobs. As a senior, it can be difficult to take a step back when it seems like everybody in the world is recruiting.  But in my years at Penn, I have come to realize that OCR is not the end-all-be-all.

While most of my friends did get their internships from OCR, I got mine because I was a lost kid outside of Penn Station, yelling on the phone asking my friend for directions. A woman came up to me and asked me if I needed help (I guess I was more desperate than I had thought).  After politely declining, the woman insisted she help me get to my location. As a southerner with a stereotype of a New Yorker, I was shocked that someone would be so kind as to go out of their way to help me. We made our way down the sweltering hallways of Penn Station together, talking about my major and what I thought I wanted to do after college. It turns out, this woman had also gone to Penn, and when I told her I wanted to do something in public relations or entertainment, she responded with a simple “That’s kind of what I do!” We continued our conversation on the train (that she so graciously paid for), and at my stop, she pulled out a business card and told me to call her if I ever had any questions or wanted an internship. I shook her hands and walked away, grateful for her help getting me to my destination.

After I was all settled into my friend’s house, I looked at the card. She was the VP of PR for Hearst Magazines—she literally had my dream job. I contacted her two years later, reminding her of our encounter, and two days later, I had an internship that might potentially be a full time job after graduation. As I mentioned, OCR is an incredible tool, but it’s not for everybody, and that’s okay!

Kimberly C, C'17

On Being an International Student Orientation Leader

    After a semester abroad in London, I was convinced that I had been renewed. I romanticized my walks to class, the sounds of the city, and the way that the crosswalks never seemed to be in right place. Yet what I loved the most about my experience was the people that I met everyday. In London, I knew I had access to a vibrant city with people from all over the world. When I returned to Philadelphia, I realized that at a global university like Penn that mindset never has to end.  

At the end of my junior year, I became an International Student Orientation Leader, which means that I got to directly interact and connect with the students from all over the world who were studying abroad at Penn. I created friendships with students from Australia, England, France, Brazil, Croatia, Switzerland, and more. We ate pizza in my living room, and watched movies at the local theater on Friday afternoons. I was able to learn about their perspectives, share knowledge, and build great friendships. Even as a junior, they taught me to experience Penn with fresh eyes.

For me, that is the value of attending a school with a reach well beyond the borders of the United States. In addition to the ~12% of students who spend 4 years here as internationals, we invite ~200 students to study abroad every year. Whether in class or hanging out on the weekends, I am encouraged to try on different lenses and experience life through other viewpoints. Today, I am still in contact with a lot of the students I met last year. I have even been able to connect with two students who are studying abroad at Penn this year. I can’t wait to continue my global education within and outside of the classroom.

Jaslyn M, C'17

Welcome back

Hello friends,

It's been a month since the fall semester started, and now that we're back in full swing, look out for regular blog posts about our life on and off campus!

We look forward to showing you what we are passionate about, whether it is an exciting class we're taking, an inspiring show that our friends produced, or yet another anecdote about the charming city we call home.

As always, feel free to reach out to us by email or on social media!

#cognolove,

The College Cognoscenti Team

Hidden Gems of the Penn On-Campus Food Scene

As a busy college student, I've spent my fair share of time (and, sadly, $$$) on food that I haven't made for myself. In the process, I've learned a lot about the go-to spots for certain types of food, as well as what those very places have to offer that's unexpectedly delicious. I've compiled my top 4 Penn "Hidden Gems" in the food realm.

1) Hot Chocolate- Lil' Pop Shop

While known largely for its unique popsicle flavors like Black Sesame, Coconut Hibiscus, and Birthday Cake, Lil' Pop Shop on 44th and Locust is a campus favorite for the summer treat. But, they also have underratedly fantastic Hot Chocolate. Rich, fudgy, and great on a cold day, their Hot Chocolate is definitely not to be overlooked.

2) French Fries- Allegro

Allegro (or really, Allegro's) is the classic campus late night (or daytime, too) eatery known for its variety of pizza flavors by the slice. However, a trip to Allegro's for me is not complete without an order of their amazing french fries. The perfect balance of starchy and salty, these french fries are a low key on-campus hit. While I myself am not a cheese fan (which is a whole other discussion), word on the street is that also not to be overlooked are the mac n' cheese and mozzarella sticks.

3) Smoothies- Pottruck

If going to the gym in order to get a smoothie is wrong, then I don't want to be right. 

4) Pickles- Jimmy John's 

You may assume a sandwich shop would have decent pickles, and you may assume you wouldn't feel strongly about pickles of all foods, but these pickles are more than "good"- they exceed all expectations.

-Caitlyn R., '16

(Inter)national

My go-to introduction at Penn usually goes something along the lines of, “My name is Julia, I’m from Taiwan, and I’m a sophomore studying English and Computer Science.” For me, the part about being from Taiwan is a natural statement--it is, after all, where I lived for eight years, and where my family currently resides. It wasn’t until recently, amid discussions about internships and voting, that several of my peers were surprised to find out that I can actually work and vote in the US.

So the long story is that I was born in Boston, but moved to Hong Kong at an early age because of my parents’ jobs, and ended up in Taiwan for the second half of my childhood. I had always attended international schools, and both English and Mandarin are my first languages. Growing up straddling multiple cultures felt natural to me.

At the same time, I don’t fit in the quintessential “Third Culture Kid” profile that sites like Buzzfeed often publish lists about. I haven’t attended ten schools in eight countries in the span of three years; I’m not mixed; I grew up considering myself Asian-American. Then I got to Penn and realized that my conception of Asian-American is completely different from what my peers, who grew up in the US, understand. The beauty of Penn’s diverse student body, though, is that mutual understanding does not depend on geographical or cultural circumstances at all.

The people closest to me at Penn seldom have the same background as I do, but there is something about the people here, an openness towards new ideas, that allows us to bond despite our perceived differences. It really comes down to personality, and that of course, knows no socially constructed limits.

-Julia W. '18

Major: Undecided

As the end of my sophomore year draws closer with each passing lecture, I think more about my decision to major in English and Computer Science (College students have to declare by the end of sophomore year). Two, three years ago, as I was applying for and heading to college, I had absolutely no idea what area of study I would end up focusing on, which is why I applied to Penn, undecided.

It seems like there’s a certain stigma surrounding the undecided major; my peers felt that they should at least put Biology or History, something they were somewhat interested in but still unsure about. However, I know that there is nothing wrong with being undecided, as trite as that sounds.

What is important about being undecided is that you still have the motivation to pursue what interests you. My favorite subjects in high school were art and biology, and I found in Penn the ability to customize my academic experience to tailor my interdisciplinary interests. Biological Basis of Behavior and Visual Studies both appealed to me prior to my arrival on campus.

Freshman year, my friends would ask, almost weekly, what my new major was to be: the joke is that I changed my mind so often, cycling through BBB, Economics, Communications, Visual Studies, Psychology, and almost everything else so quickly that it seemed like I’d never settle.

Four semesters later, I’ve realized that at the core of my passion for biology and art during high school was a love for the beautifully imperfect human condition--something that, to my surprise, is very relevant to English. I am by no means an expert in literature; formal structures and Renaissance literature, for example, are still areas I struggle in. But the excitement of pursuing something difficult, achieving some level of understanding, and being able to apply larger concepts across multiple disciplines makes quite a fulfilling academic experience.

-Julia W. '18

An Unexpected Friend

Over winter break I had the privilege of traveling to visit my sister who is living in Taiwan. Previously, I hadn’t been able to travel very much, but when I got this opportunity I was very excited. Experiencing Taiwan was so cool for me with different language, food, culture, and way of life. Having so many friends from school that were international and even Taiwanese made the experience especially cool. It really opened my eyes to the size of the world and how lucky I am to be at Penn where I have so many people living down the hall from me with diverse backgrounds and experiences.

After being in Taipei for three days, my sister and I decided to take a trip to Okinawa, Japan. With only an hour and a half flight, we were there very quickly. We went through customs and proceeded to find our way around the small island. Speaking no Japanese made it difficult at times, but my sister and I managed. We took tours through the island, went to local restaurants (as long as they had a picture menu), and relaxed on the beach. On the last day, we decided to take a ferry to an even smaller island, inhabited by less than seven hundred people called Tokashiki. This island was truly paradise with turquoise water and large white sandy beaches. As we got to the beach it was only my sister and me. This was paradise. Then, after about an hour, two more people came onto the beach. I looked at them and couldn’t believe it. It was one of my hall mates from freshman year at Penn. It was truly amazing to me that I could literally be around the world on a small deserted beach island in the middle of the East China Sea, yet still see a friend from Penn. It really showed me how lucky I was to be connected to a place like Penn. It’s truly an international place with amazing connections around the world. 

-Jack C. '17

Not your typical Penn Abroad

Before coming to Penn, the two coolest travel experiences I could credit to my name was going on vacation to Cuba (I'm Canadian and this was before Obama renewed diplomatic ties) and getting to hug a panda bear in Sichuan, China. These were all experiences I had with my family, and truthfully, I had never travelled much I came to Penn. Travelling in university is very different from travelling with family, and I am infinitely grateful for the opportunities that Penn had provided directly and indirectly for my travels.

Even though I've never formally been abroad during the school year at Penn, I was able to go to Tokyo, Japan over Spring Break in freshman year and Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa in my sophomore summer. I went to Tokyo as part of a trip organised by Wharton Asia Exchange in order to expose people to business and culture in Asia. Tokyo was a city in a class of its own and I got the opportunity to visit the Tokyo headquarters of companies like Honda, Google, Sony, and Morgan Stanley and was able to meet Penn alumni who are working there now. Along the way, we visited places like Asakusa shrine, the Buddha of Kamakura, Tokyo Skytree, and the hot springs. I made some very good friends on that week-long trips, ones that has lasted until now.

In sophomore summer, I went on a volunteer trip with three other Penn students to South Africa through an organisation called Penn International Business Volunteers and we worked on a management consulting case for an education non-profit in Johannesburg for three weeks. It was an extremely educational experience both in getting hands on experience in exploring a potential career path and getting immersed in the South African culture. We worked everyday alongside the employees of this non-profit in Diepsloot, one of the poorest neighbourhoods in Johannesburg. My favourite memory was spending time with the school children after their classes ended and singing and dancing with them. After our time with this non-profit ended, we also swung by Cape Town for a week and got to hike Table Mountain, go to the Cape of Good Hope, and visit the University of Cape Town.

These experiences abroad, despite not being your typical abroad story, really opened my eyes to the endless possibilities that were out there in the world. I got my first taste of independent travel and I've been exploring every chance I get ever since. 

-Ber Ber X. '16

Top 3 Classes I've Taken Outside of My Majors

One of my favourite aspects of my Penn education is the fact that I have essentially free reign to take any classes that catch my eye, provided it fits into my schedule. As a senior, I've accumulated some pretty interesting classes under my belt as I made the best out of the vast and varied academic offerings at Penn. I am an International Relations and Economics double major with a minor in English.

1. Freud (GRMN253), taught by Liliane Weissenberg

Many people write off Freud for being essentially, a hack of a scientist. This class instead examines the life, cultural influences and societal impact of Sigmund Freud. This was one of the first classes where I was consistently engaged in lecture and recitation, delving into not only the cultural phenomenon that was fin-de-siècle Vienna but the philosophies of Freud and his contemporaries. Liliane Weissenberg made the most esoteric of concepts accessible with a dry sense of humour. I left the class with not only a deeper appreciation for Sigmund Freud and his works, but a greater understanding of European history and psychoanalysis today.

2. Information Strategies and Economics (OPIM469), taught by Lorin Hitt

Despite not being in Wharton, I was able to register for this Operations Management class because of Penn's One School policy, which took down many of the bureaucratic red tape surrounding taking classes outside of your school. Despite the seemingly dry name, this class explored how digital goods (like digital songs, e-books, and streaming) changes the way businesses are fundamentally run (think about how the rise of Uber and Lyft displaced traditional taxis) and how we use economics to price and regulate these information goods. Lorin Hitt is at the top of his field and his work as a private consultant for some of the biggest companies in the world meant that every lecture was filled with relevant cases he's worked on before. This was one of the classes that I saw myself applying the most concepts from in everyday life. 

3. Ancient Roman History (ANCH027), taught by Julia Wilker

I had always been a classics buff and I was very excited in my freshman year spring semester to immerse myself in Roman history. This class spanned the entirety of Roman history, from the myth of Remus and Romulus to the rise and fall of the Roman Republic and Roman Empire. This was another class in which the lectures and recitations complemented each other very nicely. I would learn about how Romans borrowed many parts of their culture from the Etruscans and then hear my super cool teaching assistant tell me about how she excavated an Etruscan village in Italy years prior in recitation. I loved classes like this one because you were able to be fully immersed in a topic that you have never delved into before and emerge at the end of a semester with your brain full of new information. Taking this class actually prepared me very well for future political science classes that cited various Roman wars and political thought. 

-Ber Ber X. '16

Medicine in Action

Coming into Penn, I knew I wanted to study medicine. Unfortunately, in high school I was only able to participate in hands-off volunteering at a local hospital. So, as I walked down Locust Walk during our activities fair, I desperately searched through the hundreds of tables for a way I could get involved medically. I saw a bright red sign that read “MERT” and in small print underneath, “Medical Emergency Response Team.” I walked over to the table and began talking with one of the people sitting at there. I soon found out that I could not only get certified as an Emergency Medical Technician while at Penn, but also actively participate in medicine as part of a 911-like response service.

One semester after that day I was an active member of Penn’s MERT. I had successfully completed all parts of the certification and was ready to go. Through my past two and a half years as a member of the team, I have been on calls from seizures to drug overdoses to dislocated shoulders, wrists, and everything in between. These serious medical calls have not only taught me about the severity of medical care, but also about patient interaction and other skills that allow me to be a good professional and person. Not only is Penn’s MERT an extracurricular activity, but it is also a community. I have made so many friends through our long days and nights serving the Penn community. With the phrase being, “more than EMS” MERT is truly a family. Being able to get real, clinical experience as a student EMT has enabled me to reaffirm my interest in medicine. With much of the nationwide pre-med curriculum consisting of sciences not always directly related to medicine, MERT allows me to be a medical professional and a student all at the same time. Not only has MERT allowed me to serve University City community, but with my certification I am able to work at home at my local firehouse in an ambulance. With even more medical exposure, I am being an active participant in the Penn community while also doing something that I really love.

-Jack C. '17

At Penn, There Are No Limits

Creativity is everything to me. In high school, I found my academics deprived of creative agency—I just stuck to the textbooks, to put it simply. I valued my academics, but I also wanted to integrate creative aspects into the curriculum. But, I never quite found a way to go about doing that. Without even knowing it, I was suffocating. Then, I came to Penn. I truly didn’t know what I was missing. Creativity courses through the heart of this school. I’m taking classes where you are encouraged to make something of your own to be proud of. My preconceived notion of academics was completely altered, in the best way possible, when I first went to a class here. I was learning things that I wanted to learn with professors who valued crazy ideas and original opinions. 

I’m surrounded by creative people who unabashedly express that creativity through various mediums. I’m constantly awestruck by the level of vision that exists in each person at this university. There are people starting their own business, social initiatives, cinema clubs, musical groups; there are talented people creating things all around me. I’m not going to lie to you, sometimes this sort of climate can get intimidating and tiresome. It can be hard to keep up with the pace at which my peers function. However, more than anything, my idea of what is possible has been exponentially heightened. Here at Penn, I can hash ideas out with fellow creatives and make something beautiful. 

I can sit in a room with cool people and turn a creative concept into reality. Creativity is everything to me, and some of the things that I always wanted to do in high school I’ve accomplished in college. At Penn, there are no limits. What I learned: collaboration is at the center of creativity. If you come to Penn, you are guaranteed to find amazing people who value the same things as you do. For me, that was creativity, but whatever you are looking for, I guarantee that there will be a community of students here to back you up.

-Karis S. '18

Alternate Spring Break: A New Way to Travel During SB

For my past two spring breaks, rather than relaxing on the beach at exotic destinations, I’ve spent them with  Alternate Spring Break (ASB). Schools all across the country have ASB programs, but each ASB trip goes to a different location and participates in different service capacities. This year, I went on a Habitat for Humanity trip to High Point, North Carolina, and last year, I also went on a Habitat for Humanity trip, but the location was Lynchburg, Virginia.

Some tasks I’ve done at the Habitat sites include painting the interior of the houses and constructing sheds. My clothes often end up paint-covered, and my arms sore from hammering. But, beyond the service work, a very special quality of ASB trips is how close you get to your group. You apply to be a part of ASB, and you are assigned to an  ASB trip with 13 other people, most of whom you don’t know at all despite going to the same school. After just a week, you will have shared endless laughs, inside jokes, and meaningful conversations with these 13 people.

I think it’s easy to get comfortable in your own social circle at Penn, so it’s really cool how ASB allows you to branch out and get close to friends that you otherwise would never have met. On my ASB trips, I have had some of the most honest and genuine discussions about issues in life, social justice, and the Penn experience - and the wide diversity of perspectives and backgrounds within the group make it all the more interesting.

Though some people gawk at the idea of doing service work for Spring Break, ASB is truly a reinvigorating break from school and has always helped me gain more perspective about the important things in life. I have met the best people through ASB and highly recommend it to anybody interested!  

-Emma H. '17

Traveling Abroad Without Using Your Semester or Summer Time

As a student in the sciences, I often hear people saying, I can't travel because of my major. This is completely false. Regardless your course of study or program you are enrolled in, your ability to travel or study abroad is completely dependent on the effort you make to do so. Aside from the countless programs offered within each major to specifically accommodate students within the course of study, there are plenty of options to study abroad in subjects far beyond the major you pursue at Penn. Among these programs are a variety of summer programs (with a wide range of duration times) that all have financial aid options. If summer is not your thing and you don't want to study abroad, there are classes at Penn that you take during the fall or spring, and then travel during the break following the semester.

For example, two of my friends took the same religious studies class on South Asian Shrines last fall. One was a Operations and Management concentration in Wharton and the other was an Art History major in the college. Their class met for two hours once a week and during winter break they traveled to Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia to visit some of the shrines they had discussed in their class. In the spring their class continued with a focus on the trip and how it intersected with the material they were taught (it had the same time commitment 2 hours per week). Both my friends absolutely loved the class; this class is just one of many many options available at Penn if you are eager to explore the lesser known options of traveling as a college student.

-Kelli L. '17

When You Want to Pursue Everything

What do you want to do when you grow up? I've been asked this countless times growing up, and honestly, I've changed my mind on who I am and who I want to be so many times, it's hard to think of a time when I knew everything I wanted. And then I realized, it's okay if you don't. You don't need to have everything figured out to move forward; I am a living example of that. Growing up, I always wanted to become a veterinarian. I came into college with all my plans to work with exotic animals abroad  for several years before and settling down and starting a small clinic back at home. Then everything changed.

We come into college being told there are countless classes, majors, and opportunities there will be, but it's not until we get there, fully immersed in the culture, that we truly understand and appreciate the vast world that stands before us. Realizing how much more was out there and how much I hadn't tried or even considered, I really didn't know what I wanted anymore. So I tried it all. I took marketing classes, geology classes, statistics classes, computer science classes, classical literature classes, south asian studies classes. I took all of them and more, and after everything was said and done I was even more confused with the path I wanted to take. But that's what college is all about.

It's about trial and error. It's about living and loving and learning. After venturing into some higher level classes of my favorite "experimental" subjects, I chose to pursue research and development. It's still in the sciences, but it's far from the Dr. Dolittle that I always thought I would be. 

Penn is certainly not only a place where you can pursue and achieve your dreams, but also a place that let's you discover them.

-Kelli L. '17