25 Ways You Know It’s the End of the Spring Semester
April 26, 2013 by Skyler Paltell
It’s that time of the year again: the last week of classes, the final push before the warmth and relative freedom of summer. Whether you’re a freshman or a senior, here are twenty-five ways you know it’s the end of the Spring Semester:
- You begin to feel a weird attachment to your dorm room, even though it’s dingy and in the Units and you’ve absolutely hated it all year.
- You’re sick—you have some sort of cold, sinus infection or other respiratory illness courtesy of the Williamsburg pollen.
- You feel extremely nostalgic about everything, like the last meeting for that club you didn’t like, or your final AMP Late Nite trivia.
- You have a detailed, color-coded Swem schedule that documents how much time, down to the minute, you’ll be spending in Swem during finals week. Also, you have your study schedule organized and taped to the ceiling above your bed.
- You’re out of Flex, and you’ve been out of Flex since the beginning of April.
- You have at least one group presentation to give this week, and you’re running around trying to figure out what you own that is “business casual” that does not need to be ironed.
- Your bank account has been decimated by eight months worth of Wawa runs, and you’re trying to figure out how to buy gifts for all of your graduating friends with the $1.60 that is currently in your wallet.
- Your room needs to be cleaned. Because it’s not a successful semester if you don’t have weird stains on your floor and ceiling.
- You spend most of your time daydreaming about your amazing summer plans, most of which include working forty hours a week, with the occasional trip to the beach and 1,400 pages of War and Peace to read before Fall Semester.
- You’re panicked about finals.
- You’re excited about Finals Fun Week at Swem, because the therapy dogs are coming back. Also, Ben and Jerry’s—always Ben and Jerry’s.
- You’re regretting that you still haven’t talked to that gorgeous guy/girl in your Religion class.
- You can eat three free meals a day with all of the free pizza, bagels, and snacks available at end-of-the-semester meetings.
- You’re realizing you owe at least four people money and you should probably pay them back before finals.
- You’ve gotten a dozen summer storage flyers in your CSU in the last week.
- Qdoba knows your order by heart, because you’ve eaten there at least once a week for the course of the entire semester.
- Professors start warning you they don’t want any “shenanigans” on the last day of classes, and you had better be coherent and in class or else.
- Your professors cancel your Friday classes because they know there is nothing they can do to prevent shenanigans and general anarchy.
- You realize you should not have duct-taped your poster to the wall back in September, because when you try to take it down, you peel off half the paint on your wall.
- Your hall bathroom was finally cleaned for the first time all semester.
- You’re having a quarter-life crisis, and generally questioning your decisions, your future, and why you didn’t go to the Career Center more during the past year.
- You’ve been looking forward to Last Day of Classes since the first day of the semester.
- Your senior friends have been eating a lot of wine and cheese recently.
- You’re trying to stretch your clean laundry to the end of the semester, but you’ve been wearing the same pair of pants for a week.
- You have a restrictive hold on your account from all of the printing charges you’ve accumulated, but have somehow managed to avoid paying because eServices won’t take Visa.
It Comes and Goes in Waves (Homesickness)
February 12, 2013 by Skyler Paltell
Several weeks ago I wrote about my desire to have fun and enjoy the college experience, but this post addresses another side to college life—homesickness. I used to think that homesickness was just for college freshmen, and indeed, when you search it on Google, most of the information refers to first year college students. But when I entered my sophomore year and was still hit – hard – with the occasional wave of homesickness, I figured I couldn’t be the only one.
I was not the typical college freshman in regards to homesickness; I wasn’t stricken with a longing for the familiar until late in the fall semester. My best friend from home was paralyzed by homesickness for the first few weeks of freshman year, but recovered quickly. I, however, did not miss Baltimore until early November, and unfortunately, I haven’t been able to fully shake that feeling since. Ultimately, my love for this school and for the opportunities here have overruled my homesickness, since I spent last summer in Williamsburg and I will do so again this summer. But every so often, I’m bowled over with a longing for home, which usually corresponds to stressful periods in the semester and in my life.
I’m exceedingly lucky that I can get home with relative ease on the train, as I did this past weekend. It’s midterms, the stress was getting to me, I wasn’t sleeping—I took a mental health weekend and returned to Baltimore to see my family. I revisited my high school haunts, the Starbucks on York Road, the sushi place in the center of town. There truly is nothing like the comfort of your own room and Mom’s cooking to make life seem more manageable—sometimes adulthood, even the quasi-adulthood of the college years, can become overwhelming. But then the weekend was over, and I returned to school, and here I am feeling homesick again.
I have to remind myself that my childhood is over, for better or worse—I have gained independence, though I have lost the feeling of comfort and security that home brings. I’m not ignorant—I know I have outgrown home, the shoe doesn’t fit anymore—friends have moved away, my high school is closed to me, my little sister will soon be leaving for college herself. Eventually, my childhood home will be sold, and the tenuous portal to my past will truly be shut. Baltimore is a dead end. My future is here, in Williamsburg, in my classes, my friends, my job. My life is here. And I love it; I really do, but only most of the time. Sometimes, I need to be a child again, if only for a weekend, a moment, a fleeting sense of security.
Life is uncertain, the future is uncertain. Uncertainty can be terrifying. Therein lies the root of homesickness—the fear of the unknown, and the longing for familiarity. I expect to feel homesick at times throughout the entirety of my college years, and perhaps beyond, for I recognize that I have been given a great home. And though the definition of home may be blurred now—is home here, or in Baltimore? which address do I use?—I cling to the memories of my family, my childhood, and my house with the cat and the shutters and the picket fence. Though life keeps moving forward, it’s okay, sometimes, to look back. Homesickness isn’t just for freshmen.
Quotes and YOLO
February 1, 2013 by Skyler Paltell
“That one may walk in beauty, discover the serenity of the quiet moment, and dispel the shadows.”
So goes the quote on the plaque by the Crim Dell Bridge. It is true that the beauty of this campus is striking, from the banks of the Crim Dell, to the hiking trails around Matoaka and the facades of Washington and Tyler Halls. It doesn’t seem like I’ve been here for two years already. It can be so easy to get caught up in the menial responsibilities of work, studying, and extracurricular activities. College life, like anything, has the ability to become monotonous.
My parents’ new mantra in regards to my college experience is to “have more fun”. They tell me not to get so caught up in schoolwork and bad days, because college lasts only so long before it becomes a memory. I find, already, that this is becoming true. While I have been chasing grades and writing resumes, time has been quietly slipping through its sieve. And so, my resolution for this semester and this year is to have more fun (#yolo), stress less, and celebrate the last months of my adolescence and my last years as a student.
Whenever I’m feeling overwhelmed by life and underwhelmed by leisure, I begin by remembering why I chose this college over thousands of other American universities. The principle reason was beauty. From the elegance of the cypher to the tree lined paths around the Sunken Garden, William & Mary is undeniably beautiful—even more so in the spring and fall. Beauty also lies within the majority of the students here, as I was reminded today when I dropped my credit cards and health insurance somewhere along Ukrop Way. I had only just realized their absence when a student (whom I recognized from a government class last year) pointed them out and began picking them up. I chose William & Mary for its beauty; I chose William & Mary because I believed I would grow, learn, and love more here than at any other campus.
Now I just need to ensure I don’t waste these years living to get through the week. Fun is of the utmost importance. This semester, I resolve to get coffee on the Terrace instead of at Swem. I resolve to streak the Sunken Garden, I resolve to stay up late for no reason, I want to make questionable decisions on a regular basis. I want to fall in love. I’ve spent my life being responsible, in tedious pursuit of good grades and prestigious internships. I have never been grounded, and I have never had detention. Never once, with the exception of emotional outbursts, have I acted like the teenager that I technically am.
I’m not saying I want to go crazy, but I want to live my life for me—for my enjoyment—and not for the societal standards to which I feel obligated to conform. I don’t want to let the days go by. Hence, YOLO—you only live once. You’re only in college once. This semester, I want to live it.
Monsoon
January 17, 2013 by Skyler Paltell
Rain. No new semester is complete without three consecutive days of rain. Frankly, I’m ready for it to either snow A LOT or just get on with spring already, since after Christmas I go into my annual seasonal depression. The space between January and March is the longest, grayest, coldest time of year, and my skin is so white that the lightest makeup shade at Walgreens is too dark. This is the time of year when I start enviously googling beaches and Facebook stalking my friends who go to college in Hawaii.
So in order to distract myself from the monsoon occurring outside my window, I’m going to remember that it is in fact the spring semester, and that means several things:
- Valentines Day: Personally, I look forward to this holiday because after the actual day is over, all of the chocolate at the Sexchange goes on sale, so I buy it all for myself and eat it alone in my room crying. Just kidding, usually I buy it and share it with a friend while we cry and watch the Notebook for the 100th time. Of course, if you are in a committed relationship, you can look forward to chocolate, roses, and romantic dinners at the Caf.
- Campus golf: One of the twampiest and most popular traditions on campus. Everyone dresses in costume and plays “golf” as a team—i.e. people try to hit tennis balls into buckets with golf clubs. It’s great fun and practically guaranteed that some hapless passerby will get hit in the face with a tennis ball while crossing the Sunken Garden. Sadly, I missed out on this last year, so I fully plan to participate this year!
- Spring break: Beach vacations. That is all.
- Last Day of Classes: Sun, giant inflatables on the Sunken Garden, and general mayhem. Nothing gets done in class and free food is abundant; this day pretty much embodies the #YOLO philosophy. Definitely a favorite of every student on campus, definitely a nightmare for the administration.
- King and Queen’s Ball: If you thought prom ended in high school, you’re wrong. Basically the best formal dance to have ever occurred in your years as a student; everyone gets all formal, and ten dollars gets you admission, catered food, dancing, and President Reveley. King and Queen’s is unquestionably better than my senior prom, and significantly less awkward.
I think this pretty much covers it. Whenever I think about transferring to the University of Hawaii, reminding myself of the good things to come this semester helps me maintain my sanity. It can’t be cold forever.
And on that note, fingers crossed for snow tomorrow … let’s make this a four-day weekend!
Walking Backwards
November 12, 2012 by Skyler Paltell
Today I was casually giving a tour, walking backwards as usual, when a car almost hit me. I was crossing Jamestown Road at the crosswalk, as I’ve done dozens of times before, when a car just didn’t stop. If my tour didn’t yell that a car was about to hit me, I’m not sure that I would still be able to walk backwards. So thank you, anonymous prospective students and families, for saving my butt. Which brings me to the topic of my post: prospective student appreciation! With tour guide interviews ongoing and college admission season in full swing, I feel like it’s important to talk about why I became a tour guide and what talking with prospective students has done for me.
I applied to be a tour guide last year, as a freshman. Ever since my W&M tour a few years ago, I have wanted to be a tour guide so that I can inspire students to come to W&M as well. When I applied, however, I had a secret—I was terrified of public speaking. It was all I could do to keep my voice from shaking during the first round of interviews; I’ve been fighting butterflies and blushing cheeks when speaking in front of people for most of my life. So when I got the position, the first thing I felt was excitement—and then utter panic.
Throughout tour guide training last semester, my tours patiently waited for me to stumble through the dictionary of facts and stories that I had memorized in preparation for tours. Veteran guides coached me through the basics, stood by me and caught my mistakes if I misspoke, and taught me the art of walking backwards without falling on the bricks. Prospective students took my advice, praised my efforts, and whenever I finished a tour breathless and relieved they were there to clap for me and tell me that they liked W&M better than UVA. And finally, after three months of practice and anxiety and some amazing prospective families, I had earned my name-tag.
Giving tours gives me one day out of every week to relive my own college application process. When the semester gets rough and commitments pile up, I have 75 minutes to talk about everything that makes W&M amazing and to tell others why I chose to attend. And in turn, I have 75 minutes a week to hear about these inspiring prospective students, their dreams and hopes and anxieties regarding college, W&M specifically. Most are juniors and seniors, and all are hesitant to ask questions. The parents have funny anecdotes, the students worry about SAT scores, and almost everyone wants to know where the Cheese Shop is. While prospective students look to me as a knowledgeable college student, I look to them as the unique, talented W&M students of the future. Prospective students have inspired me, given me confidence in my speaking abilities, and reminded me every day that as a tour guide, I can effectively change lives. It is a big responsibility, but I feel lucky to have it.
I won’t lie—I still get nervous before every single tour. I doubt the butterflies will ever fully go away. But without my last year as a tour guide, I doubt that I would be the same person I am now—and I have prospective students, families, and the deans of admission to thank for that.
Hurrication 2.0
October 31, 2012 by Skyler Paltell
As I’m blogging I’m sitting in front of the fireplace at home and watching cheesy Lifetime movies with my cat. No, it is not Fall Break, Thanksgiving, or any other school-sanctioned break—this is Hurrication 2.0. This weekend’s encounter with Hurricane Sandy is the second hurricane I have endured in the past year, but it certainly is not the only natural disaster I have experienced at W&M. First there was the earthquake last August, then Irene, this summer’s tornado scare, and now Sandy. The 2012 apocalypse really does not seem so far fetched after this year’s Williamsburg weather.
Fortunately I survived this hurricane a lot better than I did Irene last year. A little over a week into my freshman year, we were ordered to evacuate the campus with less than 24 hour’s notice. As an out-of-state student, I was absolutely flabbergasted. Amtrak had canceled all of their trains, my parents were too far away to pick me up, and I didn’t feel comfortable accepting a place in one of my new friends’ homes for an indefinite amount of time. I ended up “evacuating” to Virginia Beach—closer to the hurricane, mind you—to spend a quality six days with my aunt, uncle, and cousins. Ultimately, everything turned out fine, I bonded with my extended family, and returned to find the campus a little disheveled but otherwise fine. But the whole evacuation nightmare has given me a finely honed flight response in the event of a hurricane—my personal motto is “when in doubt, get the heck out”.
So when I was offered a ride to Union Station on Saturday, I didn’t even consider saying no. I was getting out of Williamsburg before this hurricane hit, regardless of Homecoming, classes, and adult responsibilities. One hour after getting the email that Monday’s classes were canceled, I was packed and in my friend’s car with Florence + the machine blaring. She drove me to another friend’s house, who then drove me to Union Station, where I caught a train that hit a deer and was shut down in the wilderness for emergency repairs. Five and a half hours after leaving Williamsburg, I was home for the second time in two weeks. It was beautiful.
The irony of the situation, of course, is that Baltimore ended up being more affected by Sandy than Williamsburg. I’ve been chillin’ with my Dad and my sister, while my Mom is stranded in Florida—definitely not a bad place to be right now. I myself am stranded at home until Wednesday evening, since all the train lines back to Williamsburg are canceled (thank you, Amtrak.) So basically it’s a second Fall Break. I love it.
As inconvenient as hurricanes are, the break has been a welcome reprieve from the madness that is my life at school. I’m returning tomorrow to Clue Week, which I’m so excited for! Then next week is sorority initiation, Gamma Phire, midterms, AMP, and tours. I love to be so busy, but it can be hard to manage so many things at once, especially while trying to get my gluten-free diet nailed down. I know I’m very fortunate to view this hurricane as a welcome break from school, while my friends in New York are worrying about whether or not their dorms have flooded.
Anyways, I hope everyone had a safe and shamelessly lazy Hurrication. It’s only a matter of time before the next one.
Wild and Young and Gluten Free
October 22, 2012 by Skyler Paltell
This is likely to be my first serious blog post, but gluten free living is an important topic to me and a small number of other W&M students. Gluten-free seems to be sweeping the nation at the moment—it is evident from the “organic” aisle at Food Lion—but most people seem to think it is some sort of new-fangled weight loss phenomenon. To be gluten free means to avoid gluten, a protein found in wheat and wheat products, like bread, baked goods, and many types of alcohol.
There are two reasons why someone may be gluten free—a.) they saw how much weight Miley Cyrus lost and they had to try it out for themselves or b.) they have a condition called Celiac Disease or gluten intolerance. I feel like most college students, myself included, belong to the latter category, since who would voluntarily give up pizza and soy sauce without just cause? Celiac disease is a condition in which the body attacks itself when you eat gluten, essentially destroying your small intestine, among other things. Gluten intolerance is the same basic principle, but less severe and with fewer long-lasting effects.
I went gluten free two months ago. I never found out if I had Celiac, since that involves an endoscopy and that sounds horrifying, but I find that I feel healthier when I don’t eat wheat. I also had to cut out dairy, eggs and soy at my doctor’s advice, since it is pretty common to have other allergies in addition to gluten. I won’t lie—it is really hard. Healing from any kind of long-term autoimmune condition is a roller coaster of ups and downs, and I have a whole new respect for college students who have battled medical conditions while at school. I’m almost positive that my body hates me. Some days I just want to go home—but I know that staying here will ultimately make me stronger.
For those who are gluten free at W&M and are struggling like I am, there are several resources that I have found to be immeasurably helpful. The first is undoubtedly the Gluten Freedom club, established this year by junior Hannah Boes (it’s her 21st birthday today—happy birthday Hannah!) We meet on Thursdays to hang out, snack on gluten free nom-noms, take trips to Trader Joe’s, and go out to dinner. It’s great to hang out with people who know what you are going through, and trust me when I say these people are all awesome.
The second is Larry Smith from Dining Services. He was excellent at helping me navigate the dining halls at the beginning of this semester, so if you have an allergy—be it gluten, soy, or dairy—he is a great resource. You’ll even get your own file, which I think is pretty snazzy. I actually cook for myself now since I have so many allergies, but if you’re just gluten free or lactose intolerant you should definitely check him out.
And finally, friends and peers are a great resource. This semester I joined a sorority, and all of my new friends and sisters have been so helpful and understanding when I explain to them exactly why I can’t eat that cookie. This past week I went out to Food For Thought with some of my new sisters—they actually suggested the restaurant because they knew it was gluten free friendly! The chef made me my own meal and I even got my own special bread roll. And tomorrow, I am getting coffee with the president of my sorority—she also has Celiac disease—at her suggestion, because she knows I am struggle-bussing.
It’s not easy having a restricted diet in college, a time when most people are eating junk food right and left because they’re young and they can get away with it. I know, because I used to be among them. However, I feel like I’ve learned so much in the past few months and gained so many new friends and resources. Most people out there are willing to understand and to listen, and Williamsburg has many options for gluten-free students on a budget. As for me, managing my health has been one of the most difficult challenges I have ever faced—but with the help of my friends, family, and Udi’s gluten-free muffins, I feel confident that the end of the tunnel is not so far away.
Reminisce
October 18, 2012 by Skyler Paltell
Almost 2 years ago I submitted my early decision application to the College of William & Mary. It was a decision that I agonized over; I tossed and turned at night, pondering the cost benefit analysis of applying early to a school that was probably more than my parents could afford. The day of the deadline – November 1st – I gathered my essays, packaged my recommendations and supplementary materials, and held my breath as I tossed my future into the abyss of the local mailbox.
I’m thinking about this now because I just spent my Fall Break at home with my little sister, who is now applying to college. I’m pretty sure she spent all four days on her laptop trying to write five different college essays and triple check her Common App information. She looked absolutely defeated as she sat at the kitchen table with the dog-eared copy of Princeton Review’s 371 Best Colleges flipped open to Boston College. Across the country, high school seniors everywhere are facing the same predicament—approximately 15,000 of them likely in regards to William & Mary as the admission office prepares to admit the Class of 2017.
I’m almost positive that I am abnormal because I actually enjoyed applying to college. I loved the essays, which encouraged me to write about anything and everything that represented my life, anything that interested and challenged and inspired me. I loved the recommendations, the transcripts, the college presentations in my high school career office, even the college guidebook section at Barnes and Noble. It was a chance to go anywhere and everywhere; I was shopping for the place to spend the next four years of my life. My application was the result of years of hard work, long hours, community service and honor societies that I didn’t care for—my acceptance letter would be the tangible reward for so many years of preparation.
And when it came, it was in the form of an email. After a month of breathless, agonizing waiting, an email popped up in my inbox on the evening of December 1st. “Good things” read the subject line, and in a split second I knew that it had all been worth it, I was going to attend my dream school, I was going to WILLIAM & MARY and that was the end of it. Had I not been accepted, I would have applied to twelve colleges total, and all of them would have been beautiful and exciting in their own way, but none of them would have been William & Mary—home.
So I say to you, high school seniors (my little sister especially): don’t worry. Don’t panic, don’t fear, you will end up where you were supposed to be all along. When your own letters come, whether they are to your first choice schools or not, you too will find your future home. And if that happens to be William & Mary, all the better.
To England!
October 10, 2012 by Skyler Paltell
Those of us in Williamsburg, or basically anywhere in the Mid-Atlantic region, know that the last few days have been rainy, cold, and reminiscent of January. Of course today is lovely, which is perfect just in time for the Dalai Lama’s visit to campus today! But Sunday through Tuesday I basically refused to leave my bed, since I am morally opposed to cold weather. And of course, when one is refusing to leave their bed, they’re generally spending a lot of time on the Internet—which is exactly what I did. For once, though, I wasn’t watching Netflix—I was researching study abroad opportunities.
Study abroad is a topic that I tell all of my tours about, since it is a fantastic opportunity to see the world while you’re still young and on your parents’ bill (sorry Mom and Dad). W&M has programs with 15 partner universities across the world, many of them in Europe, which can provide you with credit hours and tuition that is cheaper or less than W&M’s tuition. I’ve had my eye on England for years now because, as we all know, everything awesome comes out of England–Florence + the Machine, the Olympics, heck even William & Mary was chartered in England. The Romans thought it was cool enough to settle there thousands of years ago, before Germanic tribes decided it was just too beautiful to share.
Part of what draws me to England is its extensive and well-preserved history—the same thing that attracted me to W&M several years ago. And while I love Colonial Williamsburg and all of the history found here, America is a relatively new country, and our 400 years of history cannot compare to the thousands of years of archeological evidence that Britain has amassed. Between the beautiful cathedrals, crumbling castles, awe-inspiring Roman ruins, and famous literature, England is the absolute dream of an English major/Anthropology minor like myself. Not to mention that my parents are pretty excited, since tuition in England is significantly less expensive than W&M out-of-state tuition and they’re essentially getting a $25,000 discount.
I finally nailed down the exact location where I would like to study: the University of Exeter in Exeter, England. It is close to a beach, a few hours from Oxford and London, and quiet—but not too quiet. It’s basically like the Charlottesville of England, except imagine the mountains are a beach. In addition to a thriving arts culture (former art school student, here) Exeter even has a medieval cathedral, which I’m pretty excited about! Better yet, England has an abundance of gluten-free restaurants and foods, so I know I won’t have to worry about food. Basically it looks fantastic and I can’t wait to apply, though I’m still trying to decide between studying in the fall or spring of next year.
The irony, of course, is that England is notoriously cold and rainy. But so worth it!
It’s the Beginning of a Long and Beautiful Semester
September 10, 2012 by Skyler Paltell
Fall semester has just begun and campus is swarming with hundreds of faces, some familiar and some new. The beginning of the semester is always crazy, with add/drop, clubs and classes starting up, and all of the fun free things that happen in college.
My semester so far has been both awesome and insane. I am going through sorority recruitment starting tomorrow, I am involved in AMP (which had a successful kickoff, by the way), I have a new job, I am on the Food Advisory Committee for W&M, and I am joining a new club called Gluten-Freedom. New beginnings are exciting! But also overwhelming, so it is important for me (and you) to schedule in some free time. My free time entails watching Netflix obsessively and hiking on the Matoaka trails, but hey, everyone is different. My roommate is overbooked with 18 credits and five thousand clubs—I don’t know how she does it all!
Anyways, what this post is inevitably leading to is: have fun! Try new things, meet new people, bust out the jeans and the fall boots. Back to school is one of the most exciting times of the year, and we only get to experience it for a few more. I know it is hard watching the last of summer fade, but time flies, and soon it will officially be fall! Or at least, it already is according to Starbucks.