In my opinion, junior year was by far the most challenging yet. The academic pressure, the strains on friendships, the crunch and reminder of time—everything just seemed a bit more intense than the two previous years, and I hope this was not an omen for next year. As I mentioned in a previous post, I am certain that the final year may just present itself as a circumnavigated route back to the first. Everything from freshmen year—the friends, the nostalgia, the fresh innocence—will reveal itself one last time.

When my freshmen began to move out of Yates I sent them a letter as somewhat of a farewell token, and I hope that each of them take the bits of advice to heart. Some of the letter is below:

And this is the important thing: no matter how troublesome the world around us seems, we have to find time for camaraderie and laughter. College is not just about getting good grades and joining organizations/clubs/fraternities. The relationships you build with those around you are much more lasting than a measly paper or quiz. Do not let the red tape of academia blind or bind you.

College is also about being a mess. It’s about getting the wind kicked out of your lungs, because, as Sarah Kay says, that’s the only way for our lungs to really know how much we enjoy air. So don’t be afraid to make mistakes, to cut your elbows and knees, to stray from the path and forge a trail (Ralph Waldo Emerson).

And let’s realize that shame is not the same as guilt. Shame is the painful feeling caused by the consciousness of wrong and right behavior. Those without shame are those without the capacity for emotion and empathy. I hope that each of you never restrain yourself from your goals and desires; face your fears. Dr. Brene Brown says that, “vulnerability is our most accurate measure of courage.” There is nothing wrong with vulnerability. Yes, it’s uncomfortable and somewhat terrifying to expose ourselves before others or the fears that laugh. But is there nothing more fulfilling with the strengthened heart? Because that’s the only true gem of laughter, friendship, family.

When it was my turn to move out, I was going through all of my folders and drawers and I came across a few photos from my own freshman year. These photos of my then comrades and myself are bittersweet because some friendships have dissolved, some faces blurred, but I am thankful for the moments I shared with each of them. I am also hopeful that, yes, perhaps the final year will expose the first year for the better.

Monday was the first official day of the institute. This began with a very large cup of coffee. I have a lot of respect for people who are naturally morning people, but for me, it’s a bit of a battle to get up at 7 am. Slowly we got ready and started the trek towards the DC office. Tips we learned on the first day of commuting:

1. Single Day passes are not valid until 9:30 am—meaning you can’t use them for your 8 am commute
2. No food or drink is allowed on the metro. Translation to those who clutch their coffee mug to be able to cope with the morning, the coffee is going to have to wait until the office.

The morning was filled with introductions and an overview of the schedule for the summer. Just a quick plug for the DC office, they can be immensely helpful, you just need to reach out to them. Do it! They’re incredibly nice and have connections throughout DC.

Onto the class. My first impression—WOW! Professor Arsenault’s passion for teaching is incredible. Her reputation precedes her as an incredibly challenging professor who is not afraid to call students out for anything. Going into the class I was quite intimidated. In addition, she has more experience working in different institutions in DC than many people three times her age. She is not only engaged in the policy community, but also in helping to teach the next generations, and she does that by pushing students harder than they thought possible. Her class is not for bystanders. Everyone is drawn into the discussion either willingly or forcefully. That might sound terrible, but it is done in the most easy-going way possible. Yeah students may be put on the spot, but it’s about getting them talking and sharing what they think. Everyone has an opinion, they might just need a little encouragement to share it.

The day flew by like a blur. At the beginning, I was intimidated by not only Arsenault, but also the fellow students. Seeing the list of where some students were going to be interning was incredible and reason to be intimidated. I left the class however, still slightly intimidated by my classmates, but mostly inspired by the discussion we had. Everyone was willing to listen and add onto others points, and disagreement was completely acceptable. It seems rare that debates surrounding political decisions are able to stay so calm.

Day 1 Lesson – Don’t be afraid to jump off the edge and into the debate. What you get out of it will be much more rewarding then the fear going into it.

Today I officially began my DC experience, and the first thing I experienced was the traffic. I know DC traffic is bad, but I wasn’t expecting to hit it around 2 in the afternoon. Where is everyone going at 2 in the afternoon? Well, I followed my garmin off the tangled and twisted highways surrounding DC and ended up lost in suburbia. I “arrived at my destination,” in front of a nice single family home. Nothing close to the massive apartment building I was looking for. Turns out I typed in the wrong number in the address, so I ended up at the complete opposite end of the street where I wanted to be. So far, so good right? I reprogrammed the garmin with the ‘right’ address and continued on. I finally found my apartment and proceeded to lug my stuff out of the car. If anyone ever should get an award for overpacking, I think I would be a strong contender. Every time I start packing to go anywhere, I can always justify filling every square inch of space I have. My car was no exception. I think at some point it became a challenge to see how much I could fit in it. Well, challenge accepted and conquered.

After unloading, attempting to unpack and realizing how futile that effort was, focusing on getting some vegetables from the store (you would be so proud mom!), I finally got to sit down to focus on what I was going to be doing this summer, studying national security. This meant doing the reading and journal articles for class the next morning. That’s when I realized how excited I was for the program to start. My homework consisted of a two page article about the how the US goes to war and the current US National Security Strategy, which was roughly 60 pages. This might sound like something you would read to help you fall asleep, but I was siked to read it! Nervous about how my journal’s would be critiqued, but excited nonetheless. Tomorrow classes start and it’s a bit terrifying, surreal, and exciting. I know it will be one of my most challenging experiences, but it could also be one of my most rewarding. I’m also still a little in disbelief that tomorrow I will be studying U.S. national security in our nation’s capital. There’s just something about that that gives me goosebumps.

Day one complete, day two about to begin.

There has been a clock ticking away in my head for the past four years – one that has included mental alarms to many sets of firsts and lasts, checklists and detours that have occurred along the way – all leading to the ultimate goal – not simply graduation, but commencement. And it seems as if that little clock in my head is ticking more loudly these days, with Commencement weekend right around the corner, about to rear its head on the graduating class of 2012.

Don’t get me wrong – I’m beyond excited – excited to see old friends coming back to Williamsburg soon, excited to participate in all of these traditions that I’ve talked about for the past four years, and excited to have my experience at William & Mary as an undergraduate student end in such a positive way. But I can’t help but say that I’m experiencing an extreme case of jealousy. Of envy. Having my own personal battle with the green-eyed monster that was the feature of a favorite children’s book of mine growing up. It started slowly when the newest class of summer interviewers was selected. And was even intensified when I worked the day during Day For Admitted Students – seeing all of these wide-eyed and excited potential students on the very edge of the start of their journey at William & Mary. I am simply jealous. Jealous of the experiences that they will have over the next four years for those prospective students. Jealous of the summer that the newest class of interns is about to have – one filled with love, new experiences, kickball, new relationships, and the deepening of their relationship with William & Mary.

And as much as I am reluctant to admit it – even though I’m jealous, I’m beyond excited for these experiences that these people are on the verge of having. And maybe even a little sad that it’s time for all of these traditions that I’ve spent the past three years of giving tours talking about – the Commencement Walk, Candlelight, brunch at Professor Reed’s house for the Linguistics majors, Last Chance Dance – the list could continue.

Before I continue that list – I’ll stop. Because I could write of my love for William & Mary forever. And I’m excited that I’ll be continuing my blog into next year as a graduate student in the School of Education – just beginning to see how my connection to William & Mary will play out post-Commencement.

But, for now – hark upon the Gale.

xoxo.

Kylee

Happy Finals everyone!

Due to the need to memorize 100 terms, several readings and three essays and a desire to watch a gut-wrenching 3OT loss by the Washington Capitals last night, I finished studying for my History of Christianity final a little later than expected. Also, with the need to review before my 9 a.m. final, I was up a little earlier than I would have liked. I may hate that I slept less than desired, and I may question what I’m doing when my alarm goes off at 6 a.m., but it’s all worth it. I underwent a strange experience this morning. All the stress of finals, my annoyance with the early hour and my grief at the Capital’s loss all instantly went away as soon as I stepped outside my dorm. Yeah, campus is that beautiful. Even more so in the morning. So beautiful in fact, that I felt obligated to share my walk with all of y’all!

My walk casually starts with a stroll down a wooded trail.

I eventually end up admiring the brand new Cohen Career Center and the Sadler Center.

I walk from one end of the Sunken Gardens...

...to the other.

I take a moment to admire the oldest (in-use) academic building in the country.

And finally my walk ends, as all good walks should, at Wawa food mart for a breakfast sandwich and a cup of coffee.

Alma Mater Hail!

-Danny

Ah, finals week. I suppose it’s counter-intuitive to be posting now of all times, but it makes sense to me for a couple of reasons:

1. Why study when you can write about fun stuff?
2. I’m about to begin work on a 5-page paper. Whereas “7” in a Biblical context is considered to be the best number ever (thanks, Christian Origins) “5” has become the number I love to hate, as an English major. Professors throw around five page paper assignments like a scantily clad, feathered woman with heavy eye makeup throws beads on Mardi Gras. Well, where I’m getting at with #2, is that writing this post will get my creative juices flowing, right? Either that or have me on Google images looking at Mardi Gras floats in the form of an androgynous Poseidon.

But either way, for a new blogger, I shamefully haven’t written since my first post over a month ago, and I figure this is as good a time as ever to get my impassioned readership (hey there, Carl) up to speed with my William and Mary life. I’m often hesitant to commit myself to a long narrative in writing for the sake of my absentee attention span, and my tendency to ramble about nothing that is relevant (see, majority of above paragraph). So here is where I transition to a list of transition-less random snippets that highlight the highs and lows of my past month.

• I walked into my Contemporary Literature class last Wednesday about 23 seconds late, and on the projector was a black and white, silent clip playing of a woman taking a shower in super slow motion. I was thoroughly confused for a full minute until I remembered this movie, 24-hour Psycho, was referenced in the novel we were presently studying – Point Omega by Don DeLillo. But anyways, lesson learned: never be late to class, unless you want to be thoroughly confused. Or … just retain the reading you did the night before.
• This past Friday was the last day of classes, equivalent to Christmas in April here at the College. AMP always hosts a really great celebration for most of the afternoon on the Sunken Garden, this year consisting of multiple bouncy structures, a live band, a rock wall, free food, a smoothie bar, and soft grass. A good time was had by all, and I discovered I look good in straw fedoras! Win-win.
• So now that I’m officially inducted into Phi Sigma Pi, the co-ed honors fraternity here on campus, my life has been mostly sunshine and rainbows. Seriously, one of the best decisions I’ve made in my time at this school was rushing PSP. I told my Dad on the phone during the fact, and he reacts: “fraternity?!” I think he was thinking I was some Greek life trailblazer, forging new paths of women being admitted into frats, and perhaps imagining me on the roof of a house in a neon tank top drinking a Natty and flicking roof chips at innocent bystander squirrels. But no, no, Father. This connotation is not one to be upheld by either PSP, or most people and organizations at W&M, really. My freshman year I met a blonde cheerleader who earned a 5 in BC Calc in high school, and at the time loved reading her Comp Sci textbook as much as People magazine. One of my best friends plays the guitar and obsesses over baseball as much as the next bro, but can narrate the entire rise and fall of the Roman empire with his eyes closed. (I guess you don’t really need your eyes to do that, but you know what I’m trying to say.) So, PSP is a fraternity, yes. But I assure you, we don’t call ourselves a “nerd frat” for nothing. And just a general word about stereotypes in the context of William and Mary – I’ve found that they only exist to be broken.
• Finally, I found a Twitter account attributed to President Reveley a bit ago, and I grew excited to have the opportunity to solidify my commitment to Reveley’s army (via Twitter following), but then I was disappointed to find out it was a fake account, but then I was happy again because it’s actually pretty funny. It was an emotional five minutes.
• And speaking of five…

I think this is the scariest time of the year.

Finals week begins today and while I should be busy hiding in the corners of Swem or Tyler hall, I can’t help but looking back on the year and trying to tie all the remaining knots. As I mentioned in my last post, a lot of my friends are graduating in about two weeks, and while I am happy for their futures and the new pages they will write, I am only starkly reminded that time isn’t as vast as I thought. I’ll be a senior in August and that frightens me the most.

In a recent conversation with my pal who is abroad, I told him that I really think senior year is going to be nothing more than a cataclysmic recycle of freshmen year. I think of the ouroboros—the ancient symbol depicting the snake (or dragon) eating its tail—and imagine how we, like the snake, will have to devour all of the memories and mistakes from the years in order to survive. I can only imagine how the seniors are dealing with the end of their own tales now.

I feel as though this summer is the last chance I have to relax, explore, breathe. But there is all of this expectation to intern, get real world experience, touch the paint before I splatter myself. As much as I want to travel to New York and intern with a magazine, I am anxious to leave. I find myself tenaciously trying to find an excuse to stay. The other day while I was running past Adair, I caught a whiff of sunscreen I was immediately hit with a montage of memories and emotions, and images of the beach, of friends, of golden dusk—all of which have filled my summers. All of which I will miss.

My tentative plans involve staying for the first session of summer classes and then going up to New York for an internship. But financial aid has yet to send out any reward letters and I haven’t secured a place to stay in NY yet, so I’m constantly on nerve. We shall see.

So, I don’t know my summer plans; I’m not excited for senior year.

But I do miss my friends; I am still scared; and I am going to hide for finals.

It’s hard to believe that we’ve already arrived at the last week of classes. It’s wild that Last Day of Classes (LDOC) is this week, seniors that I’ve known since Convocation are graduating next month, and I’m a little more than a month away from starting my summer internship in DC.

But there’s one more thing that is quickly approaching. One thing I know I’m not particularly wild about – finals.

In light of that scary truth, I thought I’d write up a “Survivor’s Guide to Finals.” For those of you who, like me, are going to be stressing a lot these next two weeks, here are my top six tips:

#1: Plan Ahead and Make a Schedule. Are your finals spaced out? Are they close together? As you’re waking up this Saturday and recovering from the craziness of LDOC, make it a tradition to layout the next week and a half. Mark days that you have finals, days that you need to study, and days when you can relax (extremely important). By knowing your schedule, you can avoid the last-minute panic and the adrenaline-induced-stress-studying, while also making more time to unwind and enjoy the company of your friends before summer break!

#2: Check Your Syllabus and See the Final Exam’s Weight: Does your final exam count for %20 percent of your final grade in that class, or 80%? This is very important for managing your time. If you’ve got two finals the next day and you haven’t studied much for either (which won’t happen if you stick to Tip #1), then it’s definitely better to focus slightly more on the exam worth 80% than the one worth 20%. But if you don’t check ahead of the time, you won’t know!

#3: Drink Lots of Water: I know it’s tempting to go straight for those coffees, but you’ll start to get dehydrated from the excess caffeine (not to mention fidgety, anxious, and easily agitated). Go for water instead; you’ll be able to study better, and your body will thank you! If you don’t want to spend money on water, that’s fine – hit up Wawa for some FREE water!

#4: Maintain a Normal Eating Schedule: During finals week it’s very important not to skip meals, but stress induced binge eating isn’t the best for you either. So integrate regular breaks during breakfast, lunch, and dinner into your study schedule. Better yet, organize with friends and get some food together! Not only will this give you a chance to step away from your studies and de-stress for an hour, but it will allow you to spend some time with friends that you won’t be able to see during break!

#5: Get Sleep: Yeah, yeah, yeah. We’ve all heard it before. If we sleep more, we’ll do better in class. But it’s college, right? Between classes, sports, friends, extracurriculars, and “me” time, who actually gets enough sleep? This may be the case during the rest of the semester, but finals week is a different animal. When you’re struggling to memorize facts and you’re trying to cram a semester’s worth of learning into a few days, remember that studies have shown that sleep deprivation is linked directly to a sharp decrease in recallable short term memory (as well as higher cognitive thinking ability in general). Studying more at the expense of sleep isn’t always a good plan if you forget the material anyways when you’re taking your final. So next week when you’re struggling to remember what was on the back of a flashcard even though you’ve seen it seven times, remind yourself that you’re much better off if you call it a night and get some sleep!

#6: Take a Deep Breath, and Relax: There’s a reason finals are at the end of the semester. And there’s a reason why, if you think about it, they’re your easiest tests – you’ve already been “studying” for them for months. If you think about it, you already know all the material. And yet, I bet most people don’t even realize it.

Before you start to study for your finals – and definitely before you start the finals themselves – do yourself a favor and take a deep breath. Remind yourself that you’ve already gotten this far, and that you’ve already learned everything that’s going to be on the test. Promise yourself that you’ll stick to whatever schedule you’ve got; that you’ll make sure to eat and drink and rest; and most importantly, that you’ll make time for friends and yourself. Remind yourself that there’s no test that’s too intimidating or difficult for you. After all, you did get into William and Mary.

And hey, if that doesn’t work, just think – summer’s right around the corner!

Good luck, Tribe!
Zack Brown

May 1^st is a big day. For current W&M students, it means the start of two hectic weeks of finals and one more semester is coming to a close. It means stress and late nights and catching up with friends before we all head our separate ways for the summer. But for some, May marks the end of their last semester as undergraduates at the College. In just two short weeks, the members of the 2012 senior class will walk back through the Wren Building to symbolize the conclusion of their time at William and Mary. It’s a time of sadness, but more importantly it is a time of celebration. With each year, the members of the Class of 2012 have left their mark on this campus. In turn, they have been forever touched by the community found here.  They will venture into the world strengthened by the education and unending support that accompanies being a member of the Tribe. And there is no doubt that their presence will be missed on this campus.

May 1^st also marks a beginning.  May 1^st marks the deadline for college decisions and they day we finally solidify the incoming Class of 2016.

For some incoming students, May 1^st is a relatively unimportant date. Early decision students have know as far back as December, and other deposits have come in consistently since letters went out in late March. But for many, the decision hasn’t been quite so easy. For those students, the last month has meant long talks with guidance counselors, teachers, parents and friends searching for advice and visiting campus after campus trying to find a place that clicked. Meanwhile, the May 1^st deadline crept closer and closer.

And now, the wait is almost over. For those students who choose to attend other institutions, I wish you the best of luck. I hope you have found the right home for you, and that you fully embrace the next four years of your college experience. I also hope that you will look back fondly on your experience with William and Mary. Although this wasn’t the place for you, I hope that you enjoyed exploring the campus getting to know the Tribe.

For those who have chosen to join the Class of 2016 – I cannot express how proud and excited I am to welcome you to William and Mary. Those of you I have had the privilege to meet are so incredibly talented, enthusiastic and passionate about this school. I cannot wait to see what you will bring to this campus, and I have no doubt that it will be extraordinary. As you enter the semester in the fall, I know you will shape this campus community into an even better place than before. But also realize that this place will shape you. The people you will meet here will challenge and inspire you beyond anything you could imagine.

So as I watch the seniors say goodbye to this campus in a few short weeks, I will undoubtedly be sad. Not only will I greatly miss their presence on this campus, but their departure also marks the halfway point in my own college experience. But that moment of sadness will be accompanied with great excitement—I’m excited for the new group of fantastic students that will soon be starting here at William and Mary. For as the college experience of the Class of 2012 is ending, the experience of the Class of 2016 is just beginnin

May 1^st is a big day. For current W&M students, it means the start of two hectic weeks of finals and one more semester is coming to a close. It means stress and late nights and catching up with friends before we all head our separate ways for the summer. But for some, May marks the end of their last semester as undergraduates at the College. In just two short weeks, the members of the 2012 senior class will walk back through the Wren Building to symbolize the conclusion of their time at William and Mary. It’s a time of sadness, but more importantly it is a time of celebration. With each year, the members of the Class of 2012 have left their mark on this campus. In turn, they have been forever touched by the community found here.  They will venture into the world strengthened by the education and unending support that accompanies being a member of the Tribe. And there is no doubt that their presence will be missed on this campus.

May 1^st also marks a beginning.  May 1^st marks the deadline for college decisions and they day we finally solidify the incoming Class of 2016.

For some incoming students, May 1^st is a relatively unimportant date. Early decision students have know as far back as December, and other deposits have come in consistently since letters went out in late March. But for many, the decision hasn’t been quite so easy. For those students, the last month has meant long talks with guidance counselors, teachers, parents and friends searching for advice and visiting campus after campus trying to find a place that clicked. Meanwhile, the May 1^st deadline crept closer and closer.

And now, the wait is almost over. For those students who choose to attend other institutions, I wish you the best of luck. I hope you have found the right home for you, and that you fully embrace the next four years of your college experience. I also hope that you will look back fondly on your experience with William and Mary. Although this wasn’t the place for you, I hope that you enjoyed exploring the campus getting to know the Tribe.

For those who have chosen to join the Class of 2016 – I cannot express how proud and excited I am to welcome you to William and Mary. Those of you I have had the privilege to meet are so incredibly talented, enthusiastic and passionate about this school. I cannot wait to see what you will bring to this campus, and I have no doubt that it will be extraordinary. As you enter the semester in the fall, I know you will shape this campus community into an even better place than before. But also realize that this place will shape you. The people you will meet here will challenge and inspire you beyond anything you could imagine.

So as I watch the seniors say goodbye to this campus in a few short weeks, I will undoubtedly be sad. Not only will I greatly miss their presence on this campus, but their departure also marks the halfway point in my own college experience. But that moment of sadness will be accompanied with great excitement—I’m excited for the new group of fantastic students that will soon be starting here at William and Mary. For as the college experience of the Class of 2012 is ending, the experience of the Class of 2016 is just beginning.

-Erin