Finals Recap

While it felt impossible at the time, I did finish my fall finals and live to blog about it! Luckily all of my essays were about topics I was genuinely invested in, but even so the tasks at hand felt daunting at times. As a first-year I couldn’t even fathom writing 40+ pages during a finals period, but I’m grateful to Athena for slowly but surely guiding me up to this point. No matter how many hours I spend in my carrel, there’s something rewarding about holding that huge stack of papers in your hands.

Everyone has their own studying style, but I think it took me until sophomore year to really fall into mine. I went to a rural public high school in Maine where strenuous studying wasn’t a regular part of my routine. Bryn Mawr has pushed me (in a good way!) to not rest on my laurels and really challenge myself in a way that feels productive and engaging. Perhaps one of the greatest things about a small liberal arts college is that no matter your academic background, there are resources in place to help you succeed and reach your potential. I’ve grown so much as a student and I attribute much of my success to Bryn Mawr.

But that’s not to say I didn’t manage to fit in some fun, too! No matter how hectic everyone’s schedules seem to get, my beloved Radnor always finds time to take our annual holiday photo.Though a relatively new tradition, I think it definitely has staying power and is a welcomed break to studying!

Wintry sunsets from my dorm window

Wintry sunsets from my dorm window

More photos below!

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Radnor Film Institute

While senior year is often marked by the love/hate relationship with one’s thesis, I’ve been making every effort to find outlets for non-academic fun. This fall I’ve created the Radnor Film Institute, a bi-weekly screening in my dorm’s common room. Our inaugural event featured Wet Hot American Summer and last week we had an Amy Heckerling double feature with Loser and Clueless. During my first year there was a senior film studies major in the dorm who was writing her thesis on 90s teen films. She would often have impromptu screenings of classics likeĀ Drive Me Crazy andĀ 10 Things I Hate About You. It was an informal tradition I really cherished and am so excited to bring back this year.

It’s a fun time to decompress after classes and reconnect with my fellow residents. Many of us have made a point to live together for all four years. We’re all very different in our backgrounds and interests, but I love having this community of sisters that have been with me since my first week at Bryn Mawr.

Our mission statement echos this sentiment –
The Radnor Film Institute is non-profit organization devoted to fostering community and collective organizing. Films will be screened on a bi-weekly basis on the Radnor premises and are open to all residents. The series is curated by preeminent scholars in their field.

screening setup

screening setup

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