my first semester at barnard!

hey everyone, it’s priscilla! this post is a biiit very very overdue (as are 99% of my posts) but better late than never, right? i’ve been wanting to write a blog post reflecting on my experiences in my first semester of college, since this is a very new chapter of my life! there have been lots and lots of changes, both good and bad, and i just wanted to share a bit with you all <3

a very basic intro about me:

• just turned 19!
• born and raised in the bay area (west coast best coast)
• studying psychology at barnard college in new york!
• obsessed with food, kpop, webtoons, etc

quick recap!

• during summer, i was really really looking forward to starting college, and i was super excited to leave the bay area suburbs
• on august 26, i flew to new york to start my new college journey!!
• nsop! exciting and tiring stuff, basically just learning more about barnard/columbia and college life, etc
• started classes! last semester, i took intro to evolutionary/organismal bio (with lab), first year korean, first year writing: women and culture, and cognition
• i loved loved loved my korean class! def my favorite class by farrrrr. my professor is so so sweet, and my classmates were all really cool! we watched so many kpop videos when we had extra time in class, which was really fun hahah
• i grew apart from most of my high school friends :'((( this was definitely the toughest part of my first semester. honestly, i was already growing apart from most of them during my senior year and the summer before we started college, but first semester really cemented that.
• BUT i also made new friends!! i got super super lucky with my roommate – she’s actually the sweetest person ever and i’m so blessed to have her in my life <3 i also met a lot of other cool people! i’m really grateful for the friends i have now :))
• midterms and papers and homework ugh
• i went to therapy for the first time and actually had a pretty positive experience! if you’re a college student dealing with anything at all, i’d definitely recommend looking into your school’s mental health resources, since i think most universities offer free counseling!
• i saw my first snow (since 2004)!! it was very exciting 🙂
• i went to a few concerts! super super fun (but goodbye money)
• i tried out different clubs, including gospel choir – it was really fun while i was in it, but i decided not to continue this semester and focus on other activities instead
• i got super sucked into subtle asian traits/dating oof
• finals (which actually weren’t that bad!)
• ended the semester with karaoke and dinner in koreatown with two of my closest friends!!
• and then i went home for a very long winter break…..

highlights

• bts love yourself tour in newark! i’d been looking forward to this since MAY, so that was super super exciting, and it was amazing seeing them live!
• k-expo! this convention was very organized and chaotic…. but i still got to see one of my favorite groups (ace!!) up close, which was sooooo nice <3 ace, the rose, astro, and myungsoo from infinite all performed, and they were all so talented!
• thanksgiving break with my friend! she visited me from cornell and we just did a bunch of touristy stuff and had lots and lots of good food :))
• saw ace AGAIN for their world tour! this was a really small venue so i got to see them from even closer, and they performed so so well <3

favorite places

• bibble and sip – their cream puffs are amazinggggg, definitely a must-try! i also love their brown sugar tea latte!
• grace street – all the desserts here are so so good (but kinda pricey hahaha)
• food gallery 32 – a nice assortment of korean/asian food that’s relatively affordable!
• riverside park – the best way to get away from the city for a bit and enjoy some nature :))
• vanessa’s dumpling house – suuuper affordable and tasty chinese food! their sesame pancakes are the BEST

a few runner ups: junior’s, sweet moment, absolute bagels, lady m, bar pa tea, van leeuwen – honestly, there’s just way too much good food in new york ahhh

…and some places i still want to visit in the future: taiyaki nyc (!!), original chinatown ice cream factory, morgenstern’s, kith, milk and cream – somewhat inspired by recs from xan (a bit outdated but still relevant!). i have yet to find a boba place that i LOVE, so recommendations are welcome!

as you can tell, i REALLY like food hahaha, especially desserts! follow my foodstagram to see more food adventures! ;))

lessons learned

honestly, i realized that the study habits i have (aka cramming) really….aren’t going to cut it in college. my grades actually turned out okay, but i KNOW i could have done better. i really need to stay on top of deadlines and keep track of all my assignments better this semester. ALSO, i really want to start studying earlier and not just wait until the night before a test. this was a huge huge problem i noticed…… i also realized that i’m not very productive when i work in my room. obviously it’s more comfortable to “work” in my own space, but i really should go to the library more often, especially since we have so many libraries! i also might go out to cafes to do work on the weekends, since i really love finding new cute cafes, and i feel like i’m more productive in cafes anyway!

another thing i learned is that things happen. sometimes there are things that are completely out of your control. or other times, you might be able to control them (somewhat), but things still don’t go the way you want. basically, things happen. and a lot of the time, it sucks. and it might feel like things will never get better. i definitely felt like this when i grew apart from most of my high school friends, and it was really difficult not having the support system i used to have. essentially, things change, and sometimes we can’t do anything about it. but in the end, everything will be okay. seriously. a lot of the time, change can be uncomfortable. but we can’t grow unless things change — also, life would be pretty boring if everything stayed the same all the time! so sometimes, we have to just try to embrace change, even when it’s scary or painful.

the final lesson i’ll share is somewhat related to the previous one: it is okay (and good!!) to ask for help when you need it! be your own best advocate, and take advantage of the resources that are available to you. for example, i was struggling a lot with emotions and mood and all that, and my school offers some free counseling. and again, it can be scary! but if there’s something that you know you need (or want), you should seek it out 🙂

also, therapy really isn’t as scary or weird as it seems. it’s honestly just a place where you can talk freely and not feel judged, which is super nice and helpful! disclaimer: not all counselors are good… unfortunately, there are counselors who might be very judgmental, or try to push their opinions and advice onto you (huge warning sign). don’t settle!!! if there’s anything you don’t like about your counselor, or if you just don’t click with them, find a new one (if possible). in conclusion, please take care of yourself! take time to do things that make you happy, but also make sure you aren’t neglecting your responsibilities (self-care for your future self!). you only have one life and one body, so treat yourself with love and respect! you deserve so much love and goodness, and i wish the best for all of you <3

goals

• keep track of all deadlines!! essays, tests, projects, etc
• don’t wait until the night before to start studying……. p l e a s e
• spend less time on social media (oops) – especially facebook ahhh
• exercise more regularly! i’m taking dance this semester, and it’s a great way to fit in some exercise
• spend less money, or at least be more mindful of how much i’m spending on food, boba, clothes, etc
• be more intentional in my friendships – reach out to friends regularly, try to call more often, meet up when possible!
• meditate every day! i’ve been meditating pretty regularly for the past 1-2 weeks, so i’m pretty happy with that 🙂 (unfortunately this is no longer true)
• be more consistent in seeking God – try to pray and do devotions every day!
• post more blog posts!!! i have a few ideas planned, so i will DEFINITELY DEFINITELY be posting more this year!! (i mean, i can’t really post LESS, oops)

i’m a few weeks about halfway (lol this post kept getting postponed oops) into my spring semester, and my main goal is just to be more on top of school. (i’m totally not behind on readings already….) there are a lot of changes i hope to make, but i know it’s unrealistic to change EVERYTHING, so we’ll just hope for the best haha

quick edit: i wrote these goals about 1-2 months ago and i’ve already failed on most of them HAHA :’))) it’s okay though! there’s still time….. i really want to re-establish a habit of meditating, since i actually really enjoy meditating and i feel like it does help me feel calmer – i just can never keep it up oops

final thoughts

college hasn’t been quite what i was expecting, but i’m still grateful for all the opportunities and experiences i’ve had over the past semester, even though it wasn’t all smooth sailing. i’m excited to see what the next 3.5 years hold, and i can’t wait to continue learning and growing!

thank you all for reading! <3