I can’t believe how fast time flies! It is December already, and finals are approaching quickly. And now here I am, writing an overview of my November. Earlier in the month, course registration for the upcoming spring 2023 semester took place. Throughout my semesters at Oberlin, I have found course registration periods to be good opportunities for me to reflect on the academic progress I have made so far, and what requirements I have yet to fulfill. Course registration used to be much more stressful in previous semesters because I would have to worry about finding a whole bunch of backup courses in case I couldn’t register for the courses I had hoped to register for (because they would be full by the time it came for me to register, or there were time conflicts, etc.). I also had fewer options for courses to take because many higher-level courses have prerequisites. I go into some more detail about course registration in my previous blog post, so feel free to check that out if you are interested in learning more about the whole process (especially as it pertains to double-degree students)!
In November, I also submitted an application for my Winter Term individual project. During the upcoming Winter Term, which will take place in the month of January, I will be doing intensive practicing in preparation for my senior recital, which I am hoping to perform in the spring. My goal is to learn all of my pieces and memorize them, more or less, so I can focus on polishing them and practicing performing in front of audiences once the spring semester starts.
I also hosted/attended four different Friendsgiving gatherings, two of which were potlucks. For the first potluck, I made some dark chocolate cookies. I was a little nervous to attend the gathering at first because I only knew a few of the people there, but I ended up meeting and having cool conversations with several people whom I had never talked to before. For the second potluck, I made a veggie soup and I baked a loaf of bread to go with it. I also made some apple cider for the first time, and it made the kitchen smell really cinnamon-y and cozy. After spending the entirety of my day in the kitchen (no exaggeration!), I shared a lovely dinner with a few of my friends and I can say all that work was worth it!
I also co-hosted a Friendsgiving party with a few of my friends, and that also ended up being very fun. It was nice to be able to connect with a variety of people and catch up with friends. The final gathering was a JSA social where we made dumplings to have for dinner. At one point, everyone was standing around the dinner table, scooping the fillings we had made into dumpling wrappers and then folding them up. It was a little chaotic, but it was a nice bonding experience and when the dumplings were cooked and finally ready to eat, everyone happily dug in! I really enjoy and appreciate the sense of community we have built within JSA, and I am looking forward to what the spring semester holds for us.
All of this socializing was fun but has also left me tired! It has been good to learn how to balance social life and academics, as well as other responsibilities. After all, part of being a college student is learning how to juggle all these different aspects of your life. And speaking of juggling things, for the month of December I am hoping to end the semester on a strong note academics-wise, while also carving out time to spend with friends before everyone leaves campus for winter break. I am excited for finals to be over and to have a break after this eventful semester, and then for Winter Term to start. Thank you for following along, and until next time!
