If you’ve made it this far, then it’s about the time you should begin preregistering for classes. There’s probably a little knot in your stomach that’s telling you that you have to get into a certain class. That it’s now or never, and there’s no room for mistake or messing up.

There’s your first mistake right there: thinking you can’t make a mistake.

There are plenty and by plenty I mean a TON of college students that entered school thinking they wanted to study one thing (signed up for all appropriate classes, prepared to get the best grades in said classes, etc.), only to find their passions lie in a completely different field.

With that being said, don’t freak out over classes too much. There’s a good chance that the classes you take first semester won’t matter much in terms of declaring your major. Also, shopping week is available so you can always drop a class you realize it wasn’t for you in the first place. So don’t stress out.

Speaking of how demanding college courses and academics can be, let’s talk about something that everyone is going to experience one way or another: Stress.

Stress is that thing that makes you want to shut out the world while simultaneously keeping one foot in the race. It’s something that we as a culture have become conditioned to accept. Life is filled with struggles and terrible problems, we can’t change this. But what can be changed is how we react and handle the issues that we are confronted with.

One thing that I was surprised about upon my arrival to Bryn Mawr was the level of attention that is brought to mental, emotional and physical health. One class in particular that stood out to me was Thrive, a required course during your first semester. Thrive provided an opportunity for myself and my peers to voice our strengths, struggles, and other vulnerabilities; something that I had never experienced before in an academic setting. No, not every session is going to be sweet and warm, sometimes you won’t feel like talking about your feelings or what’s been bothering you, and that’s okay.

It’s okay to not be okay and want to take time to focus on yourself.

Let’s be real: Sometimes, you’ve got to watch that feel-good movie instead of studying for that exam. Sometimes, you’ve got to put your emotional and internal well-being before the stressful demands of the outside world.

What? But how will that affect my future job and career goals? If I’m not studying then I’ll fail my classes, if I fail my classes I’ll get kicked out of school, If I get kicked out of school I’ll become a bum with terrible career prospects that lives at their moms house and takes care of her cats for the rest of their life.

Well, all of those things are possible regardless of whether you flunk out of school or not. Heck, aliens could land on Earth tomorrow, abduct you, thus preventing you from showing up to school and if you don’t come to school, then you fail by default. *shrugs*

Anyway, here are some facts about stress:

• Stress has been scientifically proven to worsen both mental, emotional and physical health if it is experienced too often

• Headaches, heart disease, high blood pressure, heightened depression and anxiety are all common for those experiencing stress on the regular.

• It’s not fun.

Here are some facts about self care:

• Self Care helps you focus your values

• Allows you to take time out of your daily routine to focus on yourself, what matters, and put things into perspective.
• Ironically, the less you worry about the things, the easier it is to deal with them and do your best because your psyche isn’t clouded by anxiety or depression.

• It’s fun and harmless.

Life is filled with problems that naturally put a strain on you, but what matters the most is how you choose to deal with and recover from those issues.

Preregistration and choosing courses might seem intimidating or scary, but when looked at in the right way, it can actually be an exciting process! Many first-years mistake preregistration as a sort of binding contract and think that the classes they end up taking their first semester will end up dictating the entire course of their future academic career. However, as a first-year, signing up for (and taking) classes is really more of a chance to explore the multitude of options available to you and to hopefully learn more about the academic paths that interest you the most. Below are some tips for how to successfully tackle choosing your first courses:

• Keep an open mind. Even if you think you know which discipline you want to major in right now, don’t lock yourself into taking the prerequisites for that major right away; there are paths of study here that you might never have thought would spark your interest.
• Give some novel courses a try, even if you’re not sure you’ll like them. Your first few semesters here are a time for exploration. Take advantage of this time to figure out what really interests you.
• Don’t worry too much about getting your college-wide requirements (CC, SI, IP, ) out of the way in your first few semesters. If you take the time to explore various disciplines throughout your time here, they’ll take care of themselves by the time you’re a senior. It’s a good idea to keep them in mind, but don’t let them completely dictate which courses you end up taking.
• Have some variety in the classes you choose. You’ll have plenty of time to specialize later.
• Don’t overload yourself your first semester. It’s a time of adjustment for everyone, and a heavy course load can make an already challenging (though rewarding) time more stressful than it needs to be. That being said, make sure that you do take one or two courses that you know will challenge you. College is a time for great personal growth, and challenging courses that take you outside of your comfort zone will help you become a better student.
• Choose courses that genuinely interest you. Every discipline is “relevant” in some way, and all will help you to become a better thinker.
• Ask any older students you know about what they know about particular professors or departments. While the courses you choose are important, it’s equally important (if not more so) to consider the professor and the department you’ll be spending a good portion of your time in.
• Talk with your Dean! Your Dean is there to help you navigate through the sea of choices available to you.
• Breathe! You don’t have to have it all figured out right now. Take this time to get to know yourself and the school better.

–Claire Petitt ‘19

Megan Kenny, Assistant Registrar

• What I do: Help students to register for classes through BiONiC, am the liaison for the graduate schools, and assist with graduation.
• Favorite book: My favorite book is Princess by Jean Sasson.  It was absolutely riveting!
• Dream vacation spot: Tahiti
• Favorite dessert: Anything with Nutella
• Best thing about Bryn Mawr: The leadership opportunities!  Students are really encouraged to step up and become comfortable as leaders.
• Best thing about the Registrar’s Office: We maintain the integrity of the College’s academic data (i.e. course info, enrollment data, grades) and are enthusiastic about our roles as data stewards. If a student ever has a question about her record, we are happy to look at it with her.
• BMC club/activity I’d like to join: The Badminton Club.  My family used to play very competitive badminton games at our summer picnics, so I got really good at the game.
• Tip for the first year at BMC: Review your unofficial transcript after every term.  It takes 2 minutes, so why not?
• What I like about working with new students: I enjoy hearing about where they came from and all the things they want to do during their time at Bryn Mawr.
• Favorite thing about my job: Getting to talk with students every day.
• Favorite spot on campus: The row of weeping cherry trees behind Rockefeller Hall.  They look stunning in April when they bloom for just a week.  I always make sure to bring my camera to work and snap a few pics.
• In my free time, I enjoy: Training my greyhound (see photo) in dog agility.
• If I were an animal, I’d be: A bird.  I’d love to have wings and fly.
• Little known fact about me: I once went on a free, brief hot air balloon ride – it was a thank you because the pilot landed in my backyard by accident!
• My secret talent: Flower arranging.  I took an elective class on the topic while in college and have been doing it for fun ever since.
• Nickname: Nix-nootz.  It means “darling little mischief maker” in the Pennsylvania Dutch language.
• On my summer to-do list: Going tubing down the Delaware River.

Kirsten O’Beirne, Registrar

What I do: The Registrar’s Office coordinates all aspects of course planning, registration and grading. I oversee the work we do with faculty and departments to gather course information and grading. We work with students around registration, doing the set-up in BiONiC and answering student questions during registration.  One of the things I do in particular is work with students on transferring credits from other Colleges back to Bryn Mawr.  So if you are ever thinking of taking a summer course, please come to see me!

• Favorite book or movie: I am a big Harry Potter fan (books and movies).
• Dream vacation spot: I’ve never been to the Grand Canyon, and I would love to go there.
• Favorite dessert: chocolate chip cookies
• Best thing about Bryn Mawr: Bryn Mawr’s campus!  It is beautiful!
• Best thing about the Registrar’s Office: I like technology, but I would never want to stare at a screen all day. In the Registrar’s Office we use BiONiC to make things like registration more efficient so that we have time to work directly with student on other things.
• BMC club/activity I’d like to join: The BMC Greens!
• Tip for the first year at BMC: Ask questions!  You will hear about all sorts of things this summer and during Customs Week, but no one expects you to remember everything!  We are happy to answer questions.
• What I like about working with new students: The excitement and enthusiasm that new students bring at the start of the semester is contagious.
• Favorite thing about my job: I love Bryn Mawr! In the Registrar’s Office we work with faculty, students, administrative staff and alums so you can really see the mission of the College in action.
• Favorite spot on campus: My office – really, my office is awesome.  I also love the Taft Garden behind Canaday Library.
• In my free time, I enjoy: Reading, and doing fun stuff with my daughter.
• If I were an animal, I’d be: I’d probably be a cat.
• Little known fact about me: I’ve been to every state on the east coast and the west coast of the US, but only one state in between.
• My secret talent: I’m pretty good at trivia, as long as it isn’t about music.
• Nickname: Kir
• On my summer to-do list is: Vacation, vacation and getting zucchini to grow in my garden – I have checked them all off!

You finished high school. It’s done. You don’t miss her at all (at least I don’t). And you are never, ever getting back together. All those times you bit your nails over getting a good score on your SAT are done. No more waking up at dawn to get to school on time. Remember prom? What about stressing over your exams? Remember when you thought high school was going to be the most important part of your life? You no longer have that desire to be popular or well-liked, as you’ve realized it never mattered in the first place. You are starting a new chapter in life. Be excited. Be nervous. Be ready to do things you’ve never done before. Anticipate making mistakes, because you will. That’s just a part of life.🙂

One of the first steps to college life is actually arriving there, so don’t come empty handed and get ready to make your room as cozy as possible.

I’ve attached the dorm items list. I hope this becomes useful for you all as move-in day approaches. There were a few dorm items lists that went around when I was a first year but I always found myself having to make 2-3 trips to Target to get everything I needed. I believe this is the most cohesive list because it contains items that are essential for comfort as well.

2021 Dorm Items

Before you go, I’m curious: What was high school like for you? Did you like it? Hate it? Spill the tea.