Reflecting on My First Semester at Amherst College — Academics

Hey everyone! 新年あけましておめでとうございます今年もどうぞよろしくお願いします、in Japanese, it means Happy New Year! Looking forward to a great year with you. I’m currently in Japan, spending the New Year with my family, and as we kick off this new year, I’d like to reflect on my first semester at Amherst College through a series of blog posts. The posts…Continue Reading Reflecting on My First Semester at Amherst College — Academics

Staying on Campus during the Winter Closure!

Hi everyone! Consider this one of my final blogs for 2024—though who knows, maybe there’s more to come! Today, I wanted to share a perspective that might differ from what you typically hear from students at Amherst. I won’t dive too deeply into personal details, but I do want to take a moment to highlight…Continue Reading Staying on Campus during the Winter Closure!

Time Management: High School Vs. Amherst

When a few students from the upcoming Class of 2029—fellow QuestBridge matches like me—reached out to me on Instagram asking for advice on time management at Amherst College, I knew exactly what to share. In high school, I thought I had time management all figured out. Classes were predictable, extracurriculars rarely overlapped, and everything fit…Continue Reading Time Management: High School Vs. Amherst

Until We Meet Again

I still remember the first day I met Eva and Weixin––one of the first friends I made at Amherst. We were sitting at the lounge of Bank of America, waiting to open our bank accounts. I learned that Eva is an exchange student from Yonsei University and Weixin is from Japan. That day was kinda…Continue Reading Until We Meet Again

Winter Break in Baltimore and J-Term in Amherst

One thing that’s vastly different about high school versus college is the length of time you get for breaks. It’s typical to get almost all of January off, making winter break about 4-5 weeks long (my freshman year, we had a late start to the second semester due to Covid, so the break was six…Continue Reading Winter Break in Baltimore and J-Term in Amherst

Navigating Travel as an Amherst International Student and an International Journey to Japan

In this blog post, I hope to share a glimpse into my journey as an international student traveling back home for winter break. For many of us at Amherst College, one of the most pressing concerns isn’t just the excitement of the holidays but also the logistics of transit. When I first arrived in the…Continue Reading Navigating Travel as an Amherst International Student and an International Journey to Japan

The Christmas Season

“All I want for Christmas is you~” As Mariah Carey “defrosted,” the Christmas season is finally approaching! Maple Tree Lighting On December 6, my friends and I went downtown to witness the 50-plus-year-old tradition of lighting a living maple tree in the Town Common. There was a market beside selling cute Christmas souvenirs, delicious snacks,…Continue Reading The Christmas Season

The One And Only Val

Do you know that Amherst has only one dining hall, Valentine Hall? More lovingly known as Val by the Amherst community, Valentine Hall is where most students stop for meals. Whenever my friends ask if I’m going to lunch/dinner, I know right away that they are asking whether I will be at Val. After all,…Continue Reading The One And Only Val