Tag Archives: Bryn Mawr

It’s That Time of Year!

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At Bryn Mawr we have a system of “Self Scheduled Exams.” During exam week, students can choose when to take their exam. There are usually three time blocks per day and several designated rooms open. When we are ready, we then pick up the exam we wish to take from the Registrar’s Office and bring it back after three hours. *

Sample Exam Schedule

I have always admired this policy because (a.) Bryn Mawr trusts its students to abide by the honor code and we do not betray that trust. (b.) We can take the exam whenever we wish. If you want to leave early for break, take the exam on the first day. If you are a procrastinator, you can leave it until the last day! (c.) It is up to you the student to structure the exam week that will work best for you.

During exam week some tips would be :

Take Study Breaks. Whether that means a walk in the woods, or a cup of tea or an espresso and a venting session with a friend. Save time for yourself.

Remember to sleep. My sleeping patterns always falter in the weeks leading up to exams. Can’t get to bed early? Take a 20 minute nap in the middle of the day. You will feel refreshed.

Make study groups with your classmates. It helps to compare notes with friends, especially if a concept was particularly challenging.

Make an offering to Athena. It may give you that extra boost of divine wisdom needed to conquer your exams. Athena watches over College Hall and she is always surrounded by various offerings ranging from garlands to handwritten notes. Naturally exam season is when the offerings multiply at her feet.

Here are some other tips from BMC students!

 

Lizzie Siegle: I drink tea and coffee, try to form study groups, make a fun study playlist (instrumental Disney music! Also Christmas music!), and take study breaks by dancing to upbeat Disney songs. I also go over my notes, meet with professors and TAs, and make lists highlighting what I want to accomplish and when.

Tiffany Wang: I prepare for finals by usually setting up a study plan a week beforehand and then trying my best to actually follow the plan. I also stock up on snacks and prepare to never leave my room!

Paola Salas: I like to make a really pretty and motivating Done-Is-Good list early on! It helps me have the right mindset and the artsy-ness of it makes it entertaining. It’s all about balance!

*Most but not all exams are self-scheduled. Generally beginning language exams have a set date. Furthermore, in some classes you may have a paper or final presentation in place of an exam.

Q: What are your tips for exam week?

Study Break Strolls  

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Vermont

Last week was Bryn Mawr’s Fall Break. I returned to Western Massachusetts to spend time with my family and friends. One of the reasons I chose Bryn Mawr was its location, a bustling suburb town outside of Philadelphia. However, the mountains of the Berkshires and Southern Vermont remain a special place for me.

Apple trees in Vermont

Rosemont Park in the Spring

The walks in the woods reminded me of how enticing the trails around Bryn Mawr are. With a steady stream of homework, one of the ways I deal with stress is to take frequent walks. Refreshed after a walk, I can better tackle my homework.

Here are some of my favorites walks around campus:

Rosemont Park – If you only have five minutes, make time for the short stroll to this sunlit park in the late afternoon; ideal for reading or studying. From the far side of campus facing Brecon, turn left and walk along North Roberts Road until it meets Wyndon Ave., which will lead you to the park.

Haverford Nature Trail

The Haverford Nature Trail – Step off the blue bus and onto the Nature Trail. Especially majestic during the Fall when colorful leaves carpet the trail. However, the springtime brings goslings to the pond!

Green Engine Coffee Co.

 

Montgomery Ave to Haverford or to Ardmore – Make at least 30 minutes to 45 minutes for this walk. Montgomery Ave is more scenic than Lancaster Ave and will bring you to Suburban Square (and Trader Joe’s!) Need a walk and caffeine? Cross under the train tracks at the intersection between Haverford Station Road and Montgomery Ave. and arrive at Green Engine Coffee Co. where you can bring your books and settle in with the perfect latte.

 

 

Path to Haverford

Have a class at Haverford? Take a short cut. Walk along Lancaster Ave. past the Bryn Mawr Bakeshop until you find Old Buck Road on your right. This leads into Panmure Road which intersects with Buck Lane. Turn right and walk for a few yards on Buck Lane until you spot a little path across the street. The path is nestled between Walnut Ln and Panmure Road. There is no sign so it’s easy to miss. This path will take you to the entrance of Haverford College.

 

Happy Trails!

Haverford Nature Trail

Study Abroad Checklist

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Avignon/ H. Novak

Study Abroad is one of the most exciting aspects of the college experience. Of the students who study abroad, the majority choose to study Fall semester of their Junior year. However, much of the planning for study abroad takes place Sophomore year. But first-years, it’s never too early! Here are some of my tips for preparing to study abroad:

Map at the Study Abroad Resource Library in Guild/ N. Pacheco

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Top 8 Study Spots at Bryn Mawr College

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One of the mysteries of Bryn Mawr is the seemingly endless amount of study spots that present themselves just when you need them. I like to think of them as Bryn Mawr’s equivalent to the “Room of Requirement.” I’m sure every Mawrter has their own special study spot: the nook by the window in Rockefeller; the bench under the willow tree across from College Hall; or the perfect sunny bench or cloister that always makes for a productive studying experience. Here are my 8 favorite study spots on campus:

Photos by Nattalya Pacheco ’18

  1. Tables outside Campus Center — Settle in with your laptop and a coffee from Uncommon Grounds.
  2. Senior Row — Bring a book and sit in a patch of sun under a tree or enjoy the hammocks nearby, but make sure not to walk down Senior Row without looping around a tree once or you might not graduate! Beautiful in any season, but ideal in warm weather.
  3. Carpenter Beach — A grassy spot within view of Rockefeller’s turret, perfect for picnicking, tanning and studying. Across from my favorite library: Carpenter.
  4. The walkway between Pembroke West and College Hall — Glorious during the golden hour, just as the sun is setting.
  5. The Cloisters — Accompanied by the pleasant gurgle of the fountain, a view of the stained glass windows and turrets of College Hall, you will feel like a Hogwarts student.
  6. The Statue of Athena in College Hall — Take your homework and become inspired in the presence of Athena. Remember an offering…if you’re lucky, your prayers may be answered!
  7. The London Room — A cozy room down a little corridor in College Hall with the most elegant windows and filled with books about England. Difficult to find which makes it all the more intriguing.
  8. Rockefeller Common Room — Common rooms are lovely, they provide a change of perspective (and a piano!) without the need to leave your dorm. My favorite aspect: perched on the newels of the stairs are dignified carved owls.

What are your favorite spots to study on campus?

Plenary 2017

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Twice a year, once in the fall and again in the spring, the Bryn Mawr student body gathers in Goodhart Hall for Plenary, where together we make and pass resolutions. Anyone can make a resolution, and in the weeks leading up to Plenary, the resolutions are presented before the Self Government Association. Each resolution must be accepted by one-sixth of the student body for it to be presented at Plenary. The student vote at Plenary will ultimately determine whether a resolution will pass.

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French Mutations Film Festival

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“Avril et le Monde Truqué Image.” Http://Alliancefrancaise.org.sg, Alliance Francaise , July 2016, alliancefrancaise.org.sg/event/avril-et-le-monde-truque/.

Have the French Mutations Film Festival signs caught your attention? Were you intrigued by the selection of films? Because there is never a shortage of student activities (both on campus and off), sometimes the choices can be overwhelming. There is even a daily newsletter compiled and sent out by the Bryn Mawr College Communications team. Should I go to the lecture depicting the travels of Europeans in China during the 17th century? Should I go to the 7 p.m. showing of Avril et le Monde Truqué put on by the French Department? Perhaps I should just stay in my room and finish that paper which is due tomorrow. As much as I am often the person scrambling to finish work on time, I would still defend attending activities that pique my interest.

“French Mutations Film Festival Poster.” Bryn Mawr, Departments of French and Francophone Studies at Bryn Mawr College and Haverford College, www.brynmawr.edu/french/activities/french-mutations-film-festival.

Thursday night I joined several other students for Avril et Le Monde Truqué (April and the Extraordinary World.) I knew nothing about the film other than the fact Marion Cotillard plays the voice of the main character. Two hours later, I was a Jacques Tardi fan. Tardi, a French graphic novelist, is the creator of this fascinating reimagining of Paris had the Franco-Prussian war never taken place. (In this alternate reality, there are two Eiffel towers, and scientists mysteriously are disappearing from the world!)

Guest Speaker André Benhaïm/ H. Novak

This film and six others have been carefully selected by the Bryn Mawr and Haverford French Departments for their French Mutations Film Festival. Furthermore, after each showing, the departments have invited guest speakers, (specialists in the movies or topics the movies cover,) to answer questions based on our reactions and interpretations to each film.

*All the films are shown with English subtitles. The discussions following each film are conducted in English. Anyone is more than welcome to attend!

Check out this complete list and summary of each of the films!

 

Springtime at Bryn Mawr and snapshots of our campus in all its glory

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Bryn Mawr holds at least two Accepted Students Days in April. Congratulations to Mawrtyrs Class of 2021! We are so happy and cannot wait to welcome you! I still remember my excitement, receiving my acceptance package complete with an owl mask. It is hard to believe I will finish my sophomore year in two weeks. One of my friends from high school was accepted at Bryn Mawr. Another was accepted at UPenn. They were eager to see the campus. At the time, the trees had just started to bloom, and there were little patches of white crocuses popping up on the lawn.

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Hell Week at the Mawr

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Hell Week* at the Mawr

And Hell Week begins…/ H. Novak

Last week, Bryn Mawrtyrs celebrated the school’s (arguably) most precious tradition. That Tuesday, one of my friends from Swarthmore asked me what exactly was Hell Week. I’m not sure my answer was adequate, because explaining Hell Week is difficult. It is so many wonderful things all bundled together—laughing with friends, dancing in front of professors, running across campus late at night on scavenger hunts, waking up early for the duck pond run, listening to bedtime stories read by the seniors . . . and the list goes on.

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