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1. My roommate

At this stage, people refer to us as Veterans. Having gone through customs week and the orientation that was freshman year, we are said to know it all. From being able to direct visitors to buildings on campus, to knowing the meaning behind every tradition, freshman look to us for advice on just how many snacks to bring and what e-sems are most interesting. However, many like myself still feel like we need help navigating the maze that is park and pre-registration. We don’t feel quite ready to tell the people who are only a year younger than we are how to navigate Bryn Mawr.

2. Dining hall food

Most people say that home-cooked food is better than dining hall food. At Bryn Mawr, we have two dining halls with the exceptional choice. I never thought that my dining hall would serve full brunch on the weekends, offer at least 4 pizza options and rotate its cuisine every quarter. One of my favorite cuisine rotations was Japanese. As a sushi lover, I was overjoyed when I found out that they would be offering sushi rolls and Japanese dumplings. Being home, I am happy to have home cooked Indian food, but definitely, miss rolling out of bed on a Saturday or Sunday to walk to brunch.

3. Living in a castle

When I first toured Bryn Mawr, I was surprised at how old the buildings were. Bryn Mawr was one of the oldest schools I visited, but one of the only schools that had such a rich history. When people say their school looks like Hogwarts, I laugh and tell them that Bryn Mawr is basically Hogwarts. No other school has buildings with secret passageways and a Harry Potter dinner every four years. If that doesn’t convince you that Bryn Mawr is Hogwarts, wait until you hear that we have a sociology of Harry Potter class, how cool is that?

4. Late night food runs

College students often stay up late writing papers, working on labs or finishing up readings for the next day. I often found myself hungry around 9 or 10 pm, when all dining halls were closed for the day. Although I was well equipped with snacks in my room, I always appreciated our campus café where I could purchase a Starbucks refresher, Old bay fries and other snacks including sandwiches. I also took advantage of Insomnia cookies, a cookie company that can deliver a variety of cookies to your dorm. Even though I have a stocked pantry at home, I miss having to decide if I should give in to my hunger at 11pm or just call it a day and go to bed.

5. The people

People say that the people make the place, but I think that everyone I met at Bryn Mawr made it feel like home for me. I never thought I would go to a college with such a diverse student body. Each person I met had a different story to tell and their own unique background that shaped them as an individual. I learned a lot about myself just by being a part of such a rich community. I miss both the intellectual and casual conversations I had with people and the fact that I was able to make connections with both under and upper class students.