At Bryn Mawr, one of the first “traditions” is Customs Week, which is basically a special five-day orientation. Most universities have orientations stagnated throughout the summer but Bryn Mawr brings all of its first-years to campus before anyone else so that they have time to unpack, get to know the campus and meet new people.

The first major event at Customs Week is the Traditions Assembly, where we received mugs in our class color from the alumnae association and learned the Bryn Mawr cheer, the Anassa Kata. We also picked our class song and parody song, which was Breaking Free from High School Musical (not too thrilled about that) and All Star by Smash Mouth.

The rest of the week has been a blur, with meeting with deans and advisers to informational seminars (which I actually mostly skipped) and schedule conflicts. My transition to dorm living has been smooth, thanks to my wonderful and caring roommates. I have also had the opportunity to meet so many interesting and kind people on my dorm floor that probably would not have been possible if not for Customs Week. Because of the welcoming environment that I have been in, I am truly excited to start classes and join clubs so that I can meet even more amazing people and experience college in a nurturing and female-focused environment.