Monthly Archives: October 2025

The Bittersweet Timeline: Knowing College Is Ending but Life’s Just Starting

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There’s a strange feeling knowing that we’re past halfway through my final semester in college. It feels somewhere between nostalgia and anticipation. I’m surrounded by everything I once dreamed about: the friends who became family, the campus that became a second home, and the routines that I planned in my head for years. It’s bittersweet to come to terms that this chapter is ending. I’ve worked so hard to get to where I currently am, but it’s already time to say goodbye. 

College has been a timeline of milestones: first classes, first jobs, first apartments, spontaneous adventures to Ireland and beyond, and now the timeline stretches forward into the unknown. I think the scariest part of this is how the next milestones aren’t marked on a syllabus or anywhere in my planner. Instead they’re written in real life. A job offer, moving to a new city, new friends. In realizing this, it’s easy to feel like everything is ending. But it’s not truly ending. 

Because the truth is, life after college is full of firsts too. There is so much to experience beyond the bubble of class schedules and late nights in the library. I know I’ll miss the familiarity of campus life, but I’m excited to find the freedom in building something new from scratch. 

I know this transition won’t always be smooth. There will be moments of uncertainty, loneliness, and longing for what used to be. But there will also be moments of joy, growth, and gratitude when I realize that every version of myself along the way has been preparing myself for this.

With these last few weeks, I understand I’m not losing my college years. Instead, I’m carrying them forward, turning lessons into confidence, memories into motivation, and endings into beginnings. 

So here’s to the next chapter. One I get to write entirely on my own. 

How to Read Academic Papers Without Losing Focus

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This semester, I’m taking a Stress & Immunity class for my advanced biology seminar, and we read a new academic paper for almost every class. At first, I thought it would be pretty straightforward: open the paper, read, take notes. But academic papers have a way of making even the most focused reader drift off halfway through the methods section. With so many different acronyms and scientific jargon, it can be easy to get lost and have to read everything again. After a few weeks, I’ve figured out a system that actually helps me stay focused and understand what I’m reading: 

1. Start with the Big Picture

Don’t dive straight into the dense parts. Read the abstract first to get the main question and key findings. Then skip ahead to briefly review the discussion or conclusion to see how it all fits together. Once you know the why and what, the rest of the paper should make a lot more sense when you go back to the details.

2. Have a Purpose Before You Start

Ask yourself what you need from the paper. Are you looking for background info, understanding an experiment, or finding something to cite? Knowing your goal keeps you focused on the relevant sections instead of trying to absorb everything.

3. Highlight Intentionally

I know I’ve been guilty of highlighting entire pages with different colors and then looking back and realized that it just made it harder to determine what’s really important.Try to highlight only what’s essential (ex. the hypothesis, main results, or key terms). 

4. Summarize Each Section in a Sentence

Another great tip for making sure you understand everything is summarizing. After finishing each section, pause and summarize it in your own words. 

5. Read in Small Chunks

Most academic papers are dense enough that you can lose focus after even a couple pages. Breaking your reading into smaller chunks is a great way to try to maintain energy. 

7. End with a Quick Recap

Similar to summarizing by section, writing a short summary of the entire paper can help pull together the intro, methods, and conclusions all in one place.

It’s Feeling Like Fall in the Real-Life Stars Hollow

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As a long time Gilmore Girls fan, I’ve always thought Williamsburg had a touch of Stars Hollow magic, especially in the fall. There’s just something about the charm of brick streets, too many coffee shops within walking distance, and just the small town vibes.

Even though the beginning of October came with summer weather, the shift has finally arrived. The mornings are cooler, the air feels crisp, and the sidewalks are slowly gathering piles of amber and red leaves. Campus feels quieter, cozier somehow, like everyone collectively decided to slow down a little.

There’s something so comforting about this time of year. Walking to class in a sweater for the first time, sipping a warm latte (or chai if you’re like me), and crunching the leaves under your feet. It’s the kind of season that makes you want to spend hours at your favorite cafe, catching up with friends or just people watching like Lorelai and Rory.

Fall always brings this mix of nostalgia and new beginnings. Maybe it’s because it reminds us of change: how natural it is and how beautiful it can be. There’s comfort in that rhythm, in the way the world transforms yet somehow still feels familiar. And maybe that’s why even if we’re not technically in Stars Hollow, it sure feels like we are.

What’s in a W&M Student’s School Bag 

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I always love seeing what’s in my bag posts, so here’s my take on what actually ends up in a W&M student’s school bag! (based on mine and STEP’s followers’ bags!)

  • Laptop + charger: Obviously a laptop is a must in college, and mine comes with me everywhere! It’s always a good idea to bring a charger just in-case too.
  • Folder: I only use one folder to carry any handouts I get from class or assignments I’m turning in. Since I don’t get that many paper assignments I just use one folder for all of my classes. 
  • Legal pads: Ever since a legal pad was the only form of notebook I could find in Ireland, I’ve been hooked on using them to take notes in class. I have two: one for scratch and un-pretty notes and another for nice and clean one-pagers! Like the folder, I use one for all my classes and just label the bottom left corner to know which class the notes are from.  
  • Water Bottle: Hydration is key, especially when it’s over 80 degrees still in October! 
  • Hand Sanitizer: Virology has made me a bit of a germaphobe, so I carry hand sanitizer with me everywhere. 
  • Lipbalm: Really can’t go anywhere without lipbalm. 
  • Headphones: My airpods are also a necessity for listening to music between classes and noise cancelation while studying. 
  • Snack: Sometimes there’s just not enough time to go grab a formal meal, so I always have a snack or two in my bag! My favorites are honey roasted chickpeas or some sort of protein bar. 
  • Tissues: I always find my nose running after walking into a freezing ISC lecture hall coming from a humid exterior. 
  • Bandaid: Just one of those essentials that’s always useful to have on hand! 
  • Hairties / claw clip: When my hair starts to bother me or it gets a little warmer than expected outside, I have something to put it up! 
  • Lots & Lots of books: A clear marker of a typical W&M student!
  • Planner: W&M students are known to be organized, so having a planner is a must!

Why Being Busy Isn’t the Same as Being Productive 

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For the longest time, I equated being busy with being successful. The more I did, the more I felt productive, until I realized I was spending entire days “working” and getting nothing done that actually mattered. Now, I measure my days by impact, not activity. Being less busy made me more intentional. 

  • Being busy means filling your schedule, but being productive means filling it intentionally.
  • I used to say yes to everything: extra projects, assignments accumulating to endless to-do lists, thinking it made me more motivated. But having so much on your plate can quickly lead to burnout. Learning to say no to things and take on less is so important for developing personal and professional boundaries.
  • Productivity really isn’t about doing more; it’s about doing what matters. So often I would find myself scheduling or planning thinking this was an effective use of my time, but I would run out of time to actually complete the tasks I was planning for.
  • Rest is also productive. You can’t create, learn, or focus when you’re burnt out, so taking the time to rest and recharge is equally as important to getting things done. 
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A Week in My Life at W&M

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College weeks can be unpredictable with one day feeling super motivated and productive with another day struggling to get everything done. Here’s a peek into what a real week looks for me through the balance and chaos of classes, work, and training for a half marathon.

  • Monday: School starts up again each Monday starting with virology and biostatistics classes. I’ll learn more about viral entry mechanisms and then do some reading and soak up the sun after class. I have a huge gap between my two classes on Monday, so I use the time to study, get some content done, and work. By this time, Biostat feels pretty late in the day, so I refuel with a strawberry acai lemonade from the ISC cafe. Monday is one of my favorite days for running because of the DoG Street Pub Running Club at 6pm! Given that I’ve finished all of my tasks for the day, I’ll wind down with some reading, crochet, or tv. 
  • Tuesday: Tuesday is my busiest day starting with a long run at 5am, but after 8 miles, I moved my long run to Saturday. I have two back to back classes: stress & immunity and spatial analysis & social justice, so I spend my first hours of the day in ISC. I’ll then get some work done in Swem while waiting for my lab meeting with my research advisor where we’ll discuss next steps on my project (now in the publication phase!). I usually stop at Everbowl for a snack after this long day and then head to the gym for strength training before grabbing dinner at Caf and watching Dancing With The Stars. 
  • Wednesday: Wednesday is pretty similar to Monday schedule-wise, but I have some more meetings and my biostatistics lab before class! Wednesday is also another running and strength day.  
  • Thursday: Thursday is a rest and social day. I usually will grab lunch or dinner with a friend and catch up on any work I need to complete. 
  • Friday: Friday is always fun. I like to clean on Fridays to prepare for the weekend. After my shakeout run, you’ll find me in bed early on Friday to prepare for Saturday!
  • Weekend: Saturday is my long run day ranging from 6-11miles in preparation for the Jamestown Half! I love getting Kung Fu Tea and then studying for a couple hours at Barnes & Nobles. I also like to use the weekend to plan and get ahead on next week’s tasks!