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College Firsts (thanks to CdeP)

by Bel :: Sunday November 20, 2005

Where do I begin? There is so much to say and yet it feels as if my first day on campus was only yesterday. Well, I suppose I can begin by saying that my first two months as a Stanford student have become a memorable collection of firsts. Firsts that include my first college paper, my first college midterm, my first college lecture, and, of course, my first “bearial” (An interesting event involving the mascot – stuffed version – of Berkeley, our friendly rival school). Yet, for every “Stanford-first” I encounter, there is what I can only call a “Thacher-first” with a Stanford twist waiting to emerge.

In my Introduction to the Humanities class, for instance, I have been afforded the opportunity to return to texts that I have already studied. Two notable examples include Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Henry David Thoreau’s Walden. Fortunately, the experience of having already read these books and others like them with the rigor that becomes commonplace in the Thacher classroom has allowed me to make an effortless transition to the next level of analyzing and independent study which lecture-based courses require.

Then, of course, there are the essays. In hindsight, I am happy for the vast amount of essay-writing experience I was able to accumulate while at Thacher. Otherwise, the experience of writing my first college paper might not have been so enjoyable. My multi-variable calculus and computer science classes have similarly brought me to the same realization – college-level study begins where high-school-level study ended. Without the preparation I had at Thacher, I am certain that I would not be able to arrive at the new starting line in so efficient, complete and prepared a fashion.

In addition to my time at Stanford, I have also continued working for Google. On a daily basis, I try to make the most of this unique experience by taking all that I learn in the classroom and applying it to my projects at Google. I can only say that such a setup is extremely rewarding. So, that is all for now! It is off to Thanksgiving break for me.

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