Hi guys! I’m Amber and currently a 1st year at Occidental College. Oxy is located in Eagle Rock, California; this is a suburban area located right in between Glendale and Pasadena. I’ve been in college for the past month and it has been quite the transition time. I’m currently involved in Dance Production, volunteer work on and off of campus, and I’m writing for the Oxy Student Admissions Blog. From the first day that I moved in and realized that I needed extra extension cords and snacks, to studying in the library for 5 hours, I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here so far.
Unfortunately, I cannot say that I am from anywhere exotic – imagine Hawaii, what a dream! In fact, I grew up in Eagle Rock and have seen Oxy throughout my high school years – it’s right over the hill from my old high school! Never did I see myself coming here, but I know that I made the right choice in doing so. Why? The “first” moments counted in the impression that the college gave me. Attending lectures, having lunch at the ‘Marketplace’ and interacting with the students here a few months ago, made me realized that even though I had initially considered other schools my ‘nirvana’, they were not. The small class sizes, accessibility to professors and help, student involvement and the great community made a big impact in my decision – it was all I wanted in a college. In all aspects, I believe that it can be very difficult to select the ‘right’ school for you – the criteria that that is judged upon is based on the individual. I’m glad to be here.
In the next couple of months, I am going to be here to help with any questions that you readers may have about the ‘Freshmen Experience’ and ‘Pre-College’ questions as well. Those may include any inquiries you have about the application process (essays, recommendation letters, activities, etc.). Any of these comments you can leave below in the comments, or you can e-mail Oxy’s Campus Correspondent at maditsuji@hercampus.com and she will forward them to me.