My first few weeks of classes have been eventful but exciting! In all honesty, chronic illness and a busy schedule sometimes butt heads, but all we can do is our best. I am currently in a fascinating class taught entirely in Spanish on environmental justice in Latin America, which has been a really exciting challenge as someone who has only been taught Spanish in a classroom setting. I am learning how to advocate for myself and my needs by not taking on too much, while also engaging to the best of my ability with all of my work. One tip I have is to listen to your body– it is all too easy to spend that extra hour in the library or running around doing a million things when your body is telling you that it needs rest, but those things add up! Take care of your body and mind, and everything else will become easier!
- Caroline Snyder, ‘26
I’ve been enjoying my classes so far! I’m taking two Film Studies courses in order to complete the major, one of which is my first production course. It’s been challenging to learn all of the equipment, but I’ve had a lot of fun with it! I’m also finally fulfilling my language requirement via Hispanic Studies, and taking a course in 3-Dimensional Art. Surprisingly, I’ve found 3D Art to be my most difficult class. I don’t have a lot of experience working with clay, and it’s been very challenging to get into it. I’m still looking forward to seeing what other mediums we will explore during the class, though! I think the most important advice I can offer is to take classes that you’re truly passionate about– it makes the workload much more bearable.
- Katherine Chuliver, 2027
I am loving my classes this semester! My workload has definitely increased since freshman year, but I’m learning to balance it all. I’m taking two classes for each of my majors, Theater and Educational Studies. For theater, my Clowns, Comedy, and Improv class has definitely stood out to me. I was super nervous about taking this class, as I don’t have a lot of experience with comedic acting. However, it’s been a lot of fun and very educational. I’m planning to write an article next week on all the things I’ve learned about clowning, so keep an eye out for that! Another class that stands out to me is my Teaching for Social Justice class. As part of this course, I am completing a community-based learning project, where I have been placed in New London High School as a volunteer. I am getting the opportunity to observe a theater class, which is very exciting because high school theater is what I hope to teach someday. The experience has been insightful so far, and I’m looking forward to learning more.
- Allie Ziegler ‘27
This fall semester, I’m taking six classes. Although this sounds like (and admittedly is) a lot to manage, the fact that I genuinely enjoy my areas of study definitely helps to alleviate the workload. One of my favorite courses this semester is called Writing in the Short Story. This is the second creative writing class that I’ve had the opportunity to take at Conn, and I’ve been absolutely loving it (even if I do get skeptical looks from my STEM friends if I mention that I find the homework for this class to be fun). As a matter of fact, the only non-humanities class I’m taking this semester is Mathematics of Money. Math has never been my strong suit, but the course material has been quite useful so far. One piece of advice I would give to any college student is to make a point of attending office hours, even if you are not struggling in your classes. Talking with professors one on one may seem intimidating at first, but you’ll find that making connections outside of the classroom is super important and will serve you well into the future!
- Tessa Stayton ‘25