Hamilton College Admission Journals: Emily Winters

Reflections on a Great Semester/Year

Sun, 19 May 2013 02:28:06 GMT

I’m almost done with my finals, and this being my sixth finals week at Hamilton, I have to reflect and realize all I have to be thankful for here. Finals week is always so stressful for me- I just took a 4 hour, 447-point, 31-page exam for my physiology class (don’t worry, that’s not typical!) and even though it was hard and trying, I learned so much. I can’t get over the fact that even though this was the hardest semester for me, I really feel that it was completely worth it and I am so grateful for all of the interesting, useful information I learned.

Being a junior, it’s the first year that you’re really set into your major and have a better sense of the direction you’re going in life and what you want to get out of college to help you. Sometimes, I feel that people view school as just trying to get by, but I really tried to get all that I could out of my semester (and my year for that matter). I can’t even begin to tell you how much more confident I feel about my academics and my future- I’m learning real skills in my biology classes to help me in a science/medical career. My physiology and genetics classes taught me a lot about standard science techniques and about how humans function. I’ll never think the same way again when I eat, breath, or have a cold. At the same time, my other classes that aren’t science-related are giving me a well-balanced education and helping me foster my creativity, which is a skill that's useful no matter what.

Socially, I’ve really grown my friendships into meaningful, long-lasting relationships. It’s definitely work hard, play hard mentality here. I have so much fun with my friends- we go out for dinner, watch movies, bake, and spend hours talking and enjoying each other’s company. I can’t wait for next year with them.

Speaking of next year, I cannot believe I’m going to be a senior. These past three years have flown by- and I don’t want it to end. I know I still have one more year that I plan to make the best yet, but I’m not ready to leave yet. I love the Hamilton community and the spirit on campus. Everyone is so friendly, encouraging, and willing to give you a helping hand. Even though I don’t want to think about leaving, I know that Hamilton will prepare me and I’ll be ready when the time comes. But, no more thinking about that! I am ready for an excellent summer and final year at Hamilton!

So, as I sign off of my journal, I want to thank you all for reading this past year. I hope you’ve enjoyed a little peak in my life. I know I haven’t always been the best at updating you, and I hope that you don’t think that all I do is study and eat (as I feel most of my journal entries were about)! But, it’s been a pleasure and I hope I can see you on the Hill!

-EW

PS- This journal entry is dedicated to my Mom, Dad, and brother Harrison. I can’t wait to see you guys and have another summer home with you. Thanks for supporting me throughout this year and being my #1 cheerleaders all the time- I couldn’t do this without you!

Preparing for Summer and Picking My Last Fall Classes

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 19:04:18 GMT

How has this time come already!?!? I finally secured an internship for my last summer before I graduate and I just registered for my last fall semester of classes. This feels really strange, but I know that it’s going to be a great summer and semester.

For this summer, I will be working at University of Pennsylvania doing research on Salmonella and Black Plague bacteria. Don’t worry, there’s virtually no risk of contracting the diseases! I applied to a bunch of internship programs over winter break, but I actually got this opportunity on my own. I didn’t want to rely on the programs that I applied to, which are extremely competitive, so I looked up researcher’s profiles and happened to come across Dr. Schifferli, who I will be doing this research with. I sent out a ton of emails with my resume and Dr. Schifferli replied and seemed really enthusiastic about having a student in his lab. I met with him over Spring Break to talk about what he does and officially committed to working with him soon after.

I learned a great lesson from this experience of applying to internships- you need to take matters into your own hands if you really want something. I knew that I wanted to do research on infectious diseases this summer. While the structured programs I applied to are great gateways to research opportunities, it is just as effective to take matters into your own hands and directly contact people whose research you are genuinely interested in. Most people are very receptive to having students contact them expressing interest. Many of the people who emailed were unable to take students, but sent my resume around and helped connect me to other people who were interested.

In terms of classes, this is going to be my first semester in my entire Hamilton career without an official structured lab class. My biology class, Microbial Ecology, is a research-based class that meets once a week for 3 hours instead of the usual 3 50-minute lectures and an additional 3 hours of lab. I am also going to be taking Lighting Design and Ancient Jewish Wisdom. I also will not have classes on Friday’s or until 10:30 or 11 AM every day. I think that this is going to make up for the all of the 8:30 and 9 AM classes that I’ve taken over the past three years.

Although I don’t have a scheduled lab in any of my classes, I will be doing a senior research thesis in Biology, which will require a lot of time in the lab. At Hamilton, most concentrations require seniors to complete a senior project as a graduation requirement. In the Biology department, we do a yearlong research project that culminates with a final presentation of our findings and a report of our experiment and the outcomes. I got my first choice for an advisor, Professor Pfitsch, and my thesis will probably involve studying some combination of invasive plant species and how they affect invertebrates. I’m really excited to get started and perform my first independent research project!

Pancakes for Parkinson’s

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 19:03:13 GMT

This past week, the Pre-Professional Health Careers Club, which I founded last semester with my friend Kelly, held a fundraiser to raise money for Parkinson’s research called Pancakes for Parkinson’s. Overall, it was a success! We hit a few snags along the way, but we raised about 200 dollars in just one evening to donate to the Michael J. Fox Foundation.

Each semester, our club likes to be involved in some type of volunteer event that focuses on a health-related cause. Last semester, we participated in a Breast Cancer walk in Utica and we had a bake sale on campus to raise money. This semester, one of our club members thought it would be a great idea to hold an event on campus that was interactive and would raise awareness for a cause. We decided on Parkinson’s disease research since so many of us know people who are affected by the disease.

We held the event with support from Student Activities as a “breakfast for dinner” fundraiser. Our original plan was to serve breakfast food with a suggested donation, watch a movie starring Michael J. Fox and a shorter documentary about Parkinson’s disease, and hold a raffle for gift certificates to Nola’s Restaurant in Clinton, our campus coffee shop, Café Opus, and a Clinton Pottery mug.

In the weeks leading up to the event, members of our club helped make posters to put up around campus and fliers to advertise the event. Everything was going perfectly until the night of the event. When Bon Appetit, our campus catering service, came to deliver the food, the order somehow got messed up and replaced pancakes with French toast! Also, the TV that we were showing the movies on did not hook up to laptops, so we wound up having to find something on the TV to watch instead. However, we took these snafus in our stride and still pulled off a successful event. Everyone enjoyed the food and was extremely willing to donate and enter the raffle. I’m so happy that our club was able to raise awareness for Parkinson’s disease research and I hope that we can have another popular event next semester!

Spring Break and Internships

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 19:35:11 GMT

Hamilton is pretty much the only school I know that has a two-week spring break, and I’m so thankful! I love Hamilton so much and miss being on the Hill, but it’s nice to get away from the snow and it will (hopefully!) all be melted by the time we get back.

Also, having two weeks off allows us to do so many different things that a one-week vacation does not allow. For example, one of the most popular things to do over break is to go on an Alternative Spring Break trip. ASB trips travel all over the East coast to do community service for a week. Students help build homes with Habitat for Humanity, work with elementary school children, and do community repair in areas devastated by natural disasters. Usually, these trips are scheduled for only one of the weeks of break, so students can still have some time at home to relax.

My spring break has consisted of eating lots of good food, sleeping, and spending time with my family and friends. However, the highlight has been having my dog, Grover, sleep at the foot of my bed every night. I miss him so much at school, and it’s the best to have my furry dog give me kisses to wake me up instead of my alarm clock. It’s been really nice to rest and recharge so I’ll be all ready for the second half of the semester once we get back.

Also over spring break, I’ve been finalizing my plans for a summer internship. I’m hoping to do biomedical research this summer at one of the universities located in Philadelphia. I’ve been emailing and meeting with researchers whose research profiles I'm interested in. I also applied to a few internship programs, but the thing that I have discovered is that you really have to make your own way. Formal programs are awesome, but reaching out and networking is the way to go. So, I’ve taken the initiative and have been contacting people on my own, even if this means taking an unpaid internship. However, Hamilton’s Career Center offers internship funding to help cover the expenses associated with an unpaid internship. It’s a great opportunity to get an internship, and Hamilton will help support you if you need the extra funding to support you in getting career- related experience.

Well, I’m off to hang out with some friends and enjoy my last few days at home. But, I can’t wait to be back up on the Hill and enjoy the spring weather!

Ways to Spice Up the Doldrums of Winter at Hamilton

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 03:24:30 GMT

February is over! At school, February is the endless month of winter since it is the only month during this season that we do not have some time off. And, as you might be aware, it snows a lot here. There’s rarely a day that goes by where snow isn’t in the forecast for at least a part of the day. Since this is my third February at Hamilton, I think I have finally found some ways to cure the winter blues.

1) Try to get off campus and explore the New Hartford/Utica Area. The area around Hamilton has a lot to offer. Contrary to belief, we don't go to school in the middle of nowhere. Yes, there is a lot of open, undeveloped land, but there are also a lot of interesting things around school. In addition to museums and historic sites, there are a lot of great restaurants. Nola’s in downtown Clinton is always a great choice, but I went exploring into the heart of New Hartford (the town adjacent to Clinton) and tried a scrumptious Italian restaurant called Café CaNole. The food was delicious, reasonably priced, and the desserts were to die for. I had a peanut butter flavored cannoli in a chocolate covered shell- yum! The perfect way to pick up the winter blues is to have some sweets.

2) Go exploring in the Glen. At the Glen House, you can rent lots of equipment to go traipsing around campus during the snow, including snowshoes. These are the perfect exploration tools to go into the many Glens on campus and see the beauty of nature during the winter. It might be cold, but if you catch a nice day it will definitely be something to look at!

3) Cuddle up with a book and a hot drink. I have recently forgone most caffeine, including coffee and soda. So, instead I drink tea or hot cocoa whenever I want a hot beverage. Whatever your drink of choice, splurge and get a large size at Café Opus, bring it to your dorm room or a quiet, secluded spot around campus, and enjoy a good book that isn’t academic. I just finished The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson- a definite recommendation! I love taking some time out and relaxing because all of the work and lack of sunshine during the winter can get to you.

And finally 4) Go to things on campus. During February, the school hosts FebFest, where there are events such as a Mr. Hamilton Competition, chocolate tasting, chili cook-off, an acoustic coffeehouse, and fireworks over the football field! Additionally, there are so many lectures and performances around campus that I always forget to go to. However, during winter, I make sure to make time to go to these special events to be entertained by something other than a computer screen. Going to these events always lifts my mood and exposes me to something interesting!

The end of winter is so close, I can almost taste it! Although the snow will soon melt, the winters at Hamilton are quite a special thing of nature that I’m sure I’ll miss once I graduate. But, here’s to spring!!