Christy Qiu

These small moments have contributed to a great feeling that my professors are not intimidating authoritative figures, but rather mentors who reassure that there is a bright future ahead.

College is an investment in yourself — one that should be managed carefully in order to see prosperous returns.

 The process of reflecting was valuable in that it was a cognizant deliberation and analysis of my mentality and actions. It helped me break out of habit and identity my faults, my ways of responding to situations, and the methods I can take to improve my lifestyle. It also helped raise self-acceptance as I pinpointed victories that I’ve achieved through hard work and compassion.

I’ll be the first to admit it: even with all its nuances, I love Penn, and I am so glad I chose to come here.

The college admissions process might always have broken aspects, but one doable reform is to make time for fact-checking. 

Students often complain, and rightly so, because Penn, indeed, has a long way to go in improving their housing situation. But, we must be aware that in comparison to many other colleges, Penn’s housing services are well above average. 

At Penn, a version of love, far from my own, seems to be the center of attention.

Whether you are Asian, Hispanic, African American, or any other race, make Penn a new site for sharing stories about your culture and celebrating your family’s heritage.

What we need to fight for is transparency. While Penn doesn’t even have a rubric for interpreting admissions files, other schools have clear guidelines along with original comments attached to their files. 

Juuling is not cool. It’s not something to brag about on social media. It’s certainly not something to encourage other fellow students, friends, or family members to try.