My First 2 Quarters on the Farm

2 down, 1 to go (and then 9 more)! I have officially finished my second quarter at Stanford, so I figured it was time for a review.

Quarter 1: 8/10

Classes: 8/10 -- In the fall, I took Spanish, Rhetoric of Sports, and Introduction to Communication. First of all, I must say that I LOVE THE QUARTER SYSTEM. Taking 3-4 classes at a time makes for light class days and an emphasis on assignments, which works well for my style of learning. I was surprised to be able to take classes that interest me so early in my academic career here, and I truly enjoyed it. I planned on majoring in Communication when I came into Stanford, but my first Comm class confirmed and grew my interest.

Track: 7/10 -- Coming from a speed based high school program, I was intimidated by the long runs and 500m repeats in my workout schedules; however, I surprised myself! After about a month of dreading long runs, they became manageable, and I even got to the point where I could complete the run without stopping to catch my breath (quite the accomplishment for a sprinter, okay?). I didn't just survive the 500m reps, I actually succeeded at them.

Food: 7/10 -- You know the Chick-fil-A slogan, "Eat mor chikin"? Well, Stanford took that a little too seriously. I was chickened out within two weeks of my arrival, but there weren't any other sources of protein consistently available. I did, however, eat more vegetables in the first 10 weeks of college than I did my entire life, which I suppose is a good thing. In the last bit of the quarter, we got athlete dining, which was a game-changer. There is also Stern dining, Stanford's version of Chipotle, that acts as a saving grace for the food category.

Living: 10/10 -- Walking into my dorm room the first day on campus and seeing only one bed pretty much set me up for success in the living category. I love my room -- it's small (but big enough for my oversized pantry and wardrobe), quiet, and perfectly located. It's walking distance to my three favorite dining halls, and it's a 2 minute bike ride to all of my classes and the locker room. Couldn't ask for better.

Relationships: 8/10 -- The single dorm room, while a sanctuary, also enabled me to isolate myself a little bit. I still met great people, especially through FCA and my team, but I was not as consistent as needed for my optimal social life.

Overall, my first quarter on the Farm was a success. Off-campus, however, was a little rocky. My grandpa passed away, my family moved out of my childhood home to a new state, and I was sick 5 times (plus two eye infections). These things made the adjustment to college especially challenging, but I was able to (eventually) settle into a groove in the winter quarter. For this review, I broke the next quarter into two parts: part 1 was online due to covid (and then me having covid), part 2 was in-person.

Quarter 2a: 7/10

Classes: 10/10 -- I know it's not for everyone, but I love online classes. Probably because I can do homework during class and nobody knows. Regardless, I just feel way more productive learning online, so I rate academics highly this quarter. Also, I took two communication classes and a Stats class, and I really enjoyed the content of it all. I learned how to code in Stats, which has always been a bucket list item for me, so that was fun too!

Track: 6/10 -- I've never had shin splints before in track, and I am convinced I got a full 10 years worth dose of them this winter. The first meet was a struggle, and I was experiencing an abnormal amount of fatigue. I got covid shortly after, so I missed the second meet. A few days after my quarantine ended, I got sick again, for 2 more weeks, with a sinus infection. More to come on the indoor season in part b, but it was not off to a great start.

Food: 8/10 -- After a brief pause in the beginning of the quarter from athlete dining, it was back after a few weeks. AND WITH BREAKFAST. Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, and athlete dining hits it out of the park. And most importantly, a protein alternative to chicken every night at dinner.

Living: 5/10 -- My dorm, sweet dorm, did not reciprocate the love. While much of it remains a mystery, my ongoing headaches, congestion, and sicknesses made several doctors believe that I am allergic to something in the vents. Unfortunately, the dorms at Stanford are so old that there is no ventilation besides your window and a heater, and you can't turn the heater completely off.

Relationships: 8/10 -- When I wasn't sick or quarantined, I enjoyed my company! Going on travel trips nurtured relationships with teammates, while I continued to meet new people around campus.

Quarter 2b: 9/10

Classes: 10/10 -- The same interesting content, but in person! I enjoyed my professors, and the work load stayed very manageable.

Track: 7/10 -- I raced with my sinus infection at the Albuquerque convention center, and though my times were still not there, I was so happy to be there. I've raced at that track since I was in middle school, and I've created so many positive memories there. The familiarity was refreshing. Plus, I got to see a lot of old friends and teammates, which was a blast! The rest of the indoor season consisted of frustration and inexplicably slow times, but my coach and I were able to have some open communication and change up some training. That was a few weeks ago, and each day of training since then has felt better than the day before.

Food: 10/10 -- Athlete dining for breakfast and dinner, but now Cardinal Sage is open! Cardinal Sage is Stanford dining's version of Chipotle, so lunch has consisted of burritos and bowls and the occasional burger or hot dog. Right up my alley! And then athlete dining got a panini press. Just like Valor lunch pre-covid. Safe to say I was pretty excited (I even took a video of my excitement and accidentally sent it to the track group chat, LOL), and hence the 10/10. I love paninis.

Living: 9/10 -- As it has warmed up (70's and sunny every day!), the heater has been off, and my dorm and I are back on good terms. I still wake up congested, but I spend less time in my dorm, and I take other measures to keep my symptoms mild.

Relationships 10/10 -- I didn't realize it, but I was so sick and tired (and sick and tired of being sick and tired) that I had no energy to socialize. The first week I felt better, I surprised myself by actually wanting to talk to people. Crazy, huh? I also really started to invest in specific relationships now that the first wave of getting to meet people had passed, and I have made some really good friends!

Overall, the first two quarters on the Farm were good. I am so happy here, and I couldn't imagine being anywhere else! Sometimes, I ride around on my bike, take in the beautiful palm trees, feel the sun on my skin, and cannot believe that I go to school here. I am so passionate about the Communications major, and I cannot wait to take more classes. I've never had a bad track season like this, so it's been beyond frustrating. Still, the support of my teammates and coaches has blown me away. My biggest prayer going into school was to make meaningful relationships, and I can already see that prayer being answered in many ways. I would say I'm off to a good start, and I am truly excited for the rest of my time here!

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