Sadly I am graduating, so this will be my last blog post đ Before I leave, I wanted to give everyone some media recommendations as well as some advice on things to do with the time you have left at Reed.
Go to the language conversations groups! If you have not gone to them yet, you really should. I met some of my best friends at both Pause CafĂ© and Sobremesa (which fun fact was previously called Picadita). These groups are such a unique resource that you will likely not find after Reed. Think about it, it’s a chance to meet new people by immersing yourself in the language you’re learning while eating free food! Which is usually delicious as the language scholars are amazing. Seriously, if you haven’t met them yet you should. And new ones come each year, so you get a clean slate next semester!
Don’t worry about what you’ll do with your major afterwards. Many people don’t study languages because of feelings of uncertainty on what jobs they’ll bring in the future. I was scrolling though the Reed alumni page and found lawyers that studied French and artists that studied physics. Your major does not trap you to certain fields as much as you think it does, and it’s ok to figure it out later and study what you’re passionate about now. You’ll be surprised by how little your undergraduate major matters in the future, and how valued being multilingual is.
Study abroad!! If you feel suffocated at Reed or like you need a break, I cannot recommend studying abroad enough. Reed makes it fairly accessible for all majors, arrange a meeting with Alberto del RĂo Malo and he will help you figure it out. I personally was on the verge of leaving Reed after my sophomore year, but I decided to study abroad for a semester instead of transferring. When I came back I felt like I had a newfound perspective on Reed and started really enjoyed my time here, and many of my friends who studied abroad felt the same way. Four years in this tiny campus is a lot, sometimes you just need a break.
I could go on and on with my advice, but I don’t need to, there’s other LangLabbies that are here to support you with their wonderful personalities and insight. Actually, my last piece of advice would be to talk to Nina, Leilani and Sara. They are incredibly talented and intelligent Reedies, so you should go visit them at the Language Lab! Lastly, here’s a French song I haven’t been able to get out of my head and a French movie that made me cry. Have a wonderful summer!
