It was the Friday night of midterms during my first year at Caltech, and I was alone in the library. That weekend (week five of term, if you're keeping count) also happens to coincide with Halloween. But as a bright-eyed frosh trudging my way through Ma 1a lecture notes, I…

I'd like to think that I keep a tidy desk, but hey— entropy prevails for everyone. Here's a breakdown of all the items you could find on my desk, circa February 2023. 1. My computer. A trusty Macbook Air I purchased just as we were entering The Covid Era in…

My grandma always says that it rains whenever Dragons (superior zodiac sign) travel, and sure enough, it was raining when I landed at LAX for my last calendar year at Caltech. It's officially my graduation year—but between leaving campus just before spring term in my freshman year and returning, twenty-one…

It's been over three months since my trip to the Galapagos, and I am still thinking about it. For seven days, we all woke up at 5:30 am on the boat, ate breakfast together, and went out as the sun was rising on our morning hike to catch frigatebirds mating…

I remember huddling around my laptop with my mom and dad at the dining room table. While counting down from three, I took a few quick breaths and finally clicked on my application decision—the confetti on the screen was all we needed to jump up and scream! I remember hugging…

Skateboards, trick boards, long boards, Pennyboards, electric skateboards — Lloyd house has them all, and you, too, can learn how to ride a skateboard indoors on its carpeted hallways. There was something about the increased friction and semi-soft cushion of the shag rug that made zooming through Lloyd's alleys on…

Whenever I tell someone that Caltech has an undergraduate population of less than one thousand people, their first reaction is disbelief. "Really?" they exclaim. "You must know everyone! How can you get a real college experience with so few undergrads?" To the first point : yes and no. I'd be…