To anybody who may be wondering...

I graduated Smith this May, and I'll be working in my hometown Tokyo, Japan for the next few years! I will work in an US based company where my job as a Clinical Research Associate will be to coordinate clinical research trials in Japanese hospitals. I plan on continuing to work on women's education in various volunteer opportunities as well. After some work experience and getting to know Japan, I hope to go to graduate school for a Masters in Public Health.

I just thought I should write it here to let anybody who may still be around know about my life after Smith. Although I will not be continuing to blog here, my life is forever changed because of my experiences at Smith, and I will always be a Smithie.

My "Life as a Smithie" will continue outside of Tumblr. Feel free to message me if you're interested. And definitely check out the younger Smithies who are continuing to blog!

Bye bye!

✨💕 Thanks for the laughs and memories 💕✨ Asian Teahouse 2016 HANABI x Pokémon Next stop, Mount Holyoke VariAsians! #pokemon #pokemongo #mashup

The Last Mountain Day

Last night, I took an exam for Animal Physiology (wasn’t so happy with my performance), and stayed up until 1:30am finishing up a reading for my Education class and planning to stay up later to finish the problem set due at 11:00am the next day. In between chapters, I decided to take a nap to recharge myself, but ended up falling asleep in my bed with the laptop on my lap and the lights still on. It only felt like a blink, but when I opened my eyes it was 7:00am. And I thought to myself, wow if today isn’t Mountain Day I’m going to be in real trouble. Crossing my fingers I wait, and... the bells rang! 

Thank. Goodness.

I’ve been sleeping late working on assignments this whole week (and actually every day since Day 1?) This may have been the most grateful Mountain Day in my four years. I really needed this. I went to Amherst for a lunch at Miss Saigon, which would be the third time this week, and had some great Vietnamese food that I miss so much from my study abroad!

But honestly, I've been so busy and tired and stressed that I forgot we STILL didn't have mountain day.

Moments that make me realise how far I’ve come:

When I’m overwhelmed that I CAN’T fit all of my relevant experiences in my resume... Applying to my first internship three years ago, I couldn’t find ENOUGH experiences to put in a resume.

I always thought that the older Smith friends who had so many high quality experiences on their resume were some sort of semi-goddess beings. Turns out they were normal people, just very outgoing and ambitious. And now maybe I am one of them?

Mentally preparing myself for the Fall Career Fair tomorrow by giving myself positive vibes and confidence boost!

Bún thịt nướng at Amherst after a spontaneous visit to AASA Bubble tea fundraiser 💕🍜💕 One of my favorite dishes from study abroad. Next time, I'll go back to have Bún bò Huế ✌ Cho em một tô bún thịt nướng. (at Miss Saigon)

Friday Night Pho!

So glad I made it through another week of classes, busy meetings, and sleep deprivation. It’s all bearable if I remember that there is always warm soup noodles at the end of the week.  

At the Org Fair last week, I signed myself up for the General Board for the Vietnamese Students’ Association (VSA). I’ll be at all their meetings because I miss Vietnamese food and speaking Vietnamese (not that I’m very good...)!

Org Fair 2016・ ASA 🎉 Last one 🎉

The Last First Week of Classes

At last, my last Fall semester at Smith (I hope...)! I cannot begin to explain how busy I was this week... Mostly, it was very hectic because I was trying to figure out all the credits I needed for this year for me to graduate in May. I also had to fill out a form to declare my Education minor and a Special Studies with the Biology lab I am a part of. All of this just means that I had to run around campus trying to catch professor’s signatures while weaving in all the other meetings-- ASA EBoard meetings, HANABI meetings, lab meetings and others-- and keeping up with all the class assignments.

This semester will be the time where my organizational skills, physical and mental limits will be challenged. I am overloaded with credits, way beyond the average 16 credits. 

Classes I’m taking Fall 2016 1. Medical Anthropology 2. Animal Physiology 3. Developmental Biology 4. Special Studies for Zebrafish Outreach  5. Individual Differences Amongst Learners  6. Introduction to Tibetan Buddhist Debate 

Individually, all of these classes are very interesting and I want to take them. Only time will tell how practical it is in reality. I will probably be changing one (or two) of these classes to a pass-fail grading!

Aside from classes, I’m still a core member of the Asian Students’ Association (ASA), I’ll be continuing my work on Leadership and Action for Determined Youth (LADY), singing in cultural events through HANABI, and organising get-togethers for Japanese Smith students as always. Some new things I am doing this year is that I am the House Social Event Coordinator (HSEC) for Parsons House, which means that I will plan events for the house. And I am also a Campus Ambassador for CET Academic Programs, which I studied abroad through in Vietnam. So I will also be coordinating events on Smith campus to promote CET and study abroad in general.

I hope I can still continue to blog about my experiences here. It’s my last year and I really don’t want to quit blogging! I really wanted it to continue the whole year! Wish me luck y’all.

Climbing to the roof of Parsons House to gaze at a faint sunset after the first day of classes. #planningtogoclimbthatmountainformountainday (at Smith College)

🌱 A break from lab ☀ Before I have to move my storage bins in JMG to my room. #IWishIHadACar (at Chapin)

Trying to absorb that sunshine, but I'm stuck in this freezing lab all day. #vitaminD (at Sabin-Reed Building, Smith College)

Had a Bánh mì at Banh Mi Spot (former Banh Mi Saigon) for dinner and then a bubble tea at Lime Red. I miss those weekends in Saigon where I took a stroll down the street to grab a Bánh mì and bubble tea to go then eat it in the air conditioned guesthouse.