If you ever hear the words “P.E.H.,” “Drew Faas,” “Sea Semester,” “Morocco,” or the infamous “London,” it’s definitely coming from a conversation between Jans.
Jans, otherwise known as Hamilton College’s beloved January admits, moved onto the Hill on a blizzardy Friday in late January. While there were Jans who did unique programs individually, the majority, including myself, went to London. After jet-setting every weekend to countries like France, Spain, Italy, Hungary, and the Netherlands, we’re all here, figuring out how to do school again. From living together in a 3rd floor Dunham conglomerate to walking into Commons as a pack, the Jans can stick out like a sore thumb. I definitely did when I was looking for my Zumba class in the wrong building my first week here.
Was it awkward arriving mid-year? Yes. Was I constantly confused? Yes. Can I imagine starting college any other way? No.
London was a glamorous learning environment (and photogenic enough for Instagram clout,) but many of us were excited for Hamilton’s snow, cafeteria food, and real college dorms.
Ironically, for other kids, these aspects are seen as mundane. Some have literally apologized to me for the arctic temperatures and the snow (as if they somehow caused it,) while back in London we were counting down the days until we could see a single snowflake. I’ve heard “the food gets old” repeated a myriad of times, but I’m stunned at the ease of getting food here; all I have to do is hold out my dish and I’m instantly greeted with a plate of food. I still have memories of going grocery shopping, cooking and washing my dishes in London. Not to mention, I can’t even cook, so it’s a real blessing that I survived to write this article. As for Dunham — affectionately known as Dirty D — any place where I can wake up five minutes before my calculus class and still make it on time is my favorite place.
I don’t mean to say that Jans find every single thing about Hamilton exciting. We definitely don’t. Fall weekends were filled with international travel, exploring the sites of London, or spending time at home. Many of us have been downgraded from popular and quirky clubs to the aging and dingy Village Tavern. We had more freedom to see new places and meet new people first semester , whereas on campus, we’re confined to a plot of land surrounded by trees. Honestly, our fall semester felt very distant from the day-to-day activities at Hamilton as we weren’t kept in the loop about campus activities or news. Despite the initial awkwardness, it’s nice to now feel a sense of integration with the rest of the student body. Being a Jan is great, and I’m grateful for my meaningful experiences last semester.
On that sappy note, go find a Jan and talk to them! We’re friendly people, and we want more friends.
