One of my favorite things about Swarthmore is the beautiful campus. Even when I am running late to class and speedwalking to Sci, I still appreciate the beautiful plants, trees, and birds.
Since Scott Arboretum is contained within Swarthmore’s campus, trees have a pretty big presence. I’m always getting emails about the interesting events the arboretum is hosting on campus, for example, recently there was an event to create Valentine’s cards out of wildflower paper! There is a joke that Swarthmore’s plants are better labeled than the buildings, but I do actually make use of the plant labels when I see a flower or tree I want to learn more about.
There’s actually even a student Instagram page dedicated to cataloging leaves (and other plants) at Swarthmore (@swatleafs)!
Additionally, coming from a bigger city, I was used to not being able to see the sky well at night because of night pollution, so I was very surprised my first night at Swarthmore by how bright the stars were! Sadly, my iPhone 6 camera can’t capture the stars in their full glory (although I have attempted to get some photos of the pretty full moons at Swarthmore)
Every season at Swarthmore has its own aesthetic charm. In Fall, the leaves change into reds, oranges, and yellows, and the sunsets are stunning.
In winter, while the cold wind keeps me inside, the snow is beautiful to watch even from my dorm window. It’s always exciting to wake up to see Swarthmore blanketed in snow, especially as someone who grew up in the South. Sometimes, the snow even looks like its sparkling.
As you would expect, the campus is also very pretty in the springtime. All the flowers across campus are in bloom, and sometimes you even see baby bunnies hopping around. Spring is also very Instagram-popular amongst students. Every year, I see Swatties posting their spring photoshoots in front of the blooming trees.
To incoming Swarthmore students, make sure you have a good amount of storage on your phone! You’re going to need it for all the pictures you’ll take on campus.