Photo via St. Lawrence University
Hello, young freshman. I am so glad you decided to pick up this paper and peruse the wonderful voices of St. Lawrence University. I have decided to add my own, in hopes that it will steer you towards a smoother, less anxiety ridden collegiate experience. That being said, everyone approaches life and school differently, so if what I say ends up being pure garbage, please write me an angry letter about how I wasted your time. I will be sure to internalize your words and let them resurface in a self-destructive manner in about three decades.
First and foremost: don’t ever accept anything as Truth with a capital “T.” Be critical of what you are learning, ask questions, and never allow statistics to be the sole basis of any claim. You will find as you delve deeper and deeper into whatever field you decide to pursue that the things you were once taught to be absolute are, in fact, multidimensional concepts that can be interpreted in an infinite number of ways. Be wary of anyone (professors included) who tells you what to believe.
Second: work hard and don’t sell yourself short. Think of assignments as chances to prove your ability to yourself and your professor. If you are able to create a high standard for yourself early on, you will only continue to grow and add to a body of work you can look back on with pride. Keep in mind, I procrastinated on doing this and am frantically trying to figure out how to graduate on time!
Third: know thyself. Who are you and what do you enjoy doing? This question can rarely be answered in a classroom, but it can be answered by putting yourself in positions of intense discomfort. Learn your limitations, your strengths, and the best morning routine after a night of drinking. Trial and error can be a way of figuring these things out, or you can look to people you respect and admire and try on their behavior for size. Either way, it will be critical to leave SLU knowing a bit more about yourself and what you can and cannot handle.
Fourth: TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF. Guess what: if you die of congestive heart failure or lung cancer at age 30 because you smoked your way through philosophy class because you decided it would look edgy, then please do me a favor and go away, far away, so I can’t smell your tar encrusted lungs or hear your excuses of “I’m not addicted, I just like the process of smoking.” The same applies to your diet, exercise, and mental care. Intellectually, biologically, spiritually… You are most likely far more useful alive than dead. Keep this in mind.
Fifth: have a bit of fun! No, actually, have a ton of fun! Try things you wouldn’t try at home. Push yourself to squeeze in one more weekend adventure. Don’t be afraid of telling that special someone you like their face. SLU is a magical place where you get to live and learn with your best friends. Go out there and make a few!
Sixth: other people care about you, deeply. It may feel like our generation is too self obsessed to look up from the glow of our Apple products and see each other as something more than a Facebook profile. News flash, we aren’t. You will find people here you can lean on in times of crisis, but only if you allow them and yourself to hear that maybe, just maybe, everything in your life is not picture perfect. Be genuine about your situation, and you will receive genuine help.
I hope you all have a wonderful time here in the North Country. One final nibble of unsolicited advice: enjoy the weather (for now) and start stockpiling socks and sweaters!