Class of 2023, take a deep breath. You’re here. You’re in college. Welcome home. Some of you might be taking this for granted; others know that they fought incredibly hard to make it. Some of you will feel like the brightest kid in the room; others will have to deal with crippling imposter syndrome every day that they’re here. Some of you get to drive home this weekend and spend time with your loved ones; others will not get to hug their families for months or even years. Still, you are all part of the Class of 2023. Be there for each other.
Beyond classes, athletics, student organization meetings and weird freshman relationships, be there for each other. Your four years will have a beautiful variety of ups and downs, and sometimes the downs will feel way longer and way deeper than any of the highs. But if you reach out through those ups and downs, your community will be there to be a positive light in what might feel like a sea of darkness. Maybe you think you found “your people” at ARCH a couple of months ago, but you’ve got 2,000 more people to meet. You might join a student organization after Scot Spirit Day and fall in love with it. You might join Greek Life (I am definitely partial to Delta Chi Delta on this topic) and find a new family. You might join student government (shoutout to SGA and Campus Council!) and have the honor of representing your fellow Scots. You might become a Tour Guide for Admissions or an RA for ResLife and welcome future classes of Scots to their new home. Alas, I am in no way equipped to see into your future.
There are a few practical suggestions that I feel like sharing, and you can decide whether you want to read the words of a weird old senior or not. Here are some of those suggestions.
When you’re in Lowry with your friends, just put your phone away. Start by creating in person relationships first, social media can come later. And yes, that is a very good dog meme.
Enjoy being bored. For some reason we have decided to measure our success on how busy we are, but it’s time to take some time to listen, be silent and meditate. Oh, and take a walk at Wooster Memorial Park.
Very few things in life are extremely valuable. That B- on your First Year Seminar essay will not be the end of your academic career.
Read for pleasure. Find a good book, maybe a novel, and read that in your free time. And if you want a book suggestion, try Essentialism by Greg McKeown. It’s one of my personal favorites.
I cannot promise you that the road ahead will be easy. But I can tell you that these next four years will be years of growth and memories you will carry with you for the rest of your life. Connect deeply and enthusiastically with those around you. And don’t worry, none of those around you have it all figured out — even (or especially!) the seniors. The plans you are making now might be short-lived, but be open to the hundreds of other paths that will open up in front of you. And if you ever need a friend, I am sure you can figure out my email address.
Marco Roccato, a Contributing Writer for the Voice, can be reached for comment at MRoccato20@wooster.edu.