Kate Schiller
Having gathered four years of experience at Wooster, here is a list of things I am glad I did here and/or suggest other people try.
1. Get commitments. While there is nothing unpleasant about having the freedom to watch Netflix every day of the week, I learned a lot from getting involved in student government, judicial board, Peanuts, Woo 91 and The Wooster Voice. I don’t think of myself as a person who likes activities, and it can be rough to balance all the time you have to put in, but organizations here are so easy to join and very worth it.
2. Love your major/classes. Ultimately, Wooster is a place where you pay a lot of money to go to classes. I’ve switched majors, and I think I’ve only had one semester where I didn’t make a schedule change within the first week. It is definitely easier to fill out that pink sheet than to get up for that 8 a.m. class you find impossible to maintain interest in.
3. Be nice to others. While one should be nice to other people all the time and everywhere, your treatment of others on Wooster’s campus will never be isolated incidents involving only one moment and one person. The Wooster community is tight-knit and you will be here for four years-anyone you hurt in an off moment is a good friend of a friend who you will interact with again.
4. Fall in love with people. Although having a serious boyfriend was explicitly not in my college plans, I certainly don’t regret my relationship over the last four years. And I certainly don’t regret falling in love with five other ladies who have provided just as much support and fun as any romantic relationship ever could. Although close relationships take work, they are worth it.
5. Talk with other students about your most important values and beliefs. Like many students here, I came from a place where most people I grew up with shared my religious, political and moral values. I came in with a lot of stereotypes that have been challenged wonderfully by those rare and often slightly awkward conversations with beloved friends who respectfully disagree with me. It can be hard to ask a friend if they are a creationist, but I’ve found that the answer is often enlightening. Whether somebody’s beliefs are different than yours is less important than how well you enjoy their company. And it is really cool to find out all the different ways your friends think, and you won’t find out until you bring it up.
In summation, the best advice I could give to a Wooster student is to join clubs, take classes you like, give somebody you think is cute a chance and attempt to talk religion over Lowry.