We know that you have been welcomed by a lot of people so far. We also know that you are probably pretty numb to it by now. Regardless, we want to offer our sincere welcome to the pile.
If you are reading this, you have survived at least two days in your new home. What now? Now comes the highly ridiculed yet highly underrated self-discovery you’ll be entrenched in for the next four years.
The past couple of days should have already proved to be at least somewhat self-reflective. You may have already discovered that get-to-know-you games are the bane of your existence or that they are just what you need to get closer to your floor and hall-mates.
By the way, no matter what your opinion of those games is, you will not be able to escape them for the next four years.
Getting back to the point, while this may seem like a minor self-discovery, it is the first step Lawrence has directed you in toward your new liberally educated self. You have virtually no chance of remaining the same as you are now by the time you graduate.
And this is the point: If you are the same person after four years of education, then Lawrence has failed. If you go through the motions, attend classes, events, etc., but do not truly reflect, then you have failed, regardless of your GPA or honors project.
You may not realize it now, but graduation will sneak up on you in the blink of an eye. We implore you to use your short time here wisely, not just going through the motions but truly learning about what you study, where you live and who you are. If you do this, the student loans will not seem so hefty for what you have received.