Orientation week at Cornell officially kicks-off today with Move-In Day, as new students converge on campus with family and friends to settle into their homes for the coming academic year. For CALS freshman and transfer students, the next week will be focused on beginning their new lives as Cornellians, from registering for classes, signing up for an email account, and learning their way around campus, to getting their first taste of Cornell traditions like “Dump and Run” and learning the alma mater.
Inspired by the advice Cornell President David Skorton and Vice President Glenn Altschuler recently offered to the parents of new college students, CALS Notes reached out to CALS Dean Kathryn Boor ‘80 for a few words of wisdom to share with those new students themselves. Here’s what she had to say:
“I think many students may believe that a college education is only about acquiring knowledge as formally presented by their professors. While formal coursework is certainly important, equally valuable are the opportunities to acquire the skills and expertise necessary to successfully navigate through new challenges, to recover (quickly) from setbacks, to learn how to successfully acquire knowledge about what you really want to know, and to build a rewarding life course. The next few years will give you myriad opportunities to learn more about yourself. As a student at Cornell, you will have many wonderful experiences that can lead to meaningful self-discovery, drastically changed goals, and development of new priorities in life.
While you’re here, I strongly encourage you to make the most of every chance you get to try something new. Take an elective that piques your curiosity. Talk to people you might otherwise not have the chance to interact with. Try a new sport. Go on an adventure. And very importantly, have fun!
In their own way, each of these experiences will be just as educational as anything you learn while pursuing your major. Use these experiences to clarify your values, develop your aspirations, and discover more about what it really means to be you.”
