If you are a first-year student at Lee, you’ll get a good deal of advice from a variety of sources: friends, parents, Gateway class and chapel speakers, among others. This advice will range from how to succeed at Lee spiritually, socially and physically. Let me then give you some suggestions about the academic life from one professor’s point of view.

*Get involved, but not too involved.

You will hear about so many wonderful opportunities during your first few weeks that you might feel compelled to try them all out, throwing yourself into every possible group that might conceivably interest you. Resist this temptation. Instead, find one or two areas where you are truly passionate and focus on those. One of the most important traits of successful students is being able to find balance. Remember that your first priority in coming to a university is to get a quality education, and that means devoting time to studying. Round out your academic experience with one or two extracurricular commitments, and you’ll better prepare yourself to succeed on all fronts.

*Get involved in your discipline as soon as possible.

Since you’re planning on getting involved, make one area of that involvement related to your discipline of study. If you’re eligible for your department’s honor society, join it and participate. Not only does it look great on a resume, especially if you become an officer, but it also helps you make contacts with people who will be future colleagues in your chosen field. Go to whatever type of meetings your department has and meet the faculty, even those you’ll never have for a class. They are wonderful resources, especially when it comes time to graduate, and you are looking for a job or considering graduate school. Go to conferences and meet people beyond Lee who are hoping to work in the same field you plan on pursuing.

*Take advantage of a liberal arts education.

At the same time, though, do not ignore the opportunities that a liberal arts education can provide. You might wonder why we require the core courses you have to take, but the faculty understand that being a well-educated person will make you better at whatever career you pursue. The different disciplines represent different ways of looking at the world, and the more ways you have of seeing, the better thinker you will become. You can also broaden your knowledge by adding a class in something you think you might enjoy. When I was in college, I took a year and a half of piano and a semester of voice lessons. Add a class in music, art, physical education or anything else you’re interested in. A liberal arts education is not intended to prepare you solely for a career; we hope to prepare you for a richer, learning-filled life.

Overall, remember that you came to Lee to get a quality education. Your professors are here to provide you with one, but you must work to make that happen. Being here is not about earning a degree so that you can get a job; it is about using all of the gifts and talents that God has given you to become the best thinker you can be. It is a difficult calling but it is a noble one, and it is well worth your time and energy.