A few days ago, I got back a letter I wrote to myself when I was a freshman. When I read this letter, I reminded myself of how naïve I was back then, and how there were certain things that I wished I had known back then. I would like to share a few things that I wish I knew/did when I was a freshman, and a few things that maybe some of my readers should know more about.

I wish I had been more intentional about pushing myself and my friends to have conversations on difficult and/or contentious issues. It may be difficult to hold a conversation on a topic which is oft-taboo, such as race, religion, abortion, or a number of other topics, but I have found that I would not expose myself to other perspectives on issues like these if I don’t get myself involved in those difficult and sometimes embarrassing conversations. Yes, I am encouraging people to get themselves involved in conversations, which are potentially embarrassing, because it is through such humiliation that you will expose yourself to different perspectives and learn new things you didn’t know before. For example, my then-humiliating conversation with a friend on the topic of God and suffering helped me grow my perspective on this issue. I think others will experience similar growth if they engage in those challenging conversations.

I also wish that I had spent more time caring for other people during my Dickinson experience. I don’t like to admit this, but a lot of time here has been spent caring about me, me, ME. My grades. My activities. My social life. And so on. But college is a good opportunity to get good practice at caring for others on your own accord (instead of caring for others only because that was what your parents did). But more importantly, caring for others is the right thing to do in the first place. So please care for others before yourself at Dickinson. The college would be a better place if more people cared for others before themselves.

Some people may be asking how they can possibly balance what I suggested with trying to get into a pre-med, pre-law, or other graduate program. Honestly, it is totally up to a person to find that balance for himself/herself. But I think it is important to find that balance, because if you find this balance, you will get a wonderful education inside and outside of the classroom. I certainly have.

I guess the common theme between everything I have said is that classes may be an important thing here, but they aren’t everything. There is much more to a Dickinson education than the classes you take. That something “more,” in my opinion, involves many things, most notably, learning new perspectives and caring for other people.