Dearest First-Year Reader

Written by: Toluwani Oni, First-Year Representative with contributions from Alyssa Gesualdo, First-Year Representative

 Not too long ago, the biggest decisions to make were what school? …And what program? What grades? … And which friends? What residence? …Or which house? Not too long ago, navigating campus without a GPS was filled with obstacles, and probably impossible. The difference between now and then is the friends made, the dinners shared, and that one class that truly tested your academic prowess. As we bid farewell to first year, you might agree that there were some moments you found yourself saying “Had I known…” 

In a class of 400 or in one just over 100, the strongest lessons learnt were not the ones by the professors. They were the minute details embedded in the course syllabus that we overlooked until the last minute before applying for academic consideration. They were the moments we learnt the difference between faculty and program. They were in the silent seconds after receiving an exam grade. Dearest future first year student, read your syllabus, go to office hours, and be acquainted with the vast variety of academic resources that Social Science offers. 

Whether you lived in Saugeen-Maitland or minutes away from campus, you would agree that the strongest friendships began with a simple hello or maybe multiple random hi’s. First year is packed with many challenging “firsts”. Perhaps, it was the first time away from home, or the first time trying to make a residence building feel like home? The things that seemed so scary then, are now a vital part of our lives at Western. Dearest future first year student, please face your biggest fears. They might be the tiny piece that makes your first-year worth remembering. Keep saying the hi’s and hellos until they become the highlights and echoes. 

The choices of clubs on campus are endless, and you would agree that it might have been hard to find the perfect mixture. In the first few weeks, applications to become a first year representative flooded our timelines. While it was hard to receive the sad rejection messages, the difference between the rejection and acceptance was just one more application. Dearest future first year student, apply until your ink runs out, and even then, get a new pen. Apply to be a first-year representative on the Social Science Students Council! 

For some readers, this is the end of the beginning, and for others, the beginning might be just a few sleeps away. Every oak tree was once an acorn, and every graduating student was once a first-year student. Dearest first year reader, what you seek is seeking you. Don’t lose it!