Happy Monday, Deacs! Before we jump into this week’s “Letters So Dear,” we wanted to congratulate you on completing Extended Orientation. We hope the important resources from this module will support you as you continue on your Wake Forest journey. It may be hard to believe that your first set of college midterms are just around the corner, but we know you have what it takes to get through them. Study hard, stay focused, and don’t hesitate to ask for help when you need it. The transition to college looks different for every student, and your Lower-Division Adviser is a great resource for navigating these uncharted waters. Please communicate with them, your Student Adviser, and our office as often as needed!

Before we jump into today’s Letters So Dear, we have some important announcements to share:

• The Wake Study Spaces website is now live and updated with classrooms available for use. Looking for a quiet place to study during the week or participate in your synchronous online coursework? Visit the Wake Study Space website to learn more and book your space. Wake Study Space includes a pool of College classrooms for student use by reservation Monday through Friday, 7 am to 10 pm. Students must adhere to COVID-19 guidelines when using these spaces. If students are sharing a space, they must be masked. Reservations are limited to two hours and occupancy to two. Please allow at least 48 hours for reservation confirmation. There is also reservable space available in ZSR Library (must be made 12 hours in advance), and open, non-reservable space in the Wellness Center and ZSR Library.

• Small Group Training: Do you enjoy working out with others but prefer specific training formats? Experience the best of both worlds: receive the benefits of a personalized training program joined by other like-minded participants in a small supportive group. Small Group Training (SGT), allows you to discover individual as well as group success, participate in a comprehensive workout, accountability with a team and an overall strong sense of community all while being coached by a certified trainer.  

Now, back to our regularly scheduled program...

Today, our “Letters So Dear” series continues with a message from 2020 Alum, Walter Jackson, IV:

Oftentimes, we try to avoid situations that make us feel uncomfortable - as incoming students, you’ll be prone to this, too. However, I must say, while you’re in an environment that allows you to correct your mistakes,  take chances. Try taking a class on a topic that is foreign to you. Meet other students that you probably would not have interacted with in high school. Try pursuing that hidden passion through a club or organization that you have been afraid to showcase. Step outside of your comfort zone! And again, Wake provides an opportunity for you to self-correct, so don’t worry about making mistakes. You’ll make plenty of them, but these mistakes, in the long run, will make you a wiser and more resilient person - as long as you learn from them. I remember when I first toured Wake. My tour guide said that some of your best and worst days will be in college, and boy did this turn out to be true. When it comes to the bad days, as I said about your mistakes, learn from them. Think to yourself, “What is this situation trying to teach me?” When it comes to the good days, cherish them as your time in college will go by quickly! 

I will leave you with a few final thoughts. If you would like your good days to outweigh the bad ones, do three things: 

(1) Take chances. You’ll come to regret the chances you did not take more than the mistakes you made. 

(2) Learn from your mistakes and hardships. Instead of asking “Why me?” when a tough situation arises, ask yourself, “What could I learn from this?” 

(3) Try to live in the present. Your time in college will go by quickly! Don’t  live in the past by reliving your high school days, whether they were bad or good. Thinking about the future is important, but don’t constantly worry about the unknown. You don’t want to come to the end of your college career and realize that you never enjoyed the present moment and what that entailed, whether it was hanging out with friends on the Quad or enjoying a chat with a professor. If you spend your entire life focused on what’s next, you’ll miss what’s happening now. Live in the now.

Walter Jackson, IV

2020-2021 Provost Fellow