Forum
Welcome Class of 2012
Welcome to the Class of 2012! I am pleased that you have made the personal commitment to join the Washington University family. You arrive on the Danforth Campus as part of an exceptionally talented group of freshmen, representing a wide range of experiences, intellectual interests and perspectives.
Find friends doing what you love
About halfway through my freshman year, I was covering a Student Union meeting for Student Life. By the time the meeting ended around 12:30 a.m., I was worn out from a long day of classes and not particularly looking forward to starting my homework for the night.
Don’t forget to dream
At this point in your life, you’re receiving lots of practical advice about honing your expectations as well as perfecting both your studying and partying skills. I’m sure people will throw around plenty of different opinions about how many extra-curricular activities you should be involved in, what majors make the most sense and whether or not it’s possible to stay with your high school boyfriend or girlfriend.
Don’t forget to vote
As incoming freshmen, you have been and will be faced with a number of important, tough decisions over the course of the summer and fall. Which meal plan should you sign up for? Do you want to live in a single or double? Old dorm or new dorm? Which student groups do you want to join? Do you want to play Intramural sports for your floor? Are you going to stay pre-med? Oh.and who do you want to be the next President of the United States?
Hello, Get Out
Welcome to Wash. U. Now get ready to leave. Come here, get comfortable, but don’t get complacent. Don’t get me wrong, Wash. U. is great. Savor your first couple of years here. Go to Bears Den at 2 a.m., read out on the hammocks, pull all-nighters, make good friends, figure out what you want, expand your mind.
Embracing the major you never thought you’d choose
I’d like to extend a warm welcome to the incoming class of pre-meds-oh excuse me, freshmen. I know, I know, not all of you are pre-meds, and I’ll have more to say to the others. But more of you will start as pre-meds than anything else by far, and many of you are making a mistake.
“The best four years of your life!”
Many people will tell you, “College is the best four years of your life.” Do not listen to these people. Kick them. Challenge them to a duel. Tell them to stop propagating that B.S.
Because that is what it is: B.S. Not because college is not fantastic. Not because some of your most vivid memories will not be made in this place.
Tips and tricks for delving into the Wash. U. community
Let me be among the many to welcome you to St. Louis and to Washington University! Very soon we will be welcoming you in person as the newest members of our Wash. U. community. You’re coming at a very exciting time. However, if I’m perfectly honest with myself, I think each year has been very exciting.this year is just more so with a couple of new twists.
Hakuna Matata
Freshman year was when I decided to take the initiative to do absolutely nothing. Gone were those years of high school filled with nonstop sports and clubs, those constant appointments to be met. During my first year at college, I firmly decided that I was going to free myself from all of the hassles and commitments I had grown so accustomed to and simply revel in a lifestyle I would never have the opportunity to enjoy again.
Democracy and Citizenship Initiative at Washington University in St. Louis
Welcome to Washington University. You begin your undergraduate careers at a time of profound institutional reflection and a discussion that-like much of what you will experience in the next four yearsñwill be both specific and abstract. This announcement, then, is a welcome both into a community of scholars and into an exciting conversation about the very nature and purpose of that community.