Dear Class of 2022,

I have two younger brothers, who I am jealous of. Their whole life they have benefited from my advice about how to do certain things — not because I am wiser or smarter, but simply because I did what they did first, and gave them advice based on my mistakes and successes. We went to the same high school and I gave them the tools they needed to help navigate it successfully. Growing up, I quickly learned that having someone who is willing to give you insider tips about how to confront a new environment or challenge can go a long way towards helping one emerge successfully.

Being the oldest brother, there was never really someone there to give me specific advice on the myriad of challenges and new scenarios I encountered in my life. Of course, my parents were loving, helpful and supportive, but a lot changes between generations and sometimes you need a word or two

from someone who has been through what you are about to go through a little more recently. One of the nicest parts about coming to Hamilton is realizing that many people are willing to help you and lend advice about how to navigate what can, oftentimes, be a daunting period in our adolescence.

I certainly would not be here without the guidance and wisdom from some of my older peers who went through the ranks of Hamilton in years past. Now that I find myself a senior, it feels only right that I should try to impart a mixture of some of the best advice I received as a first-year and a few things I wish people had told me three years ago. Make no mistake, what follows is merely what has worked for me. There is no one right way to go through Hamilton, this is just the approach I have taken. If there’s something in here for you to take away, all the better.

One of the best pieces of advice I have ever received is to “stay in your own movie.” In other words: find your own way. Should the way become too treacherous, or you lose your conviction, keep the following two pieces of advice in mind:

Firstly, take advantage of the open curriculum. We are all blessed with an academic palette that allows us to pursue — almost exclusively — subject matter that we are deeply interested in. We are free from the formulaic core curriculum, and as a result, I suggest that as you think about what you want to study, take courses whose subject matter makes you excited to learn. This strategy will make writing a paper, doing a thirty-page reading, working through a group project, or studying for a test much easier. Should you find yourself on a path where you are not energized in your studies, you can always switch to something you prefer more.

For example, I had a few friends sophomore year who declared as economics majors despite openly proclaiming a higher interest in other fields. Mere days after they declared, they switched their majors because they realized they would be happier in the coming years working with material that more strongly piqued their interest. Take what you love, or what you think you love, early on so you leave yourself time to improvise in case something else comes up that you like more. If you do not know what you like, cast a wide net.

Conversely, do not limit

your academic scope unless you really have to. Though I am a Literature and Theatre double major, some of my best academic experiences here at Hamilton have come from classes outside my major. I have taken courses in the history, Africana Studies, Italian, Spanish, economics, American Studies and Creative Writing departments in addition to my literature and Theatre classes and can undoubtedly say I am better off for having exposed myself to other subjects and ways of thinking. It can be tricky but finding a balance between specializing your education and diversifying it can go a long way towards your happiness here.

Secondly, and this may seem like it goes without saying, but it cannot be understated: be kind to one another. I am sure most everyone here knows Hamilton has experienced some turbulence in the last few years. If that sentence shocks you or you do not know why, I encourage you to strike up a conversation with your peers and find out.

We will always face challenges as a community when we put 1,850 18–22-year-olds from vastly different upbringings and walks of life on the same campus for nine months out of the year. As a result, you will not get along with everyone.

Getting along with everyone that you encounter, whether it be at Hamilton or outside in the real world, is an impossibility. However, you will encounter people who are struggling, people who maybe you do not agree with or do not understand, but who need your help. Perhaps at some point during your time here, you may even unconsciously need the kindness of a complete stranger.

Finding the courage within you to summon kindness and empathy as your first responses to such people will do more for the greater good of this community than you may suspect. We are all interconnected here, and it is nearly impossible for the actions we take on a day to day basis not to ripple to a seemingly far away corner of campus. As a result, we have a responsibility to look out for one another, and as the newest first-year class, you inherit that responsibility. Hamilton is not perfect, far from it.

We have a lot of work to do to build a more inclusive, supportive, respectful, and compassionate community, but by exhibiting kindness to one another daily for four years, the class of 2022 will bring us one step closer.

XOXO, Jake