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Dear First-Year Student

campus in fall

Like many students before you, you're heading into November thinking, “now what?” The hustle and bustle of the new year has slowed down, you’ve experienced the magic that comes with a massive slice of Benny's, and there's less than a month until you’re back home for Thanksgiving.

You’ve probably found that there’s no shortage of things to do at Virginia Tech, from organizations to a part-time job to simply taking it all in. But as you head into the bulk of the year, you have a choice to make about what your time in Blacksburg will be like. Simply put, you can do all the cool things, or none of them--the choice is yours, but in what will feel like no time at all you’ll be walking across a stage getting your diploma.

You'll hear a lot from people that it’s important to try new things and meet other Hokies, and they're right in ways we don’t always realize. Joining three organizations and becoming an orientation leader might be your thing, or it might not and that’s fine too. Either way, when people tell you to get involved, there’s a buried message beyond school spirit or lines on a resume: learning what kind of life you want to live. You have less than 200 weekends left until you’re done with the 16-year path society has laid out for you--after graduation, whatever you do next is up to you, and how to use your degree is only part of the picture. The degree helps you get the job, but knowing what kind of lifestyle you want and what you’re passionate about is what sets you up to be happy.

With graduation comes figuring out where you’ll live, how you’ll get to the office, how you’ll spend your money, how much you want to be able to travel, what you’ll do on weekends, and so forth. Figuring out adult things like how to cook and what a credit score means can be learned on YouTube, but knowing what puts you at your best makes the switch to the post-grad life leagues easier. Consider this: Do you love the energy and convenience of living right on campus, or would you prefer to live somewhere a little less busy like Maple Ridge? Do you prefer a smaller org where you get to know everyone or a huge org that has a big presence on campus? Swap out org for company and campus for any major city and you have big questions about your future that will need answering, and you’re in the perfect place to find those answers.

Being a part of this university isn’t just about creating a better world, it’s about inventing your future. When alumni rave about the community at Virginia Tech this is what they're talking about--the massive community here to help you figure out who you want to be and how to get there. So while you’re here, my advice is this: ask the big questions like who you want to become, what kinds of things you value in life, and what things outside of the diploma you need to do in order to get there.

These are the years where someone becomes the person they’ll be for the rest of their lives, so enjoy the best that Blacksburg has to offer. Take advantage of all that Virginia Tech has set up to create an unforgettable experience for you, in whatever shape that may take. No experience will be the same, and at the end of the day, the best way to predict the future is to create it.

headshot Robbie Ashton
Robbie Ashton is a 2016 Virginia Tech graduate of Political Science & Management, currently working in Maryland with video-game publisher Bethesda Softworks. While a student, he worked with multiple organizations including SGA, PRISM, The Big Event, the Division of Student Affairs, and Innovate. Robbie's strengths: Futuristic, Strategic, Arranger, Competition, Includer