Every Wake Forest student remembers how it felt to receive their acceptance letter. After years of hard work and months of college admission related agony, you’re notified that you’ve been accepted into one of the top institutions in the country. You spent the remainder of your senior year in high school scrolling through the online Deacon Shop in class and scanning the study abroad website. The more you learned, the more you knew Wake was the perfect fit for you. Top-notch academics, a pristine campus and ample social opportunities are a rare combination. Yet, there’s something else about Wake that makes it so captivating: the traditions. From rolling the quad to Lovefeast and Hit the Bricks, being a Wake student means being a part of something special; something that can’t be found anywhere else.
Then your first semester starts. When imagining your college experience, there’s one factor you may have failed to consider: schoolwork. As work begins to pile up and consume your life, the plans you had just months earlier start to fade away. Work becomes your main focus and within few months into the year, it seems silly to even consider taking an hour-long study break to attend the homecoming bonfire on a Thursday.
But, remember why you came. Wake Forest strives to develop its students— not just academically, but as people. The opportunities presented to us are bigger than our GPA, they’re a chance to experience and enjoy life. While academic success requires sacrifices from time to time, there’s something to be said about someone who learns how to balance their work and life. So, when you know there’s a soccer game coming up next wednesday, work ahead to lighten your load that day. Accept that some experiences are worth more than one letter grade on a homework assignment. Let’s embrace Pro Humanitate, starting with ourselves and our own wellbeing. Work will always be there for you, but we only have four years to embrace life at this university.