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Looking back at my time here, I can remember when I started two years ago. It seems like the time has gone quickly, and I am now thinking about how the newbs must feel, how the third years felt when we arrived, and the road that lies ahead of the first-year students.

Dear Newbs,Be prepared

You are in for a grueling challenge that will last the extent of your first two years.

You will have arguments will a number of people. It is just how things go. You will disagree with your professors and you will disagree with your fellow classmates. Sometimes those disagreements get heated. I have witnessed tears on a number of occasions.

You will also laugh. I have had a lot of fun with almost all of the people I have been with at Columbia throughout the last two years. This is where you will make friends that will become a part of your identity. They will become not only your friends, but also your colleagues; people you can turn to after grad school for advice and critique.

Take It All In

You have a lot to learn, and it is up to you to take it all in. There will be a lot of theory thrown at you, a lot of technical information, a lot of criticism, and a lot of names.

And while you will want to take it all in, the other part you will learn is what you want to include in your own repertoire.

This is Your Time

You get three years. Three years. Three years to make whatever you want. And make a lot of it. Try things. Try things that maybe you wouldn’t. Try things that maybe you shouldn’t. The time you spend here has the potential to be the most productive (in terms of the amount of work you make) time of your career. Take advantage of that.

Get Started

It’s time. Get started. Dive right in. You won’t be disappointed.

See ya soon.