Academia

Dear all DU students/alumni; all Bronxville H.S. students/alumni; and my family,

YOU DON'T KNOW HOW LUCKY WE ARE!
By the good graces of God and the Universe, we are smart.

Why am I so thankful all of a sudden? And why did it take me so long to realize this? The second, I'm not sure. But the first one is why I am writing to you.

Studying abroad, I have come across more than just French culture; also Spanish, Italian, and other European cultures; plus American culture outside of where I live.
One of the things I've noticed about American culture is that not everyone is as smart as the people I've been surrounded by my whole life.

I'm not trying to be rude or insensitive here! No, no! And I've discussed this with other DU classmates of mine who are studying abroad right now, too. We've been smacked in the face in our encounters with students from other colleges who are having difficulty with the curriculum. Meanwhile, us DU kids are breezing by; working hard, yet barely working; playing hard (and hard to get).

Back to academia.
Today's lesson: accept the things you cannot change, and learn to accept such things early in life, because it will save you much frustration later on.

We won't always be surrounded by such great minds, as evidenced, by our abroad experiences. Now is the time to thrive amongst our like-minded peers and take pride in the fact that we can all intelligently discuss current events, literature, economics, history, chemistry, and culture.
Even when we go off to our eventual careers and settle in new towns with our families, our coworkers and neighbors may not fulfill our ever-inquiring minds. Thanks to our privileged education and upbringing, we are not ignorant; we are not easily placated; and we are not unintelligent. We are a small, but important group of people.

Don't let the pressure or pride of this gift go to your heads, though! Modesty is as important as ever, as I've learned. Bragging about how easy that quiz was; how little you studied; or how much you don't care won't earn you any friends. You can't alienate people, but you can offer to help as much as possible, and be especially understanding. Especially now that you are aware of your own brain power.

So cheers to us! Cheers to our futures and our fortunes, not just monetary! Cheers to the friends we've made, and the ones we'll meet, and let their range of knowledge not barricade the doors to friendship! And cheers to our ability to give thanks for all that we take for granted!

xxo, S