Promposals erupt across campus like the blooming flowers (some gone viral). Pollen swirls in the hot, humid air. It seems that soon enough, a new class of Andover students will arrive, and all of us will find ourselves a grade higher. In honor of our last paper, here is some advice for the next school year that we’ve collected over our time.
Many may think of Andover students as a binary. We either put down our accomplishments or we boost them to the moon. However, both sides of this coin risk denying the beauty in what we’ve accomplished. At a school where nearly eighty percent of students have felt academically insecure, we need to let ourselves be proud. Proud of ourselves the same way we’re proud of our friends when they come smiling out of a test, or when they achieve a personal record at their sport. We should let ourselves shine, and do so without shame.
Andover is often named a ‘pressure cooker.’ Its perceived demand for perfection can make the fear of looking foolish seem paralyzing. One might refuse to raise their hand during a class discussion in fear of saying something subpar. Similarly, they might put up a nonchalant front to peers, stifling their emotions so as to seem in control. These acts of avoiding embarrassment limit us to what we already know. We should take risks to channel our emotions and curiosity, even if we might be embarrassed at first. Ask out your crush. Pose the stupid question. Start a Substack. The fear of embarrassment is much worse than the cost of inaction.
Remember that one compliment you were given? The one that still pops up in your head sometimes, giving you a little smile? That could be someone else, smiling over something you said. Now, don’t just go buttering everyone up. But if you see something you appreciate, even for a second, mention it.
At Andover, it seems that we see our teachers almost everywhere: at least three times a week in class, around the paths, in Paresky Commons, and, on occasion, downtown. What makes Andover unique is that it is a place where students and faculty co-exist. So, we should take advantage of this dynamic and ask ourselves if we’ve truly made an effort to get to know them. Greet your teachers around campus. Ask them about their weekend happenings with genuine curiosity. Invite them to sit with you at lunch or to your athletic event. Recognize your teachers as real people.
Don’t always take the ‘Main Street.’ Coming into freshman year, some of us may have had our sights set on the clubs we’d join and the things we’d do. We may have tried our best to stay steadfast on such a path. However, by fixing ourselves to predetermined routes and outcomes, we lose out on the creativity and abundance that can come only with exposure. Showing up to a friend’s club meeting, if it doesn’t fit on your resume. Taking the scenic route, just to have one more conversation (it could inspire your next big idea). Cringey as it is, time flies at Andover, and there are infinite routes that can be taken through its journey. Take ones that count.
