I’m going to be really honest with you here: I really wasn’t ready for the 6-hour car ride here back in August 2014. I was so not ready that I pretty much cried the whole time. It wasn’t so much that I didn’t want to come to CoMo; I had been dreaming about Mizzou for years. Since I had grown up in a tight-knit community in the western suburbs of Chicago, it was more than I didn’t want to leave.
Looking back on that very sad six-hour car ride now, I wish my dad had driven our minivan faster. I wish I had known the friends, experiences and communities that were waiting for me in CoMo. Now, I’d give almost anything to rewind and begin here as a freshman again. But what I’ve lost in time, I’ve gained in a little bit of hard-earned wisdom, which, dear freshman, is what I’d like to share with you.
Do things with pure intentions. Let’s break this sentence into two very important parts. Part one: do things. It doesn’t matter what – Greek Life, MAB, MizzouThon, academic organizations, a club team – but do it. By taking chances and immersing yourself in organizations, you will quickly find that all of Mizzou’s clubs comprise little communities. These communities will make this place your home. The second part of this phrase is equally important: do things with pure intentions. No matter which community you decide to pour into, join it because you love it and because you want to.
You get what you give. Once you’ve set your sights on these communities, know that the old adage holds true: you get out what you put in. If you show up every once in a while or do something just to check a box, you won’t get all the friends, experiences or stories that organization has to offer. But if you show up in a big way, dedicate yourself, put in late nights and early mornings, and love that community hard, that experience will imprint your life in a huge way.
Give back what you get. Mizzou will give you so much. It will give you your greatest cheerleaders, some of your most cherished memories and a place you can call home for the rest of your life. No matter what form these gifts come in, pay them back in kind. Maybe giving back what you’ve received will happen during your college years through philanthropic organizations or mentorship of those following in your footsteps. Perhaps the best time to give is after graduation. No matter what you give back to Mizzou, do so knowing that this place will give to you long after you’re gone.
— Gabbie Gresge, Senior, Journalism
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