First things first. That feeling in the pit of your stomach – the mix of trepidation, excitement, fear, elation – is the same age old feeling that every first year has carried as they walked through front gates to begin their life as a Trinity student. Roll with it. In no time you’ll be to-ing and fro-ing across Front Square with the ease and familiarity of home because this is home for the next important years of your life.
In no time you’ll have a suss on the societies and clubs, the lecture halls and tutorial rooms, the Lecky and the Berkeley. You will quickly appreciate the distinctions between the Buttery and the Pav and the unique social ecosystems that have evolved in and around both establishments.
Most importantly, you will have met countless new people and made friends with some of them. Many of these will be long haul friendships for a lifetime. Others will be time bound to your years in this incredible university.
All of them will shape, influence, challenge, reaffirm the person that you are.
There is no one “type” in Trinity – despite the toffee nose stereotype that does the rounds. So give everyone a break and breathing space. That includes the impossibly self-assured, worldly-wise with too much to say. Remember they’re finding their way too.
Hit the books early and consistently – you’ll thank yourself at exam time. Looking for extensions for coursework – bar in exceptional circumstances – is not a plan. Find what you love and immerse yourself in it. This is the time to discover Beckett, TS Eliot, Edward Said, quantum physics, immunology, theology, classics – whatever your thing is. Learn with an open mind.
Stay connected to your parents, your family and to your old friends. They will always be there for you. Call home when you say you will. It saves hurt and hassle. Trust me.
A university education will not insulate or exempt you from injustice or unfairness but it does equip you to take them on. So be brave in stepping forward to challenge things that need challenging. You have earned a place at Trinity. Make it count.
The years ahead will fly by. Enjoy it. Have fun and try to live in the moment. You’ve got this.
