Two years ago, I walked onto this campus as a freshman, with my whole life packed into my parents’ car. That day seems like it was years ago, not just a measly two. I look at my life now and think, wow, I’m half way done with college. That’s scary. My advice to everyone, whether you are just arriving here for the first time or you are here for your second, third, or fourth year, take advantage of it. Make the most out of your time here, because, this time, you are paying for it.

This time around, I want to address my fellow upperclassman. Incoming freshman, you are going to be thrown into the college “world” really quickly. I could write you a long message about getting involved and making good choices, but no doubt you’ve already heard it a million times since you’ve got here, so you don’t need me to do it again. (Even though I do suggest you listen to what people are telling you, because it is good advice.) However, I do want to welcome you. So, welcome to UNH.

For my fellow returning students, welcome back. Now it’s time for the wakeup call we all desperately need. As returning students, moving back to campus has a different feel to it than it had when we first moved in freshman year. Something is missing; any idea what it is? No, it’s not that this time around we didn’t have Welcome Wagon to help us. (Though, I do have to admit that that was nice to have.) I think that the excitement that we had at our freshman move in is missing. That’s not to say that we are not excited about returning for another year, but it is not the same type of excitement. It sort of feels that we know what to expect when we come back to school, considering that we know what classes will be like, what clubs we are in, and what friends we have. As freshman, we were always excited to return after a long break, but maybe that did not hold truth for future years. Why is that? You know, freshman year is not supposed to be the only year of college that you enjoy. There are three more that follow that should be just as good, or better.

I think that one of the things that makes our remaining years at UNH significantly different than our freshman year is the great deal of complaining that we do about the school. Whether we complain about the food, classes, teachers, administration, parking, room selection, course selection, or the construction, we never seem to be happy with where we are or what we have. We need to STOP COMPAINING! That said, of course there are always going to be things on campus or about UNH that make people unhappy, but we should also be able to see the good things as well. Just look at the vast amount of improvements that were done to this campus this summer. Just step into Bartels and undoubtedly you will see that it was all worth it. Of course, there will still be people who complain about the construction and the noise, but those will be the same people who would have complained that nothing ever gets fixed on this campus. Being students we have a complete right to have a say in the way things are run. Everything is done for our benefit, whether you believe it or not. However, if there really is a problem, start by addressing the problem to someone who can fix it, not just your roommate who will listen to your complaints about it for hours. Your roommate can’t do anything about it, but the administration can. Think about that. If you need to complain, complain to the right people and especially utilize the USGA official website (www.chargervoice.com), where you can voice any complaints or comments.

I want to challenge all of you to make this year just as good as your freshman year was. Make things new and exciting again for yourself by trying some new things. Take the advice that the freshman get and tweak it to your own life. Join a club that you have never been a part of, go to more events on campus, and meet new people. Don’t assume that you know everything there is to know about this campus. If you can’t find your own excitement, look to the freshman for help because they are full of excitement both about UNH and their next four years. Get excited again and have a great year. I know with only two years left, I am certainly going to try.