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Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Ready to head to VT? Don't forget to pack these 4


Have you finished your packing to head to Virginia Tech yet? Wait!

There are 4 things to add to your packing list for the 2015-16 academic year. No worries, though, for they won’t take up extra space in your suitcase or your vehicle. And, if you're already here, you can still work on these. What do I want you to bring with you this year? One word relates to all 4 of them:

OPEN

Here’s your Packing List to join the Hokie Nation:


OPEN your schedule to new experiences. College is all about exploring new frontiers. Embrace the curiosity you had when you were little. Attend an event that you would not normally go to. Learn a foreign language. Take a class in a subject that you don’t know anything about. I did that and the subject ended up being my major because in the first class I had, Dr. Stern made the topic come to life. Along with being an engaging professor, Dr. Stern had a genuine interest in his students and worked hard to connect with us. In the Division of Student Affairs we call this goal we have for students committing to unwavering curiosity.


OPEN your mind. The next four years or more give you an opportunity to broaden your understanding of yourself and others. By pursuing self-understanding and integrity while you’re here, you’ll gain greater self-knowledge and be able to stay true to your beliefs as well as work to understand beliefs different from your own by practicing civility and respect as you encounter those differences. Career Services provides a number of tools for you to grow your self-knowledge and our Intercultural Engagement office offers programs for you to grow in your understanding of others.


OPEN your hands. This university attracts students who want to give back. There are lots of ways for you to open your hands while you’re at Virginia Tech, whether it’s getting involved in VT Engage, an alternative spring break program, the BIG EVENT, Cranwell International Center, a philanthropy through your student organization, or some other means. The possibilities are endless for you to help those who can’t help themselves or are on the fringes in your role as a courageous leader.


OPEN your heart. Our university motto, Ut Prosim, That I May Serve, calls to us to do this.  As you continue to learn what it means to be a Hokie, this principle is at the center of it all. How will you open your heart to serve this university, the community, the nation and the world and its people?


Bring these 4 with you, and you'll represent the Hokie Nation.

We welcome you with OPEN arms.

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