{"id":57270,"date":"2025-08-27T14:52:51","date_gmt":"2025-08-27T18:52:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/?p=57270"},"modified":"2025-08-27T14:52:52","modified_gmt":"2025-08-27T18:52:52","slug":"class-2029-advice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/class-2029-advice\/","title":{"rendered":"Welcoming the Class of \u201929, with Big Red Words of Wisdom"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Your alma mater asked for advice for new students\u2014and on topics from studying to social life to slogging up the Slope, you delivered<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Cornellians<\/em> Staff<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe more you keep your mind open, the more you engage with different ideas and different people, the better you\u2019ll be able to understand the world and all its complexities,\u201d President Mike Kotlikoff advised the Schoellkopf crowd in August 2025, \u201cand the more capable and mature your mind will be when you leave here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The occasion was New Student Convocation<\/a>, when Kotlikoff welcomed matriculating first-years, transfer students, and their families and friends to the Big Red community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"President
President Kotlikoff leads New Student Convocation.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

And that Cornellian community is growing fast: at 3,861 members, the Class of 2029<\/a> is the largest in University history, with 18% of the students being the first in their families to attend college.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Together with the 640 transfer students who arrived for the fall 2025 semester, these future alumni represent all 50 states, plus Washington, DC; the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico and the Mariana Islands; and 97 countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At 3,861 members, the Class of 2029 is the largest in University history, with 18% of the students being the first in their families to attend college.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe most important point I want to emphasize for you today is that this is your journey,\u201d Ryan Lombardi, vice president for student and campus life, said in his own Convocation remarks. \u201cThe coming transition begins the shift from other people\u2014your parents, family members, or others\u2014shaping your learning in life, to you doing so.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The words of wisdom from Lombardi and Kotlikoff were just some of the advice on offer for the new Cornellians: in advance of Move-In, the University put out a call on social media for tips on how new students can get the most out of their years on the Hill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Rite of passage: Moving into a dorm room.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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And happily, you delivered\u2014with dozens of alums (among other respondents) offering insights on everything from balancing studies and social life to navigating an Ithaca winter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Comfortable, weather-appropriate shoes were mentioned \u2026 frequently<\/em>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The following is a sampling of advice from alumni\u2014illustrated with images from fall 2025\u2019s Move-In, Orientation, the first day of classes, and more. (Responses have been edited and condensed.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cDo clubs; take cool gym classes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 <\/em>Andrea Schiralli \u201910<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cYou\u2019re probably used to being the smartest one in the room. Get over it. Nobody asks your GPA after you graduate, just your degree. Learn to not take yourself too seriously\u2014and take some time to thank your family, who got you there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Rebecca Richardson \u201977<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cTake advantage of the rare opportunity to get to know others with backgrounds and interests different from your own.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 David Hahn \u201980<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Enjoy it. It\u2019s fleeting and beautiful. Work hard, learn, make friends, and socialize\u2014because this is the last time in your life that you will be that free.<\/p>\nGuste Urbonaite \u201915<\/strong><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t have to take all your textbooks to every class.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Julie Weston James \u201992<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cThe best view is from the top floor of the Johnson Museum. Visit the Asian art collection while you\u2019re there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Nina Hien, MA \u201999, PhD \u201907<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cKeep an open mind. Make friends. Get to know your professors. Don\u2019t forget to eat.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 <\/em>Simon Krieger \u201976, MBA \u201977<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Room Keys & Student IDs: Check-In at the Ithaca Mall<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\u201cDo all the things: gorges, waterfalls, lakes, Botanic Gardens, etc. And take Intro to Wines your senior year.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Matt Dougall \u201991<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cAttend to growing as a whole person\u2014mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Wendy Hill Sanchez \u201984<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cWhen times get hard, connect with nature. We are blessed to have that on and around campus.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Gahsenide Hubbell \u201927<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Bring a sweater\u2014I saw my breath on my first morning.<\/p>\nEthan Fogg \u201902, BS \u201903<\/strong><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGo to Lynah every chance you get.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Darren Rumack \u201904<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cHigh school didn\u2019t prepare me for college. Cornell is hard; you have to be tough and stick with it. After the first week, I felt like I was already six weeks behind. It was overwhelming, but somehow I adapted.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Charlie Montagna \u201968, BS \u201970, DVM \u201971<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cDon\u2019t be afraid to ask for help from your profs, classmates, librarians, TAs, etc. And absolutely look both ways before crossing any street.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Jenn Thomas-Murphy \u201909<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Moving In!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\u201cI feel like my advice would be a little outdated: pay for the ethernet, because modems are slow.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 <\/em>Beth Hill Tulanowski \u201999, MS \u201902<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cSavor every moment. Make friends. And study!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 <\/em>Susan Cooper Potters \u201981<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cBring your walking shoes\u2014and your snowshoes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Diane Campion \u201980<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Take electives, even if they have nothing to do with your major. Don\u2019t get too comfortable or complacent with one friend group. Expand your horizons, in every sense of the phrase.<\/p>\nEllen Raynor \u201979<\/strong><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTry all the things! Audition for something you\u2019ve never tried before. Show up at events you\u2019ve never heard of before. Swim in your possibilities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Karen Pearse Apgar \u201992<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cPut all your assignments in your calendar at the beginning of the semester, then work backward to figure out when you need to start them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Mary Jane Curry \u201983<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cComfortable shoes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Mary Warner Webster \u201981<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Greetings from President Kotlikoff<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\u201cNever compare yourself with others. Make friends. Join fun clubs. Please, never miss your meals and sleep.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Hassan Ukasha \u201926, BS \u201924, MPH \u201925<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cEnjoy the Slope, especially while the weather\u2019s still good. It won\u2019t be good again until probably May.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Jesse Fowler, MPS \u201923<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Say \u2018yes\u2019\u2014and stay out of your room as much as possible.<\/p>\nBen Raile \u201900<\/strong><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\u201cStretch\u2014because those hills are no joke!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Robert Harrell, current law student<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cStudy in a library different from your major. Get out of your comfort zone. Go to concerts of music you\u2019ve never heard before. Talk to people in line.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Cindy Fuller \u201978, PhD \u201992<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cStay one summer, so you get to enjoy Cornell and Ithaca in all seasons.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Lisa Prestigiacomo Williams \u201988<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Convocation & Other Festivities<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\u201cMake sure your first year includes at least one Big Red home football, basketball, hockey, and baseball game, and a visit to Collegetown, downtown Ithaca, the Ithaca Farmers Market, and Ithaca College. Walk across the Suspension Bridge at least once each season. Walk through all floors of Willard Straight, Uris Library, Anabel Taylor, and the Johnson Museum.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Al Schwartz \u201962, JD \u201967<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cGood, waterproof boots or shoes make all the difference!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Marie Turock \u201996<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cTaste every flavor of Purity ice cream. Try a unique gym class. Get ready to study longer than you sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Carla Walsh \u201985, DVM \u201988<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Don\u2019t sign up for any classes earlier than 10 a.m.<\/p>\nNicole Neroulias Gupte \u201901<\/strong><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere are three semesters: fall, spring, and construction.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Howard Reifer \u201994<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cFind a group you can study with, a group you can have fun with, and a group you can worship with.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Andy Henderson \u201978, MEng \u201979<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cReach out to as many people as you can. Some of them will be your wedding party, your children\u2019s godparents or guardians, and your lifelong friends.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Jennifer Grosner-Mentzer \u201996<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Campus Commutes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\u201cDon\u2019t blink. It\u2019s over in no time\u2014but it leaves great memories.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Brooks Kuykendall, PhD \u201905<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cJoin WVBR, the nation\u2019s only student-owned, commercial radio station.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 John Henrehan \u201971, BS \u201976<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cAllow time to study, sleep, socialize, and join activities; find balance between these.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Barbara Redden Leamer \u201957<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Don\u2019t sweat your grades. In four years, everyone\u2019s diploma will say \u2018Cornell University.\u2019<\/p>\nJessica Thomas \u201900<\/strong><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGet used to walking uphill both ways in snow\u2014from October to April. But it\u2019s beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Danielle Guarracino \u201902<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cLearn what you can\u2014from professors and each other.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 <\/em>Russell Price \u201977<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cIntroduce yourself to your professors and familiarize yourself with their research. Find a mentor. Be curious about, and generous toward, your peers; it\u2019s not a competition. It can take a semester, a year, or more to find your people, but it will happen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 <\/em>Eli Newell \u201924<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cEnjoy it\u2014you have no idea how lucky you are.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 <\/em>Doug Finch \u201990<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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First Day of Classes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\u201cLaugh a lot. Study hard. And never lose your honor.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Dan Zaccardo \u201981<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cGet out of your dorm room into the outdoors, meet lots of people, and don\u2019t try to solve every problem by yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Christina Bentanzos Pint \u201994, MArch \u201900<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cMake friends you\u2019ll know for the rest of your life. Think outside the classroom. Enjoy every minute, because it goes by really fast.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Brad Will \u201984<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cBe an independent thinker.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 <\/em>Kerry Litvin, PhD \u201994<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It\u2019s all about balance. You can get great grades and have fun\u2014just be organized.<\/p>\nMatt Adler \u201980<\/strong><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEngage other cultures.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 <\/em>W. Virgil Cotton \u201979<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cI\u2019ll give the advice I heard [science fiction author] David Brin give to a group of freshmen once: every so often, pick a random building on campus, and then a random room within it. Knock on the door, and politely ask, \u2018What do you do here?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 <\/em>Tim Lynch \u201990<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cEnjoy every minute.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 <\/em>Jean Tien \u201999<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cPull up one of those \u2018161 Things to Do at Cornell\u2019 lists and see how many you can check off. There will be some you can\u2019t or don\u2019t want to do, and that\u2019s OK. Look outside your major for related interests in different departments. Try all the caf\u00e9s and dining halls.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 <\/em>Becca Lublin \u201919, MEng \u201919<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Enjoying the Beauty of the Hill<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\u201cLearn to ice skate. Go to a hockey game. Hike in the Arboretum. Shop on the Commons. Visit the Johnson Museum. Eat at the Big Red Barn. Climb McGraw Tower and watch the chimesmasters play. Dress warmly. Play in the snow. Go sailing or boating on Cayuga Lake. Watch the sunset from Libe Slope.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 <\/em>Suzanne Hagedorn, PhD \u201995<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cSolid footwear.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 <\/em>Tina Jordan \u201990<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cWork hard, but get involved and enjoy the experience. I look back on those days fondly, including joining the Sherwoods and working in the Lab of Plasma Studies. One fond memory was taking my last fall semester final and walking over the gorge in a light snow heading to Collegetown. What a beautiful sight!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 <\/em>Jim Blumling \u201975<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cParticipate in outside activities: clubs, hikes, etc.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 <\/em>Jennifer Green Wenacur \u201994<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Do more than study\u2014whether it\u2019s clubs, sports or just hanging out with friends from other parts of the U.S. or the world. I did recruiting for a Fortune 20 company; I didn\u2019t hire students who only<\/em> studied.<\/p>\nWade Amos, MEng \u201995<\/strong><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\u201cStudy hard\u2014and be mindful, curious, bold, and grateful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 <\/em>Robbin Warner Goulet \u201978<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cGet ready to walk, have patience, meet new friends, and explore.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 <\/em>Betsy Silverfine \u201981<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cEnjoy the moment\u2014it goes way too fast!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 <\/em>Linda Francis Scherruble \u201973<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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(Top: A new student checks in at the Ithaca mall. All images in this story by Cornell University photographers Alexandra Bayer, Devin Flores, Sreang Hok, Jason Koski, and Ryan Young.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Published August 27, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What advice do you have for new students?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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