Community

I remember walking as a prep down the path towards Elm St. with a friend and asking him, “You know what would be weird? If the two of us both flashed back to this moment when we became seniors. It would be like we time traveled.” This memory came back to me as I traversed the same path just a few days ago. A part of me felt as if the fous years at Exeter had simply slipped by. In reality, a lot has changed.

I have learned a lot from the time spent here, and indeed I have gleaned a lot more from friends and memories than the scores of classes I have taken. That’s what I want to remember from my time here: that Exeter was a truly enlightening learning experience. Contrary to what we’re told frequently, our grades shouldn’t be a reflection of our learning and maturity as students. There are lessons given to me by friends, faculty and others that I will take to heart.

I’ve been told time and time again by over a hundred successful speakers to make mistakes and take my failures in stride. Of course, the sayings are true; every terrible test or scolding by faculty could just be that reminder someone needs to get them back on track. But the perfectionist culture at Exeter leaves little mercy for mistakes. It’s a small school, and whatever wrongs you commit follow you. One vagrant error can absolutely change the way that others view you. I began to learn that every day isn’t always a fresh one, that sometimes failure is a crushing blow that I can’t always recover from. But I have also learned to accept that what is done is done and to cut my losses. I have to learn everything that I can from my mistakes because a lesson learned with a slap on the wrist is far better than more austere consequences down the road. With every passing misstep I take, I try to make sure I can gain tools to succeed later. 

There were long periods at Exeter when I was struggling. I’ve had days where one demoralizing event piles on top of another, or the endless wave of work breaks the fragile spirit of enthusiasm. We all have different ways of coping with such hard times, whether it’s a religious organization, reliance on friends or weekend Netflix binges. For me, I hung on to a sparkling vision of my future. But it wasn’t as if I had some fantasy career plan and I was following the steps to achieve my goals. My dreams were there to remind me that I had a future that would be brighter than the life I had now, that things would turn out for the better and that everything could only go uphill from here. Most importantly, my dreams provided a way to have a positive outlook in life.

Looking back, the hardships and successes that I have experienced at Exeter have truly shaped my character for the better. The support, joy and guidance that friends and faculty have provided have made my time here priceless. Life is nothing without those to share it with, and I am proud to have been a part of the vibrant community of Exeter and the Class of 2014.