"In high school, many students are used to doing what they're told. Take these classes. Take the SAT. Apply to college.
But now you're going to change the paradigm—for the better. Instead of doing things because you're supposed to, now you can do things because you want to. Study what interests you. Discover what compels you. Try to solve what mystifies you. Once you begin to make this shift, everything will change. Instead of merely pursuing credits, you'll be pursuing answers. And instead of taking disconnected required classes, you can acquire meaningful, cohesive, powerful knowledge.
You'll be able to contemplate: What are my core interests? What am I really excited by? How can I craft my journey through college in order to explore my interests more deeply?
Discover your passion. Find your voice. Make your way forward. You're going to love this experience. And you won't do it alone. At your side, every step of the way, are the finest faculty and peers you would ever want on your team."
Learn for life beyond college
Catherine M. Stock
Barbara Zaccheo Kohn '72 Professor of History
"What do you want to be when you grow up?
You might do better to ask, What do you want to accomplish? Or What work would be most compelling or meaningful to you? Or How do you want to make a difference in the world?
The fact is that the job you'll have in 10 years probably doesn't even exist right now. And you're not going to remain in one job throughout your adult life. Change is the new constant.
So how can you prepare for a career-scape that's in constant flux, or a profession that's yet to be created? Go through Connections. Here, you'll become adaptive and adept. You'll get the skills you need for whichever career path pulls you in. You'll learn to integrate information, work productively with a team and express yourself. You'll gain a global language and greater perspective.
You're going to tap into new enthusiasms here, and stretch yourself in unprecedented ways. Internships, summer work, research with professors. Everything you do here will add up. You're going to shine."
Put the world together in new ways
David Jaffe
Professor of Theater Chair of the Theater Department
"Silo thinking is a thing of the past. The world doesn't fit into neat little discrete compartments. On the contrary, the world is interwoven, and it needs contributors and changemakers who understand this. Not-for-profits, art institutions, educational institutions, NGOs, corporations—both here and abroad. All of these organizations demand people who can think outside of narrow confines and make connections across disciplines, across groups of people, across borders.
When you go through Connections, you become aware of the multiple links among academic subjects, professions and ways of solving problems. Your eyes are opened.
In traditional curricula, you're something of a passenger on your educational journey, and you might not take any notice of the guideposts and landmarks along the way. But when you're the one behind the wheel, you're going to pay acute attention to everything around you, and use it to your advantage. You'll recognize what you're working with, and pull the pieces together."
