Dedicated students, distinguished colleagues and dear friends,

Happy Friday!

Although more than 40 years have passed, I can vividly remember the first day of my freshman year at LSU and the amalgam of feelings that came with it. I remember the excitement of college mixed with the uncertainties of a new country and culture, as well as the sheer fear of having to learn a new language and to adapt. Those mixed emotions were enough to startle me to the point of having to resort to my survivalist mode and force confidence in my senses. “It’s going to be all fine,” I kept repeating to myself quietly. “Just learn the rules and play accordingly.”

Flash forward to this week, when I met many of our new students who felt the same: fear and excitement, except for challenges of language and culture. In my conversations with them, they couldn’t wait to tell me why they were considering their majors and how excited they were to meet new friends and participate in design teams. They were concerned about their levels of preparedness for their chosen fields. They talked about calculus, physics, chemistry and biology, history, economics, computer science and nuclear engineering, mining engineering, architectural engineering and others. “How hard is my major?” several asked. “I am excited and a little worried since I know this is a lot different than high school,” some said.

I assured them that their worry and level of anxiety are normal. I mentioned that from time to time, they will be challenged, but the efforts will be well worth the reward. At the same time, I highlighted the resources and mechanisms in place to help them transition to college life. I ask our students, new and returning, to explore our wide array of support services available to them, ranging from health and well-being, to counseling, advising and academic support, tutoring options, and financial assistance. S&T offers a host of wellness apps, such as BetterYou and TalkCampus, plus our Joe Miner ChatBot, an AI-powered text messaging service that delivers campus updates, checks in on your student experience and connects you with personalized resources. Our Writing and Communication Center is a popular and great resource for the writers among us. At the same time, the center offers assistance for students to improve their writing and speaking skills. Specialty services, fitness facilities and student organizations of all kinds are also available.

For our new faculty and staff, the Teaching and Learning Center and Staff Success Center are the go-to sources for their educational and support needs, respectively.

Yet, the best support system that awaits you is the friends you will make. Find your new “tribe” to help you celebrate the good times and support you during the down times. It is with your friends that you develop a sense of belonging and purpose, prevent isolation, and can offer your companionship when they need it. The best way to look for a friend? Go out and try to be a friend to others, reconnect with old friends and in the process, boost your sense of self-worth and confidence. Looking for a chance to make friends with similar interests? Come to MinerRama at the Puck between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 11, and check out a plethora of student organizations and design teams!

To our students here at S&T and to all students, I say welcome. Your new start, like all new beginnings, can be scary and intimidating. But new beginnings also offer the opportunity to approach change with a positive perspective. At the same time, we must approach new tasks in an organized, structured manner. Establishing routines provides structure to help us know what to expect in our daily lives.

Let’s face it, the college experience is a joyful journey with exhilarating challenges that will prepare us to get ahead in life. But as the saying goes, “The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex, overwhelming tasks into small, manageable tasks, and starting on the first one.”

Warmly, 

-Mo.

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Mohammad Dehghani, PhD
Chancellor
mo@mst.edu | 573-341-4116

206 Parker Hall, 300 West 13th Street, Rolla, MO 65409-0910
chancellor.mst.edu