An Open Letter to the Rat Mass of 26 + 3

Greetings Rat Mass of 26 + 3, If you are reading this, you most likely have completed Hell Week and have had a chance to sit down. Congratulations on completing your first step towards greatness. Soon, you will earn the privilege of being recognized as a genuine part of the Corps of Cadets within the barracks of the Virginia Military Institute (VMI). As I am writing this, it will be about 11 days until I am due to return to VMI to complete my unconventional cadetship, and I am left to reflect on my Rat Line and what I wish I had known when I first arrived on Post. At the request of a number of my mentors and peers alike, I am sharing just that with you. Please take this letter to heart and understand that what I write is genuine. I will start by saying that even at a college like VMI, there is no shame in asking for help, whether it be to your Brother Rat about how to complete a class to your cadre's liking, or an academic question to a professor inside the classroom. The scenario of asking a question and learning how something works sooner rather than later is much more ideal than pretending to understand something just to appear like a fool later when it is clear you do not know. There are also many academic resources, such as peer tutoring and advising through the Miller Academic Center (also known as "The MAC") for YOU here at VMI. It is there for you whether you are struggling in the classroom or are succeeding and want to stay on top of things; either way, your tuition pays for it, and you may as well take advantage of it, as it is there for you. No one ever succeeds alone, and if you believe that is not the case, attending a college like VMI, then you are foolish. You will hear this plenty of times throughout your Rat Line, but you will listen to it plenty because it rings true: be sure to manage your time. What makes VMI such a great school to go to is the fact that you have the opportunity to pursue so many great things here as you pursue your degree. Still, you must organize your time religiously, in some cases even down to the minute, to succeed both in your books and whatever else you may offer of yourself to the Institute. One person I strongly admire who both manages her time well at VMI is 1st Classman Julia Ward '26, who is the Band Company Commander, a member of a very demanding pipe band, a prosecutor of the Honor Court, and a Division I Water Polo player. She can flourish in all of these things whilst maintaining a Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) scholarship and academic stars as a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) major. None of these activities and commitments are easy, nor are earning the grades she keeps as she gives herself in these ways to VMI, but she can do all these great things because she works extremely hard and is meticulous in managing her time. Time management itself is not easy, as completing everything you need to do while sacrificing parts of yourself or your personal goals is very difficult. However, learning the act of managing your time is relatively simple, and you'll save yourself much grief by utilizing a planner or a weekly calendar to stay on top of your books, as Rat Training will demand most of your time throughout the week. Once you learn how to manage your time at VMI and are willing to make those sacrifices of yourself or your hobbies to succeed, I would boldly argue that you've mastered about 80% of what it takes to be a successful student and active participant within the Corps of Cadets. A third important point is to remember that the grass is only greener where you water it. You will find, while at VMI, that whether it is justified or not, you will never go a single day without hearing somebody complain about the general VMI experience, as if they didn't sign up for it when they signed the same matriculation book you did. You will most likely share the same sentiment as them and throw out a few complaints yourself; a lot of us, if not all of us, are somewhat guilty of this. However, with many years of complaining done by generations of cadets, you will be surprised to imagine what has come of it: nothing. Nothing changes when you complain about the situation you signed up for, except for your negative attitude and the fact that your spirit has faltered. I am not saying you do not have a right to complain about the environment you are in and confide in your Brother Rats. However, you are going to find yourself constantly depressed, if not just negative, if you continually complain about the things you can't change. At the very least, you can understand what you can't change, remain positive, and control the outcomes of that. I have witnessed many cadets do nothing but complain and live a contagious, miserable existence during their 8-10 semesters attending VMI and doing the bare minimum. Be positive where you can and when you can't. Turn to your friends when you cannot; you will find quite a bit of joy when you find your suffering is shared. Healthy outlets like cadet clubs, the gym, and staying on top of my work have always helped me, personally, and have left me less stressed and with a lot fewer complaints than my peers. I will say it once more because I cannot emphasize it enough: the grass is greener where you water it. Remain positive where you can and kick the endless complaints to the curb because if you do not, the only place you will find yourself is in a rut, and a college like VMI is rather challenging to get out of. I can only say so much, but these are three points of advice that come to mind as I reflect on what I wish I knew when I matriculated into VMI. Do your best, be your best, and find your reason. No one can take your efforts away from you, but you have to make the effort first. I wish you all the best of luck as you begin your academic careers here at the Virginia Military Institute. Rah, Virginia Mil! Very Respectfully, Cadet Richard "Richie" F. O'Connell III '22Co-Editor-in-Chief, The Cadet