[Liam]

Pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone is a difficult but crucial step in finding your place at Groton. Its traditions, whether it be Sit-down Dinner, Open Mic, or even daily events like check-in, can easily be overwhelming for new students. In a new environment, I felt nervous about making mistakes that could harm me socially or academically. Expectations for what I was supposed to do or how to try new things often flew over my head. But looking back at the beginning of the school year, I realized my nervous disposition led me to miss out on the bigger picture of what Groton had to offer.

My biggest regret this year was that I did not take advantage of opportunities to engage with peers such as the club fair, a schoolwide event early in the fall where every club meets by the Circle to advertise to the student body. For new students, such events can be quite intimidating. The seemingly infinite line of tables makes zeroing in on a particular interest an arduous undertaking.

So after a year of toughening up, I have realized that in your first year here, taking risks is vital for extending personal boundaries beyond your comfort zone. It is impossible to have a meaningful role in this community without immersing yourself in all that it has to offer. As such, you should seize the wonderful opportunities that Groton offers, as this allows you to spend your time doing what you truly enjoy. I wish I had joined clubs this year because all of your clubs, teams, and other extracurriculars push you to leave your comfort zone and ultimately discover who you truly are.

[Arwen]

Likewise, I learned to open myself up to Groton—especially its tight-knit community—for my own success. Many students had warned me about the dreaded Winter Term and its inescapable academic rigor, which I found to be horrifyingly true.

December and January were horrible. Being a day student, I was already disconnected from dorm life. But I further isolated myself, monotonously rotating between the whiteboard rooms, music wing, and Athletic Center. I enviously watched my peers making those treasured memories promised by the Groton experience while I locked myself away, afraid that I would forsake my academic and athletic pursuits if I rested for even an hour. Every day felt longer than the previous, but never long enough.

In mid-January, I caught a 104-degree fever. Burnt out and down, I had an epiphany: Entertainment is a stimulus to success, not a hindrance. While the enormous workload may make you want to hibernate indoors and cry, it doesn’t hurt your progress to spend time with your friends. The ability to find spontaneity in the restrictive monotony of our scheduled lives is a difficult skill to master, yet it is crucial to long-term academic flourishing.

Your time at Groton is a marathon, not a sprint. Integration with your peers through joyful experiences not only gifts lifelong friendships but also allows you to reset physically and mentally. Your best memories will come from spending time away from your work: late-night conversations until two in the morning, the form-wide Parlors that forge lasting bonds with unlikely friends, and the afternoons frolicking on the Circle.

So, take risks! Leave room for fun. Go to club meetings, sign up for Sunday trips, and spend time with your friends—even if it means leaving your comfort zone or sacrificing time reviewing for Biology. After all, studying will always be waiting for you, but the opportunities to form lasting memories will not.