"In life there is one inescapable fact; at some point you’ll have to pay your dues. My suggestion is front-end-load them. Work hard now, while you’re here. Study hard, develop the learning skills you’ll need to be successful, and prepare yourself for your career by never turning down an opportunity to gain more knowledge and better yourself. Doing this will make you the kind of person people will want to hire, allow you to rise faster in your career than others, ultimately allow you to give back and help others in greater ways, and give you a more enjoyable and satisfying life."

-Thomas Erdmann, Professor of Music

"I would say come to class ready (physically and mentally) to learn. Learning is active, engage yourself, count on yourself for success, establish patterns of study that match you. But, know when to ask questions and ask for help. You will be pleasantly surprised (esp. if you do your part) how much Elon (faculty and staff) cares for each and every member of the Elon community and will do all they can to help you succeed."

-Steve Moore, Lecturer in Environmental Studies

"My advice to first-year students would be to take good care of yourself emotionally and physically. Do not shed who you are to be a part of a group. Make time for nature, exercises, healthful eating, and enjoying friends. Also, even if you do not feel like it, go to class. What happens there cannot be made up."

-Barbara Gordon, Associate professor of English

“Every day in every class, work hard to find at least one useful observation or conclusion that would give that class some meaning for you. Soon, you will be in the habit of finding meaning in everything you do.”

-Robert Moorman, Frank S. Holt, Jr. Professor of Business Leadership

"Welcome to Elon! Explore all that Elon has to offer, but be sure to keep up with your classes. If you have any questions, reach out to your professors. They will be glad to help you."

-Susan Anderson, Professor of Accounting

"Many of [your] classmates feel the same way as [you]do so [you] are not alone.Take advantage of the faculty’s help and their willingness to want [you] to succeed.[You] are in college now and [you] might need to change the way [you] study to be successful.It’s okay not to know what [you] want to do after [you]graduate."

-Yuko Miyamoto, Associate professor of Biology

"Welcome to Elon University. I hope you will have a wonderful four years. I offer up some advice because I want you to have a wonderful four years at Elon.

  • Your major can wait. Take the core seriously.
  • Elon has many experiences you can benefit from. Plays, concerts, presentations by authors, world renowned speakers. Go to as many of these as possible. If you’re not interested, why come to a liberal arts university?
  • Don’t be a stranger to your professors. They like getting to know their students.
  • Stay out of trouble. If you do something you shouldn’t be doing, don’t post it on social media. Your (future) employers can see what you’ve done."

-Raghu Tadepalli, Dean of Martha and Spencer Love School of Business 

"Take a deep breath and realize that as wonderful as your journey will be at Elon, there will be bumps along the road. It may look like you may be the only one feeling tired, lonely, distressed or homesick. That is not true. Our most successful students have failed at things and felt the same as you may be feeling. The key is to realize that learning to live with failure and to navigate distress are essential to growth and maturity. There are many resources here to help you navigate.”

-Jana Lynn Patterson, Associate Vice President of Student Life and Dean of Student Health and Wellness