Fall is in the air – can you feel it? For me, fall signifies:
- Campus coming back alive
- Parents moving their students into dorms
- New beginnings
- Cooler temperatures and changing leaves
- Corn mazes and apple cider
- Saturday football and homecoming
This list includes a combination of endings and beginnings, all part of the cycle of campus life. College football has a special place in my heart as it played a big part in my life growing up. It was a time to get together with friends and family, to be part of something bigger than myself, to belong. In early October, thousands of former Boilermakers will return to campus for Homecoming. Why do they make this pilgrimage? They do this because of the connection they have with Purdue, to celebrate this community and their place in our great Boilermaker nation. I appreciate that football does not appeal to everyone, but I believe that belonging does.
You are part of our great Boilermaker nation too, and you belong here. But truly feeling like you belong requires some work on your part too. What are you doing to explore campus and build the connections and memories that will drive you to make the pilgrimage back to campus later in life? Joining a club is a great way to stretch your boundaries, meet new people, even have an impact. The Polytechnic offers 55 clubs and Purdue has over 1,000 clubs. There is truly something for everyone here.
Being connected with others benefits our brains and supports learning by boosting positive neurotransmitters including serotonin, oxytocin, norepinephrine, dopamine, and endorphins. Further, the Mayo Clinic reports that a sense of belonging is crucial to physical and mental health, happiness, and even longevity. It gives us a sense of purpose and meaning. Try these tips to help increase your own sense of belonging:
- Make an effort to engage with others.
- Keep and open mind and try new things.
- Practice an attitude of acceptance.
It is important that your time at Purdue and with the Polytechnic is filled with wonderful memories and connections. We want you to join the pilgrimage back to campus ten, twenty, thirty years into the future. We want you to forever be proud members of the Boilermaker nation