I want you to know how pleased I am that you chose to come to the University of New Hampshire. UNH is a special place and one of the best universities in the United States. In addition to instruction, UNH has major commitments to research and to public service. Remember as you plan your total degree program that it is likely you will have opportunities for experiences in research or public service. You will also want to consider the benefits of study abroad in one of the many foreign sites where UNH sends students, or internship opportunities in other towns or states. One of the reasons to plan your total degree program early is to take advantage of opportunities for some of these enrichment experiences.

However, it is likely that this, your first year, will be spent primarily on the home campus and that your primary responsibility will be to your coursework. There are three things you can do that will go a long way to guaranteeing academic success this year.

• Get to know your academic advisor and at least one faculty member during the first semester.
• Go to every scheduled class, missing none.
• Connect to a smaller group of students through some organization or activity that interests you and be part of that group for the whole year.

There is one thing the University must be clear with you about. The University must provide for the safety of all members of the community and must also create an environment appropriate for learning. For these reasons, the University's code of student conduct sets somewhat higher standards than what are required in the society generally. Learning requires a reasonably disciplined environment.

One of Yogi Berra's often quoted sayings is, "If there is a fork in the road, take it." But, we know that often doesn't work. There are some circumstances where we can't have it both ways. Decisions must be made. Underage drinking and binge drinking are serious problems for this college generation. Large numbers of college-age students have made bad decisions about alcohol, and as consequence their futures have been damaged, even ruined.

When you entered the University, you became a citizen of the University community. This is a different kind of community than you may have experienced before. In it, you are responsible not only for yourself, but for all members of the community. Please remember that the decisions you make about alcohol are not just personal decisions. They are decisions that affect other people and often the entire community.