Greetings, Class of 2023/24!
My name is Khadija Shahab and I am a Junior at LUMS, currently pursuing my major in Accounting and Finance along with a minor in Psychology. I’d like to congratulate you all for making it to LUMS and hope that this marks the beginning of an exhilarating journey. While it may not always be smiles and sunshine, it will surely be one of its kind.
Before you step into this journey, I’d like to stress the importance of believing in oneself. Once you start your academic life at LUMS and once the semester kicks in, you will find yourself on your own. Yes, you will make friends during your O week, you will get to know your seniors, your Peer Advisors, (and me, hopefully), but in the end, everything’s going to be your call. Whether it’s about which courses to take, where to place your academic priorities, whether to go on that exciting trip to the North, whether to miss out on that one dinner because of a 5% quiz the next morning, it is all going to come down to you. So, make sure you own up to your mistakes and treat yourself when you feel like you have accomplished your goals. Don’t worry too much about others, don’t worry about failure when aiming high, don’t worry about being called out on for speaking too much in a CP session; don’t let anyone control your choices.
Finally, ending this on a light note and saving the rest for our in-person meet up during O-week. Congratulations, to all those for whom LUMS was their dream university as well as for those who kept it as a Plan B; you are all here to make the most out of it. Not to forget, you can always reach out to me whenever you find yourself struggling and we can unfold the mysteries of your LUMS life with a tea session.
Lastly, I would like to share one of my favorite quotes which keep me going at LUMS even when I am on the verge of a mental breakdown:
“Do not worry if you have built your castles in the air. They are where they should be. Now put the foundations under them” – Henry David Thoreau.
See you all soon.