Manaved’s musings on year two at Fletcher

Our final update from our returning 2nd-year students comes from Manaved, already well into the “home stretch” at Fletcher:

I have penned down multiple thoughts on my experiences in Fletcher. An underlying thought that was common to all those experiences was that I had one more year to do it all again.

However, now that I am in my second year, that refrain seems to be lacking.

I know that I am not alone in this. For those of us who are graduating in a semester or two, there is a sense of finality that has started to subtly pervade much of our interactions, tinging the brilliant Fletcher experience with a small dose of melancholy.

However, at the same time, it is evident to me that the second year at Fletcher goes by much more efficiently than the first. It is rare that we make the same mistakes twice, and most of us know now how to navigate the corridors of Fletcher, metaphorical and otherwise.

To my fellow Fletcher students in the first year, I urge you to make more mistakes than you normally would.

Take that class you have been unsure of taking, go explore the Boston area, skip a few readings now and then, and if you are made of sterner stuff, drink some Rubi from time to time [Editor’s note: we regret the recent loss of Rubi, Fletcher’s much-loved but finicky coffee machine, but welcome its yet-to-be named replacement, which even makes lattes!].

Perhaps most importantly, make those lifelong friends that Fletcher is known for, as countless generations of your peers have done.

If there is one thing that I will definitely take back from Fletcher, it is the friendships that I am proud to be a part of. This is, of course, not counting my student debt.

Jokes aside, it is very exciting to get started with my second year in these hallowed halls.   

Indeed, it is a time for new beginnings. When I applied to Fletcher, Dean Stavridis was in charge. When I started at Fletcher, it was Dean Johnstone handling matters. Now, in my final year, I am extremely excited to see Fletcher thriving under the guidance of Dean Kyte.

Here is to great year ahead for all of us.