The "Finals" Countdown

Dear Tulane Community,

Like you, I have many dreams for the future of Tulane and New Orleans. I also share the dream seared into our nation's consciousness by the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. These are wonderful and welcomed dreams. But I also have a recurring anxiety dream that is quite the opposite.

I dream that I am back in college – sometimes as an undergraduate, sometimes as a law student (depending on what I had for dinner, I guess) and I haven't cracked a single book to prepare for my looming final exams. I wake up feeling special empathy for our students, especially as they begin their final exams next week. But then I remember that all of you have been studying all semester for these finals, right?

So while you study hard, remember that it is normal to be anxious and take advantage of breaks like the ones offered at Tulane. Sleep well, eat well and try to view each test not so much as a "final" to be dreaded, but as a moment of opportunity and growth to be embraced on a lifelong journey of learning and discovery.

The work and sacrifice you are putting into your education today will make all your best dreams come true tomorrow.

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Signature of Mike Fitts