In greeting the undergraduate Class of 2029 to the campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, MIT President Sally Kornbluth commenced the Institute’s convocation on Sunday with a message that highlighted MIT’s faith in its new scholars.

“We trust in each of you, in the learning, creating, discovering, and innovating that you all have come here to pursue,” Kornbluth stated. “And in your limitless potential as future trailblazers who will assist in addressing genuine issues that individuals encounter in their everyday lives.”

She remarked: “If you’re out there feeling particularly fortunate to be joining this remarkable community, I wish for you to realize that we feel even more fortunate. We’re thrilled and appreciative that you decided to bring your talent, energy, curiosity, creativity, and determination here to MIT. And we’re excited to embark on this new year alongside each of you.”

The occasion, officially known as the President’s Convocation for First-years and Families, unfolded at the Johnson Ice Rink on campus.

While acknowledging that academic life can be “demanding” at MIT, Kornbluth emphasized the numerous opportunities accessible to students beyond the classroom. As a biologist and cancer researcher herself, Kornbluth pointed out that students can engage in the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP), which she termed “an opportunity that must not be missed to collaborate side by side with MIT faculty at the forefront of research.” She also remarked that MIT provides plentiful chances for entrepreneurship, along with 450 official student organizations.

“It’s perfectly fine to be a novice,” Kornbluth said. “Join a group you wouldn’t have had time for in high school. Discover a new skill. Volunteer in the communities surrounding campus.”

And if the shift to college feels overwhelming at any time, she continued, MIT offers substantial resources to students for well-being and academic support.

“Occasionally, the only way to succeed in confronting a significant challenge or resolving a difficult issue is to acknowledge that it’s impossible to do everything on your own,” Kornbluth noted. “You’re surrounded by a community of compassionate individuals. So please don’t hesitate to seek advice and assistance.”

The large audience listened to additional comments from two faculty members who hold MIT degrees, reflecting on student experiences at the Institute.

As a student, “The most crucial attributes I possessed were a willingness to take risks and dedicate hard work to the pursuits I cared about,” shared Ankur Moitra SM ’09, PhD ’11, the Norbert Wiener Professor of Mathematics.

He stressed to students the significance of remaining grounded and being genuine to themselves, particularly when confronted with social media pressures.

“These are factors that complicate your path to discovering what truly matters to you and what you wish to invest in,” Moitra explained. “Because the opinions of the world are right there, staring you in the face, making it impossible to ignore. How will you uncover what’s significant to you?”

Moitra also cautioned students to be mindful of the technological tools “that wish to take over your thinking, but strip you of your autonomy” in the process. He added: “I am concerned about this because it will become far too tempting to depend on these tools, especially late at night when looming assignment deadlines arise. As educators, we don’t have solutions for every situation, and all we can do is open the door and hope you step through it.”

Beyond that, he suggested, “Regularly remind yourself of what has been significant to you all along, what brought you to this point. Over the next four years, you will be surrounded by imaginative, intelligent, passionate individuals every day who will challenge you. Rise to that challenge.”

Christopher Palmer PhD ’14, an associate professor of finance in the MIT Sloan School of Management, began his address by revealing that his undergraduate application to MIT was denied — although he later earned his doctorate at the Institute and is currently a tenured professor at MIT.

“I played the long game,” he joked, earning laughter from the audience.

Indeed, Palmer’s speech centered on fostering the resilience, focus, and concentration essential for thriving in the long term.

While being at MIT is “exciting,” Palmer urged students to “incorporate sufficient slack into your system to manage both the stress and capitalize on the opportunities” available on campus. Much like a bank employs a “stress test” to evaluate its resilience to changes, Palmer suggested, we should adopt a similar approach with our workloads: “If you construct a schedule that passes the stress test, it allows time for curiosity and meaningful creativity.”

Students should also shun the “false equivalency that your value is determined by your accomplishments,” he emphasized. “You possess inherent, unchangeable, intrinsic, eternal worth. Be selective with your commitments. Future you will be tremendously grateful for having created the space to rest, to catch up, to accept exciting invitations, and to prioritize your mental health.”

Additionally, Palmer encouraged students to engage in “deep work,” which entails “the rigorous thinking where true advancement occurs” — a notion he noted has been championed by computer scientist Cal Newport SM ’06, PhD ’09. Research indicates, Palmer elaborated, “We cannot actually multitask. What we truly do is switch tasks at high frequency, incurring a small cost each time we change our focus.”

It might benefit students, he added, to implement some structural changes: Put away the phone, disable alerts, pause notifications, and prioritize sleep. A healthy balance of academic responsibilities, activities, and community enjoyment can emerge.

Concluding her remarks, Kornbluth also reiterated that being part of MIT means being in a community that respects diverse viewpoints and all individuals, and sustains a spirit of fair-minded understanding.

“I recognize you have exceptionally high expectations for yourselves,” Kornbluth stated, adding: “We hold high expectations for you as well, in various respects. But I want to emphasize one that takes precedence over all the others — and that’s an expectation for how we treat one another. At MIT, the work we undertake is so vital and so challenging that it’s crucial we engage with each other with empathy, understanding, and compassion. That we take care to express our ideas clearly and respectfully, allowing space for distinctly differing opinions. And above all, that we remain committed to dialogue, even when it’s challenging, frustrating, or painful.”