“I look upon the knowledge acquired during your college life of your own self, as not the least important result which is to be attained.” The years at UVA will “bring out your full capacity during that time.”
Ahead of exams, a UVA staff member from the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library recently posted the 168-year-old letter revealing that, while the methods parents use to communicate with their children have greatly evolved, the message has remained largely the same.
“I love the advice in this letter because it reminds me of how my father used to counsel me when I was a college student,” wrote Ellen Welch, a manuscript and archives processor, in a blog post for the special collections library, “telling me to savor the years of learning as if I were drinking a fine glass of wine! While we may forget a test score, we remember personal and meaningful connections with faculty, students, and academic concepts for lifetime.”