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Office of Engaged Learning
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Baylor BU Office of Engaged Learning Fellowships & Awards Start Here I am a second-year student Academics, Academics, Academics
  • Start Here
    • I am a first-year student
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      • Commit and Deepen
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  • 2024 Fulbright Scholars
  • Learn about previous winners
  • Now that you're considering
  • For International Students

Academics, Academics, Academics

At very minimum, there is no substitute for good grades if you want to get to the places you’re interested in going—a Fulbright, a Marshall, a Churchill, Yale Law, Columbia Med. To make those grades, you’re going to have to make some sacrifices—not always, but often enough. There is ample time—make no mistake—for you to goof off and enjoy leisure, to build the Homecoming float or cheer on the Bears, and take that spring break trip with your friends. Do those things! You will remember them for the rest of your life and be glad. And yet. Because you are serious of purpose, with big dreams and large ambitions, sometimes you will need to say no. The transcript blemish is not worth a night of all-night gaming if it keeps you from chemistry success. Don't do go out that third night in a row if it makes you cut corners on that philosophy essay. Remember who you are: a curious person, someone who is dedicated to larger purposes in the world that run through your academic pursuits. And so, as you do say yes to the fun things you’ll remember forever, manage your time well so that the fun does not detract from your deepest commitments. 

In addition, don’t shy away from the hard classes and the hard professors, particularly the ones who are going to challenge you. Don’t cut corners.  Instead, take your inspiration from someone like Nathan, who persevered in both his sociology and his statistics major and even included some hard electives, like "Data Science for Social Good." This rigor landed Nate a highly competitive Fulbright Study/Research Award to Denmark. Or Olivia, who defied the odds and sought majors in two different schools—Arts & Sciences and Music—while earning majors in piano performance and German. The Germany Fulbright Commission could hardly resist someone with so dedicated to the difficult task of learning both these "languages," which are the medium of her cultural ambassadorship in Germany.

As you devote yourself over time to the academic life, you will wake up one day to find that you know something. And as Aristotle observed, "teaching is the highest form of understanding."

Find ways to teach.

Office of Engaged Learning

Draper 244

One Bear Place #97226
Waco, TX 76798

EngagedLearning@baylor.edu
(254) 710-3231
College of Arts & Sciences
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Baylor BU Office of Engaged Learning Fellowships & Awards Start Here I am a second-year student Academics, Academics, Academics
  • About
    Back
    • Support Our Students
    • What is Engaged Learning?
    • Meet the OEL Team
    • 2024 Annual Report
    • Book an Appointment
    • News
    • OEL Blog
    • The Elizabeth Vardaman Faculty Awards
      Back
      • Honoring Dean Elizabeth Vardaman
      • Elizabeth Vardaman Award Winners
  • Leadership Programs
    Back
    • Learning for the World
    • Baylor Engage Fellows Program
    • The Provost's Scholars Program
      Back
      • 2023 Provost's Scholars
      • 2024 Provost's Scholars
      • 2025 Provost's Scholars
      • Apply to be a Provost's Scholar
  • Civic & Global Learning
    Back
    • Philanthropy & Public Service (PPS) Program
      Back
      • Grantmaking
      • Philanthropy & Public Service Instructors
      • Fall 2024 Courses
      • Spring 2025 Courses
      • Fall 2025 Courses
    • Engaged Learning & the Core Curriculum
      Back
      • For Faculty
        Back
        • Phase I: Development
        • Engaged Learning Course Development Proposal
        • Phase II: Submission
        • Phase III: Implementation
      • For Students
      • Fall 2024 Engaged Learning Courses
      • Spring 2025 Engaged Learning Courses
      • Fall 2025 Engaged Learning Courses
    • For Community Partners
    • Civic Engagement and Service Abroad
      Back
      • Study Abroad Programs
      • Baylor in Washington
      • Baylor in LA
      • Baylor in New York
  • Fellowships & Awards
    Back
    • Start Here
      Back
      • I am a first-year student
        Back
        • Overview
        • Enlarge your Imagination
        • Academics, Academics, Academics
        • Learn Beyond the Classroom
        • Find Mentors
        • Opportunities You Might Pursue Now
      • I am a second-year student
        Back
        • Commit and Deepen
        • Make a Life by What You Give
        • Academics, Academics, Academics
        • Teach
        • Learn from Mentors
        • Opportunities You Might Pursue Now
    • 2024 Fulbright Scholars
    • Learn about previous winners
      Back
      • Alexandra Tyra
      • Alexis Simmons
      • Amanda Sutton
      • Andrew Munoz
      • Anne Walker
      • Arvind Muruganantham
      • Camille Watson
      • Carolyn Carper
      • Catherine Haseman
      • Courtney Haubert
      • Emily Schultz
      • Joelle Kim
      • Jonathan Chew
      • Kaitlyn Vana
      • Kate Rojales
      • Katerina Levinson
      • Maria Torres
      • Mina Dwumfour-Poku
      • Nathan Rowan
      • Olivia Gorrell
      • Preston Iha
      • Saawan Patel
      • Sophia Fulton
      • Tashi Flaig
      • Uchechukwu Oguchi
    • Now that you're considering
      Back
      • Fulbright Awards
      • Marshall Scholarship
      • Rhodes Scholarship
      • Gates Cambridge Scholarship
      • Mitchell Scholarship
      • Kanders Churchill Scholarship
      • Rangel, Pickering, and Payne Fellowships
      • Truman Scholarship
      • Undergraduate Summer Awards
    • For International Students
  • Undergraduate Research
    Back
    • Get Started
      Back
      • For Students
      • For Faculty Mentors
        Back
        • Awarding Credit for Undergraduate Research
        • Faculty Resources for Undergraduate Research
    • Get Involved
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      • Scholars Week
        Back
        • URSA Scholars Week Information
          Back
          • How to Prepare for a Platform Presentation
          • How to Prepare for a Poster Presentation
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          • How to Submit your Scholars Week Abstracts
        • Scholars Week 2025 Presentation Awards
          Back
          • URSA Scholars Week: Abstract Books 2025
      • BURST
      • McNair Scholars Program
      • Baylor Summer Fellows Program
      • External STEM Summer Internships
      • Opportunities for Publication
    • Get Funded
      Back
      • Overview of URSA Grants
      • URSA Grant: Compliance and Guidelines
      • How to Write a Project Grant Proposal
      • How to Write a Travel and Impact Grant Proposal
      • Apply Here
      • 2025-2026 URSA Grant Recipients
    • ForagerOne
    • Undergraduate Research News
  • Baylor Engage Portal
  • Summer Internships
    Back
    • City of Waco Policy Innovation Fellowship
    • Waco Family Medicine Primary Care Internship
    • Shepherd Scholars Poverty Internships
    • Urban REAP: Renewable Energy and Agricultural Project
    • B-TRUE Summer Fellows Program
    • Tropical Disease Research Internship Program (T-DRIP)
    • Summer of Discovery: Undergraduate Research and Internships Poster Symposium
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