Amanda Coate: 'Some of my best memories are going to the Rare and Manuscript Collections'

Amanda Coate

History

Ithaca, NY

Why did you choose Cornell?

I chose Cornell because the Arts & Sciences curriculum offered me the opportunity to explore different interests before deciding on a major. As someone who was undecided about what she wanted to study when applying to college, I liked the freedom that I would have during my first two years at Cornell to be “undecided” while still working toward a degree.

What Cornell memory do you treasure the most?

Some of my best memories from my time at Cornell are going to the Rare and Manuscript Collections at Kroch Library. Many courses at Cornell give undergraduates the opportunity to visit the Rare and Manuscript Collections and work with the materials there, which is a very valuable and unique experience. I first went for a class during my sophomore year to look at casts of ancient amulets. This first visit solidified for me that I wanted to study something that would allow me to work with historical materials, as well as taught me what resources were available to me and how to access them. I have since been a number of times, both with classes and on my own for research, and I very much appreciate having been able to access rare materials as an undergraduate.

What do you value about your liberal arts education?

I appreciate how my education at Cornell has made me a more articulate writer, as well as the critical thinking skills that Cornell's liberal arts education has helped me to develop. The ability to critically evaluate written and visual materials is incredibly useful not only in an academic setting, but also in everyday life as we engage with the news and other media. Above all, I value how my liberal arts education has encouraged me to think from various points of view and attempt to understand other people’s opinions, even when they differ vastly from my own. This is a skill that makes us better learners in the classroom as well as more understanding of people in general.