Student inspired by a teacher's valuable life lesson shares his letter 20 years later

Teachers play a crucial role in society as they shape the future of students and direct them toward the right career path while guiding them when it comes to major life decisions as well. They are instrumental in creating the moral compass that dictates the decisions of their students for times to come. This is clearer from a viral post on Reddit that shows how an Economics professor strives to impart to students more than just lessons on the subject by teaching values and practices for life. He shared a beautiful letter with his students, detailing his hopes and aspirations for them and it was uploaded by u/NeedleworkerBrave948 who mentioned that the note was attached to the back of their mid-term exam paper in 2003.

The letter started off with the Professor sharing his best wishes to the batch. He hoped that the students had the "best semester" in his class and thereafter he shared the expectation that he entered a class with every day. "As a Professor, I always ask myself: How to be a good professor that my students need. A good professor should be knowledgeable. experienced? or smart? 'Good' is so subjective that different people have different ideas." His thought process is that good teachers not only explain and demonstrate concepts in a variety of ways but also ensure that the students perceive the lesson intuitively. For an instructor to be successful it is important that they are "warm, accessible, encouraging and caring for each student."

Being practical, the instructor knows that the students are not likely to remember the lessons from the class forever, but he hopes that the "positive attitude" he conveyed in the class to everyone stays with them. He hopes that in the future when they are confronted with challenges, this positive attitude helps them navigate tricky times. His suggestion for all his students is "Tough times don't last, but tough people do." He asks them to never give up on themselves or feel smaller for not knowing something. Learning is a process that one needs to fully dive into. His hope was that his students can be whatever they want to be in life and according to him everyone is unique and that should be celebrated.

The instructor wrote that even if their grades are low, effort can always turn things around. He mentioned how he had seen students get a C in the midterms and then manage an A in the finals. He asked them to always remain close to family and have good friends since they make life significantly better, and the goal is to collect as many good moments as possible to make it a fruitful existence. He signed off with a promise that he will always be there to help. 

Readers in the comment section loved the letter. u/permanentalsoatemp had great words of appreciation for the instructor, "That's a good professor and a great person right there." u/habiba2000 pointed out the best parts of the letter and commented, "I appreciate the profound statements from this class farewell letter, including: 'Tough times don't last, tough people do' and 'Hard work may not always result in success, but it will never result in regret.' "