I can’t believe I’m saying this, but my freshman year at Syracuse University is coming to an end. While I’m incredibly sad to be leaving my home away from home for a whole 3 months, I’m so happy to have spent the last 8 months in what has easily become one of my favorite places on the planet with my favorite people on the planet. I know, all of this sounds cliche and fake, but I can promise you it’s so very real.

Why do I love this place so much?

I’m glad you asked, let me enlighten you with these 10 reasons I’m glad I chose Syracuse University.

1. I’ve met the greatest people here

People say you will meet your best friends for life in college, that it’s where you find your bridesmaids and I fully agree with these statements.

Never before in my life have I gotten so close to people so quickly. Maybe it’s because I’m never more than a 5-minute walk away from my best friends, but I can’t imagine life without these girls.

From going out to staying in, there’s never a dull moment with my friends and I wouldn’t trade them for the world.

2. I know I’m getting the best education possible

Academics are important. Let’s face it, I’m not paying $60,000 a year to hang out with friends and eat sometimes questionable dining hall food… well, I am, but I’m supposed to be here for the academics.

All jokes aside, school is important and the reason we go to college in the first place. That’s why it’s so comforting to know that after I graduate not only will I have a degree, but I’ll know what I’m doing when it comes to journalism at least.

I’m a Broadcast and Digital Journalism major and after one year here, I can confirm Newhouse is worthy of it’s ranking as the top communications school by College Magazine.

3. It feels like home

Again, this sounds cliche, but as soon as I stepped on this campus, it felt right. I can’t really explain it, but every second I’ve spent here, I’ve felt at home. For me, this was important in choosing a university.

Some people focus on tuition, academics, or financial aid - and don’t get me wrong, these things were a factor - but I chose the school that made me feel at home and I’m thankful for this decision every day.

4. I’m always warmer when I go back home

As a girl who calls the Midwest home when I go back to my parent’s house for the summer, I’m always warmer when I do go back home.

During winter break, I wore a North Face jacket every day instead of my big, puffy winter coat and boy was it nice. This makes the snow and cold, that continues in April, worth it (kind of).

5. There are so many things to be involved in

SU doesn’t lack student organizations. From Greek Life and club or varsity sports to student media and student government, there are so many things to get involved in on The Hill.

Personally, I don’t think you should just go to class and go back to your dorm. I think college is a time to try new things, or spend time on things you’re already passionate about, not just get a degree. SU makes this easy.

6. There’s always something to do

There’s never a dull moment at SU with all the things constantly going on.

One thing I didn’t know about SU when I applied is that it has a bit of a reputation for being a party school. So while there’s always a chance to go out, there are other things to do too if that’s not your style.

To give you an idea of the endless stream of activities, here’s a list of a few:

• Orange After Dark has fun events every Friday and Saturday. Some of my favorites are grocery bingo, where they give you the chance to win free food, and some comedians they bring to campus.
• The mall is a short 10-minute bus or Uber ride away and has an endless amount of stores and entertainment options like go-carting.
• We also have the luxury of having The Dome on our campus, meaning SU sporting events are a short 2-minute walk away from two of the freshman dorms as well as other events like concerts and monster trucks (if you’re into that).
• There are always guest speakers to go listen to brought in by Newhouse, Maxwell, Whitman and other schools.
• Student organizations are always putting on events too.

Now, I’m sure I’ve missed some of the regular activities that happen on or near campus, but hopefully, this gives you a good idea of how exciting this campus is.

All of these activities are part of the reason I’m so happy to be at SU; I’m never bored.

7. There’s always somewhere new to study

With two libraries, a student center, study areas in dorms, cute coffee shops including two Starbuck locations, and the quad (during the few months of warmth) there’s always a new place to study.

If you’re like me, this is important because staying in one spot for hours on end is so boring.

8. The school can feel big and small

When I walk across campus, I almost always see at least one person I know, making the campus feel small and homey, but it also has the positive things you get from a big school. With D-1 sports and a name people know, there’s a lot of opportunities, something that was important for me when I was choosing a school.

I wanted to run into people I knew on campus but still go to a school people had heard of. This is what I got and one of the many reasons I will always bleed orange.

9. The Orange Network is huge

Speaking of opportunities, let’s talk about the alumni network for a second; it’s incredible.

Like I said, I’m a Newhouse student so I’m most familiar with the Newhouse Network (which is pretty much unmatched), but Orange Alumns are everywhere. From California and Ohio to New York City, SU alumns are everywhere and ready to help their fellow orange.

As a Freshman, I’ve already had the opportunity to network with alumns who are happy and excited to help. And you don’t have to personally know someone to get connected. At Newhouse for example, there’s a whole office dedicated to career development. They look over resumes, help students find internships, and connect students with alumni.

This was definitely something that stood out to me when I was touring the school and it continues to show me how incredible this school is.

10. The Campus is Gorgeous

If you’ve seen pictures or visited campus, you know. Every building is different and unique with its own character and style and every season is somehow pretty here, especially winter (which is good because there’s a lot of it). Every day I marvel at the beauty that is the campus I call home for 8 months out of the year.

As you can probably tell from this article, I absolutely love SU and I could not be happier with my decision to come here.

With May 1st, aka decision day, fast approaching, I hope any prospective students who have been lucky enough to receive their acceptance from Syracuse University will consider making SU their home too.