There are a few questions that my family and friends back home have asked me countless times this year: “How is school going?” and “What’s your major again?” are usually followed by: “What is your favorite thing about college?” College in general is great, but my university is what really makes my experience exceptional.

And I do love my small Free Methodist college. I love chapel and classes and I love the people and the atmosphere. I wrote an article awhile ago titled “Why I’m Paying $34,000 A Year For College” that explains why I love Spring Arbor University. In this article, I’m going to tackle some specific things that represent the true atmosphere of Christ-centered community present every day on our campus (And I’m sure lots of students at other amazing small Christian campuses can relate to these as well). Here are 13 things I love about my small Christian university:

1. I can’t walk anywhere without passing at least one person I know.

I can always count on seeing a friendly face.

2. It only takes 7 minutes to walk from one side of campus to the other.

I don't have to ride a bus to class! My campus is small and all the buildings are close to each other. Campus itself sits within a small community with a few businesses and restaurants not far down the road.

3. I actually know my professors and call many of them by their first names.

They sit next to us in chapel, have coffee or lunch with us, lead Bible studies, and are always available outside of class. They are not only great professors who challenge their students in the classroom; they are willing to walk through life with us. They offer to pray with us and they truly take time to invest in us academically, spiritually, and personally.

4. Everyone holds the door open for each other.

Politeness is the norm; when I leave campus, I find that I have to get used to people not doing this excessively with a friendly hello accompanying it.

5. I can sit down at a table in the DC (dining commons) with complete strangers and be friends by the end of dinner.

There is such a welcoming and friendly spirit among the student body.

6. Campus has looked exactly the same for generations.

My aunts, my boss, my high school teachers, and plenty of other people I know went to school here (some lived in my building all those years ago) and it looked the same then as it does now. Some would argue this as a bad thing, but I think it represents the rich history and tradition of the school's mission.

7. People would literally give me the shirt off their back if I needed it.

We have a Facebook group for exchanging textbooks. The goal is to avoid the university bookstore's outrageous prices, and to make a little money off used books. But on more than one occasion other students have sold me their old textbooks for dirt cheap, simply to bless me. What a testimony to our campus' generosity and willingness to serve each other.

8. I know the person who lived in my room last year… and the year before that.

It's a small world after all...

9. The same people who sit next to me in church on Sunday are the ones who spend Friday nights watching movies with me and playing cards.

The majority of the people I go to school with live out their faith and convictions in the world around them. They have high standards and do not conform to the expectations of the world. I am surrounded by other people who "walk the talk."

10. I can get a ride to the store or church or anywhere from my roommate’s boyfriend’s cousin’s little sister’s dog and feel confident getting into a car with them.

Okay, that might be a small exaggeration, but the point is I know I can trust people. (Mom, you can rest assured that I do not get into cars with strangers).

11. I have an amazing network of friends and mentors who love Jesus.

Did I mention the people are great?

12. My classes, even Biology and English, integrate faith and Scripture into learning.

Every subject in the liberal arts curriculum integrates faith and learning (this sounds like a small commercial for Spring Arbor University, but it’s actually true! And, it might also be a shameless advertisement ;)

13. It feels like a family.

I am surrounded by my brothers and sisters in Christ. The church is represented here by all kinds of people from all kinds of backgrounds coming together to learn and to be a community who honors Christ.

So for all of the people back home, these are my favorite things about college. And these are only a few of the things I love about my school. It is a place of learning, not only in the classroom with challenging academia, but also in life. This place is full of great people, and I see God moving daily across our campus. This list of 13 things hardly encompasses all of the things I love about SAU, but it’s a good start.