Most people agree that college is the best time of a person's life. I couldn't agree more with that statement. Houghton College is my home, or Houghme as my friends and classmates would say. No matter what I am doing, I always find Houghton to be full of camaraderie, community, and academic rigorousness! Here are 5 reasons I consider Houghton "Houghme".

1) Houghton's camaraderie: There always seems to be an abundance of kindness on campus. Most people seem friendly and easy going. I admire a lot of people on campus because of their friendly personality. When you start a conversation with someone, chances are you'll be in a long meaningful conversation.

2) Christ-Centered Education: In America we have a lot of colleges and universities with have Christian heritage, but have moved more and more towards being secular colleges. Houghton is different. Even though Houghton welcomes people from all faiths and backgrounds, we nonetheless adhere to the Christian worldview. What's amazing is that a lot of my professors pray before class starts or in the middle of class. The integration of faith and learning was a paramount factor in my decision to attend Houghton.

3) The people: No matter who I encounter they same to be a friendly easy-going person. Sure there's no utopian college, but Houghton comes very close. Yes I hear stories of negative people (and everyone is at times), but I rarely ever have a negative conversation with anyone.

4) Academic challenges: Houghton is unique compared to other colleges in regards to academics. Most state colleges (not all) have easy feel-good everyone-is-a-winner academia. Houghton stays within academic convention: study hard, learn a lot, and apply. Not everyone is a winner. Houghton thankfully doesn't embrace academic laziness.

5) The Solitude: City life to me would be a chaotic nightmare. I absolutely enjoy traveling to places like D.C. and NYC, but I couldn't see myself living there. Houghton could use a few extra stores and hang-out areas, but nonetheless I appreciate the country. I am able to study without having to hear traffic or get distracted by city-life. Indeed this is my preference, but that's what decisions are all about.

I could not imagine myself at any other college. Houghton is home. Even though it has it's flaws, like all institutions, but for it's flaws don't matter. I wouldn't trade it for anything.