After another brutal winter up north, I knew one thing— I was not staying up there for the next four years. So I made my way down to Florida and now I’m a college student at my dream school. I remember googling colleges and universities while sitting in a high school mandatory freshman computer class and every school that peeked my interest was located down South. My family and I would always come to Florida for vacation and it left me wanting more because it was paradise. I actually thought it’d be unfair that people actually get to live there, but now I’m living where everyone else vacations and it’s the perfect place to get a degree or two. I’m a student at Florida Gulf Coast University and it’s everything I wished it would be: the weather is impeccable, except the unbelievable rain (but we will let that slide) and having a beach on campus is as great as it sounds.
If you love sunshine, beautiful scenery, being tan, and a laid back mentality, Florida is the perfect place for you.
1. The Florida campuses are beautiful and filled with palm trees.
Florida Gulf Coast University is so modern and unique and when I walk onto campus, I am overwhelmed with happiness. It seriously is a dream school, but if Fort Myers isn’t your dream spot, you can be a Gator or a Seminole in northern Florida.
2. Having a beach in your backyard is as great as it sounds.
When you are a college student at FGCU, it’s a necessity to have a collier county parking pass so you can go to some of the best beaches, like Vanderbilt and Barefoot, when you have some free time.
3. Fort Myers, Florida is filled with endless adventures.
If you love being outdoors and exploring, there are tons of kayak and boat rental shops, parasailing, and snorkeling. Fort Myers is spread out so you have the beach and Lakes Park, but you also have downtown as a hot spot.
4. Florida Gulf Coast is turning twenty years old, so it’s still a new and upcoming university since it opened it’s doors in 1997.
Although it’s new, my professors are some of the best who have really impacted my studies and the university’s environment is extremely welcoming.
5. If you are looking for a fun, eventful time, Fort Myers Beach can be a good place to go to get some sun.
On the beach, you have the square that has homemade ice cream and cute eateries. Personally, I love going to 8:30 am yoga on the beach every Saturday morning.
6. FGCU is a smaller, more intimate school.
So when you walk through campus, you will see people you know and you actually have the opportunity to make connections with peers and professors. It’s a sincere feeling.
7. We don’t have a football team quite yet, but our sporting events are always captivating.
FGCU is prominently known for it’s basketball and so the games are always top notch and you actually get to know the players and see them around. The volleyball, soccer, and the list goes on of all the sports you can’t miss when you’re a student here. 
8. There are million and ten ways to get involved on campus.
Greek life is growing on campus and they are always out doing something fun, but there are also clubs and committees to join. I write for the University’s newspaper and it’s so great to be around people who share the same interests.
