So you made the choice to go to Anna Maria College, on Sunset lane in the microscopic town of Paxton, Massachusetts. On your tour, you were drawn toward the sense of community a small campus brings the thought of not having to walk miles to class in the rain, and not to mention the meticulously cared for and beautiful landscape. Now you’ve been here for a few weeks and you decide that it absolutely sucks. People here complain all the time until there is nothing left that anyone could possibly complain about. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Don’t get me wrong, I did the same exact thing for a while. But I’ve had time to realize that I’m actually lucky to be where I am.

1. The food isn’t always good, but it’s not terrible.

Take it from someone who doesn’t eat meat or dairy (which eliminates over half the options of what I can eat in the dining hall and the Hub), for a school as small as AMC, there’s usually a wide variety of foods to choose from. If the food they make doesn’t look appetizing, you can make your own sandwich, a salad, or get cereal. If you take a chance on the other food, it’s usually pretty okay. My motto is “there’s nothing a little salt can’t fix”. The Hub is also usually a safe bet if you’re in the mood for some “fast” food. They way I see it, I’m lucky enough to have food available to me at all when other people aren’t so fortunate.

2. There’s a reason you pay a lot of money.

People always say “The food sucks, the buildings are old, blah blah blah so where is all my money going?” If you haven’t noticed, you chose to go to a private catholic liberal arts school so, of course, it’s going to be expensive. You’re paying for quality education in a setting where your biggest class is probably going to be less than 20 people. You’re not just a number at Anna Maria College. You are a living, breathing person and all your professors know you by name. Also, public colleges and universities usually get a lot of funding from the government while private colleges are operated as educational and research nonprofit organizations. According to a study by the New America Foundation, based on information reported to the U.S. Department of Education by the institutions themselves, five of the 10 most expensive private universities for low-income students, and 10 of the top 28, are Catholic. AMC also gives every student great scholarship opportunities. Education wise, you get what you pay for here, and it’s quality education.

3. "Our sports teams suck."

Suck is a strong word. You have to remember that you do go to a division three school. Chances are the people who come to AMC and play a sport probably do it for fun, not to play in the NFL or something after college. Go to the games anyway! As a member of the AMCAT community, it’s always nice for you to go and support your fellow students. And it’s fun, whether we win or lose, to go to games with your friends and cheer on your peers! #AMCATNation.

4. Make your own fun.

And I don’t mean you should throw parties and drink every night. I hear the phrase, “there’s nothing to do here” on a daily basis. But I promise that isn’t true, even though the nearest civilization is 15 minutes down the hill in Worcester and not everyone has a car. Play pickup games of baseball, soccer, or basketball. Skate on the ice rink they make in the winter. Take a left when you get to the end of Sunset lane and walk to the lake. Go explore the trails and tunnels (I recommend bringing an Ouija board) and look for something creepy. AMC is haunted, after all. If I’ve learned anything from going to AMC it’s that you have to make your own fun. If all you do is sit in your room watching Netflix, you’re going to be bored, and that’s nobody’s fault but your own.

Just try to remember every time you feel like “AMC sucks”, how lucky you are to be going to college at all. You are lucky to be at a small school full of faculty and students with big hearts. You are lucky to be in a community where everyone knows everyone’s name. You are lucky to be and AMCAT.