The countdown is finally coming to an end for St. Bonaventure students. In just two weeks, the streets of Allegany and Olean will be filled with Bona students once again. St. Bonaventure is a special place that really is unlike all other schools; it’s something different that no one can seem to explain. It’s a place where amazing friendships are formed that will last a lifetime and where memories are made. It becomes a second home and will always hold a special place in our hearts.

St. Bonaventure students are counting down the days until they’re back on campus. Everyone is excited for different reasons and all have reasons why Bona's is so special. The Bonnies can’t wait to get back to their Bona guilty pleasures, to see their friends and to be back at that special place. Here are 52 reasons why students can’t wait to be back at Bonaventure and why this place really is so special.

1. “I'm always really excited when everyone moves back right before classes start. To me, it's the best time of the year at Bona's. My body ends up hating me by the end of syllabus week, but I guess that's what college is all about. This year I'm really excited (and sad) because it's my last year at Bonaventure, so I want to take every chance I get to spend time with all of my friends in the class of 2017. I’m most excited for day drinks on porches, free shots for freshmen, screaming the lyrics to songs you probably don't even know all the words to and just being back with everyone at the greatest place on earth.” –LB Hayes

2. “I'm most excited to be around my best friends, to start to figure out what I want to do in the future and to take more classes in my major. Bona's is so special because when you leave the school, all you want to do is go back.” –Jenna Speck

3. “I'm excited to go see my second family because that's what Bona's is. It's my home away from home because of those people.” –Mike Quinones

4. “I’m most excited to see my friends. I've had the same core group of friends since second semester freshman year and I couldn’t live without them. I think Bona's is so unique because somehow every single person is connected by no other tie aside from being a Bonnie. Alumni and students show such extreme devotion and dedication to one another for no other reason than the fact that they attend or attended Bona's and I think that's pretty cool. The fact that thousands of people can love something so much that it overcomes any differences or diversities is pretty damn unique.” –Emily Rosman

5. “I'm most excited to get back and make more memories with all of my friends. After this summer, it made me look back at freshman year and realize how fast it goes. It taught me to cherish every little memory and moment you have, even the rough ones. Nothing will ever top the friendships you make along the way of your journey at Bonaventure. I'm only one-fourth done with my journey, and I have made friendships that will last me a lifetime.” –Maddy Parinello

6. “The RC wraps and the Skellar fries are definitely my guilty pleasures, but I'd say I'm most excited to jump right back in with all the activities we have planned, like the big Embrace It Africa event this fall! Bonaventure has so much school spirit from every student! Even at larger universities, our small wolf pack could out chant them any day!” –Rachel Pelsang

7. “A guilty Bona's pleasure I have, as weird as it is, is studying with my best friend in Swan until the sun comes up and watching the sunrise on the walk back to the dorms. It's so relaxing. I know it sounds weird, but just wait until you do it. What makes Bona's so special is that it is so inclusive. There’s always a friendly face you know on campus. I can’t wait to get back to Bona's -- even though for me it's far away from home, I’ve been able to make this place my home away from home!” –Simran Reddy

8. “I'm beyond ecstatic to see my friends, as summer has made me realize how lucky I am to have friends like the ones I met at Bonaventure. I can't wait to make more memories with the people who have made such a huge impact on me in two short semesters!” –Claudia Papalia

9. “One thing I am excited for at Bona's is the late-night Domino's pizza. My guilty pleasure is drinking a bottle of wine and then fighting through the urge to order Domino's at 12 a.m. I've never regretted it in the morning.” –Haley Schrenk

10. “I'm most excited to have chocolate cake readily available after dinner and donuts for breakfast. I can’t wait to see my friends at our normal eating times and for the chocolate milk and ice cream. I think what makes Bonaventure so special is that I genuinely think I'm going to go back and legit hug everyone I see, because we're all like a big family and I can't think of one person I'm dreading seeing -- even the professors.” –Katie Bridger

11. “I'm most excited about going back to Bonaventure because it means going back to the place where I'm lucky enough to be able to wake up each morning knowing I'm within walking distance of the people who are essentially my second family. The friends I've made and grown up with here at Bona's are the best I've ever had, and I regularly feel extremely lucky to have a place that brings us all together in such a fun environment. I'm most excited for the first week back, prior to class, because it's seriously the happiest I ever see people. Everyone is so upbeat, stress free and just truly happy to see each other. As for guilty pleasures, I have a laundry list, but my top two would definitely be hangover food from Eb's or the RC. I'd throw a punch for RC chicken fingers. I've truly grown up there, and I'm forever thankful for that special place I can call home.” –Lucas Vaughan

12. “I'm most excited for rugby! Bona's is so unique because it's a small school with a big school feel to it.” –Eamonn Matthews

13. “I am super excited to go back to Bonaventure because I am obsessed with it. Bona's is so unique and special because it is a smaller school, so everyone knows everyone and it is just a big group of friends!” –Kelsey Jarosz

14. “I’m excited to begin XC and meeting my teammates. Bona's is a unique place because there's no other place like it; it just feels like a family no matter what situation you're in.” –Christian Gravious

15. “I'm most excited to have every Bonnie all in the same place at the same time. I can't wait to be back together with similar schedules and limited escapes from school to keep us all together! I'm most excited to see my best friends again, and for sleepovers and morning terror stories from the nights before. Bona's is so unique because we have the large school competitiveness in a small school atmosphere. As someone at Bona's that ISN'T a D1 athlete, I can say Bona's keeps us occupied and gives us something SO worth rooting for.” –Tierney McGilvray

16. “Blowing off study sessions in the library because you are fooling around with friends and family dinners in the Hickey (plus Hickey lounging into the late hours of the night) are definitely my guilty pleasures. Bona's has a fantastic atmosphere where everybody comes together as a family and all of the students go out of their way to make each other happy and help them out in any way.” –Kyle McGraw

17. “No one really gets the special bond people have unless you are actually part of the Bona bubble. Going to a school in the middle of nowhere really let's you make unique friendships that will last a lifetime. It's the best place on earth and I can't wait to go back and be with my second family.” –Justine Chiavetta

18. “I just can't wait to be with all of my friends, play rugby and party.” –Ted Gorman

19. “I’m most most excited to be back with my Bona fam and to be with my team and start the season. My guilty pleasure is definitely La Verna smoothies. Bona's is special because everyone is in it together, whether it's basketball games, Spring Weekend, or just parties. We're all there to have a good time together and it's just a great vibe all around.” –Rachel Martin

20. “I can’t wait to live in my garden and to be back with my friends. The Bonaventure family is actually real and I can't explain it until you're a part of it.” –Pat Coyne

21. “Bona's is so unique because it's definitely special enough to call it home. I can definitely say I always miss not being there, and that's why it's truly the best college ever.” –Michaela Bryne

22. “I'm really excited to take new classes and live in a new place!! RC wraps are always my weakness. Bona's attracts a certain type of people, so when you put them all together, it really is something special. That's honestly why it's home to me.” –Molly Driscoll

23. “I'm excited for the OP, the 4 a.m. nights with my roommate, and eating Hickey pizza and fries everyday second semester. Bona's is its own nation. Everybody is family. Everybody is so close, we literally have our own clap. How many kids in your graduating class get to say that? Everyone gets along and it's the best atmosphere to be in.” –Tee Myers

24. “Bona's is very unique because it's its own little community where everybody knows everybody and it's a home away from home. It's an atmosphere that you don't see at too many other schools. There's never a dull moment. Move-In Day can't come soon enough.” –Pat Dubiel

25. “I'm most excited for basketball games and hip-hop practice! Guilty pleasure is definitely RC wraps (ugh, I missed them).” –Colleen Corrado

26. “I'm most excited about finally being able to see my friends again and going out. I’m excited to finally be able to just be at the school again.” –Taylor Vero

27. “I'm most excited to see the friends that I wasn't able to see over the summer, especially those who studied abroad so I can hear about their travels. I'm also excited for the two weeks of nice weather that we get at Bona's. My guilty pleasure is that Bona's is full of Pokémon stuff (and there are zero Pokémon where I live). Another guilty pleasure is the twerking in the Burton. Bona's is so special because we're so excluded from the rest of the world that we have to rely on ourselves and our school for entertainment. We get so much closer that way until it's almost like a second family.” –Peter Bertoldo

28. “I can't wait to go to basketball games in the RC. My guilty pleasure is definitely going to the Skellar on weekend nights for food at 2 a.m. I think Bona's is so special because of the people and the atmosphere. It's become my second home where I've met some of my life-long friends.” –Jordan Vollmer

29. “Bona's is so special because it feels like you're on vacation. Everyone's just as happy as you are to be there and everyone just wants to have fun.” –Olivia Clark

30. “Why Bonaventure is so special is one of the hardest, yet easiest questions to answer. Bona's is home, and there's just something about being on campus that you fall in love with! Bona's is always beautiful to look at, regardless if it's raining or if it's snowing. And another obvious reason is the people! We all have our friends and best friends, but everyone is family on that campus!” –Mike Padlo

31. “I'm excited to be back and see all of my friends, to catch up with everyone and to be back at the OP and Burton.” –Brandon Pawlik

32. “Bonaventure is so special because of the great friendships I've made, the unexpected experiences, memories and basketball games. At most schools, you don't get a family type atmosphere. But at Bona's, it's one of the main focuses!” –Nicole Marra

33. “I am most excited to come back to Bonaventure so that I can reconnect with friends and enjoy my last year with them before we graduate. I am excited to get back into skiing come winter, and enjoying the diverse seasons around our beautiful campus.” –Erik Furgal

34. “I'm most excited to come back to the family atmosphere. I'm excited to play baseball and also enjoy the weekends with my friends. My guilty pleasure is 1:30 a.m. Mangia's runs before the bus.” –Brian Pulli

35. “I'm most excited about getting back into a schedule and daily routine. I'm also excited to go out with my friends every weekend and create a nice balance between fun and hard work. Hip-hop is something that I'm looking forward to, too. That was the best thing I did at Bona's my first year.” –Mya Cappellino

36. “I’m really excited to be living in Dev, because it's one of the oldest buildings on campus and I think that is so cool.” –Dylan Yackawanna

37. “I'm mostly excited to see all of my friends and know that there's always something to do. I'm excited to meet my new teammates, as well as other new people, too.” –Ryan Walker

38. “I’m most excited for the basketball games, playing hockey and the weekends. My guilty pleasure would have to be Cold Stone Tuesdays with the boys on first Lo.” –Matt Gajewski

39. “I’m most excited for dorm life; I love being with everyone. Everyone is so welcoming and you’re never turned away from a house on the weekend.” –Emily Valvo

40. “Bonaventure is so special because of the people you meet and the friendships that you build.” –Riley Palmer

41. “Bonaventure, in many ways, is just a cult (positive). Everyone is so inviting to making sure it's the best college experience, which is not the same for other universities. You learn about each other so fast and become a family.” –Antonio McIntyre

42. “The most unique part of St. Bonaventure is how close all of the students and faculty are. If you ever find yourself in trouble, there are 2,000 people available for help.” –Alex Schutz

43. “I'm most excited to go back to Bonaventure because I miss the Bona family, screaming with the wolf pack, the late night runs to Wal-Mart, the walks down Main Street and even the Hickey. I can’t wait to go out with friends and running out of Mangia's trying to catch the drunk bus. There is no other school that can compare to Bonaventure. Bonaventure is family, and that's what makes it so special.” –Sarah Rose Costello

44. “One thing I’m really excited for are the Friday nights. The moment when you get out of class on that Friday afternoon and you know it’s the weekend. Pre-gaming and acting like hoodlums at Bona's is the best. I love Bona's so much because of how close everyone is. You might not be friends with everyone, but you rarely dislike anyone. You are always accepted everywhere.” –Josh McGraw

45. “Everyone at Bonaventure knows each other and are friends, and that’s what makes it so special.” –Mike Caulfield

46. “I’m most excited to see everyone again. It feels like forever, and I can't wait to have an RC wrap/ La Verna. Everyone is so close here -- you really become a family.” –Brittany Hart

47. “I’m most excited for the weekends and basketball games. My guilty pleasures would be all the food at the RC that I'll eat multiple times a week. Since it's such a small campus and it's in a small town, everybody knows everybody, which makes us all closer.” –Jack Enright

48. “I’m most excited to eat breakfast again on the weekends (which is usually a 2 hour thing) at the Hickey with my best friends and talk about our night before!” –Jane Borgemenke

49. “I am most excited about going back to the community feeling of Bonaventure. I really miss all of my friends and I can't wait to be around everyone. I feel right at home there! I can’t wait for the basketball games, being around my best friends again, and the nightlife! My guilty Bona pleasure is definitely eating the cookies in the Hickey. I find myself eating too many at every meal. It's no coincidence that everyone who ever goes there is upset with it. It's truly a special place and I can't wait to go back. I'm counting down the days!” –Kenny Ngoopos

50. “I'm most excited to see my friends because it's like one big family. I'm super excited to see my roommates and to get a new fish. My guilty Bona pleasure would have to be wearing unisex clothing during the week and making multiple trips to the D-Bar at the Hickey. I believe that the bonds of friendship and school spirit between every student makes Bonaventure so special. Can't wait!” –Adrianna Durkin

51. “St. Bonaventure is a place unlike any other. Trying to describe Bona's to someone who isn't a Bonnie is almost excruciating because you want to do this wonderful place complete justice for all it has given you. Now that I have spent four full years at this university, I can say that I have never felt more at home in my entire life. The friendships, connections and lifelong bonds that are built at this place leave you with a full heart and that expensive piece of paper we call a degree. We may be small, but we are fierce, and we stick together. This Bona nation spreads across the United States and even abroad. When we leave this place, we know that we always have a friend, home, and comfort in one single place. St. Bonaventure isn't just a university, it's home.” -Meaghan Tederous

52. “There’s a feeling when you step on campus that you are home, that you are exactly where you belong. Every Bonnie felt that the first time they visited campus and they have felt it every day since. When I go back to visit as a graduate of Bona's, I look forward to feeling like I’m home again. I firmly believe, no matter where life takes me, my home will always be on West State Street. My advice to the undergrads:

Do well in your classes and study hard. But also remember that college (and the Bona bubble) is only four years of your life. Spend your money. Meet new people. Go out even when you think you probably shouldn’t. Because I guarantee on your graduation night, looking around the Burton during "Piano Man," you’ll see a few faces you wish you got to know better. And, always, always, always, wherever you go in life, keep the Bonnies spirit with you.” –Caitlin McClare

As for me, I can’t wait to get back on campus to see all of my friends and start another semester. I’m excited for my new classes, to be a peer mentor, for hip-hop and to go out with my best friends on the weekend. I can’t wait to get my daily iced coffee from Café La Verna and to attend the basketball games. St. Bonaventure really is an extraordinary place and I’m so glad it has become my home away from home. I’m counting down the days to go back.

Go Bonnies.