By week's end, most high schools will have finally wrapped up their school year. And with that, another bunch of high school seniors will officially become college freshmen. A group of those new college students will find themselves in West Long Branch, New Jersey. West Long Branch is the home of none other than Monmouth University.

To all the future Hawks who are finished, or finishing high school, welcome to Monmouth! College is a totally different ballgame compared to high school. There is no more straight seven-hour days for five days a week. There is no more having to ask to go to the bathroom. There are no more bells and walking the halls to class. College is a different animal entirely.

Each day of the week presents its own schedule. There can be large breaks between classes. You have more options to eat. Classes are in a bunch of different buildings. I could go on and on about the difference college offers when compared to high school. Instead, let's take a look at Monmouth and what it offers, and what new students can expect when they get to campus.

Let's start with the different buildings and hot spots around campus. The main hub of campus is the student center, conveniently located at the center of campus. The student center is such a hot spot because it can be used for so many different purposes. For starters, it has food, and it doesn't require the walk over to the dining hall if you're in between classes. You have options that range from salad, Mexican food, Jersey Mike's, freshly made pizza, hot food and even Dunkin. You also can then grab a seat and eat your food. Even if you aren't eating, this is a popular spot to do some work or simply hang out between classes. Just know if you're getting here in the middle of the day between classes, seats may be hard to come by.

But that's just the main level. You can go upstairs to the commuter lounge to hang out as well. As a commuter, this is probably my favorite spot to crash if I need to kill some time. There are a handful of computers, but there are times they can be hard to come by. There are tables and couches as well if you have no interest in the computers. Several student services can also be found throughout the building. There are too many to go into, but just know if there is a service you need or have a question, there is a good chance this is the building you will need.

The patio area outside is also a nice area to eat or do some work if the weather is nice. Just know if you want to get some work done here, there will be times where it could be loud, especially if SAB is playing music to promote some sort of event.

We will now proceed to the building next to the student center, and the newest addition to campus, Pozycki Hall. Last year was the first year for this building, and I did not have a class in here. So with that said, i have not explored it to its fullest yet. From what I have heard there can be a few different class types in this building, but health studies and business-type classes seem like some of the more popular ones. There is a nice balcony area upstairs that looks like a nice relaxing spot where work could probably be done in peace. Every time I was in the building it seemed rather quiet with several spots like this. So if you're looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of the student center, this might be a good spot for you to check out.

Also of note is the bridge that connects it to Bey Hall, which will be the next building we get to. This could certainly be put to good use on a bad weather day. Maybe you have a class in Pozycki, then a small break, then one in Bey. Problem is it's pouring rain outside. So why not take advantage of Pozycki's quiet spots and just hang out until it is time to go to Bey? No need to get wet.

Bey Hall is the home of most of the business courses, as well as history-type classes (I'm looking at you, Western Civ - I do not miss that class). Classes like Anthropology are also likely to be held here.

One of Bey's coolest features is the computer lab downstairs. I am not a business guy (Computer Science major, Communication minor), but I found the stocks ticker that runs across the ceiling to be a cool feature. Freshman year I was in this lab a few times a week in between classes, before finding the commuter lounge and computer lab in Howard. Classes are held in this lab, which is the main turn-off to me. You have no guarantee of how long you will be able to sit there unless you know the class schedule for the day.

There is also a little cafe area downstairs if you need to grab a quick snack or drink. Near this cafe stand are also some small tables, which are not the most comfortable spots for doing work, but if you're in Bey and don't feel like leaving, they could serve the purpose. There is also the auditorium, which is different from almost every other classroom on the campus. It can hold a bigger class, and having had an economics class in there, I can say I would much prefer a class in a normal classroom. You just cannot get the personal learning experience you get in other rooms with things so spread out.

We now leave the business buildings and head across to Pollak Theatre. This is where several events are held. I've never had a class here, nor have I really been in here much other than the main lobby area (more on that in a second). So overall I don't have much to say on the building as I simply have not experienced it to it's fullest.

When I think of Pollak, I think of it as an out of the way entrance into Howard Hall. This past year there was construction that blocked off most of the entrances into Howard, except for the most out of the way one, which happens to be this one. You enter under the Pollak Theatre sign and enter the lobby area. If you make the left, you are headed for Howard.

Howard is the home of my math and science people. All of my computer science classes are in here, with a lot of classes on the third floor in the Linux lab. So I am in here quite a bit, and will be this coming year. Along with classrooms, there is the math learning center. The computer lab on the first floor however is the most useful part of the building in my opinion. As a commuter there will always be some downtime between classes. I am lucky enough to have my girlfriend go to the same school as me, so I have not had to kill as much time between classes just sitting around an academic building waiting for class as most other commuters. But I still have my fair share of time to kill, and this computer lab is home to a lot of that time.

We now move along into Edison Hall, which was under plenty of construction last year. Before that, there was a connecting bridge between Howard and Edison, similar to Bey and Pozycki. Once all the construction is complete I believe this bridge will be back.

Edison is home of all of the main sciences; chemistry, bio and physics. There are about three round tables in the lobby area that can serve as a place to do some work. It has never been a place I have sat to do work, but there are usually people there reading and working. Overall it is fairly quiet, so I can see the appeal. Other than that, nothing too special about Edison.

We continue walking down campus, and pass by Erlanger Gardens. This is where the fountains are, although they are only on for special occasions for the most part. This is a nice outdoor place to have some lunch on a nice day. Now we reach the circle, with art buildings to the left, and Wilson to the right.

Rechnitz Hall and the 600/800 art buildings are what they sound like. Buildings for art majors, with not much to offer to those outside the field. I had one communication class in the 800 building, and I can say it was a rather tight room. The nicest thing I can say of Rechnitz Hall is it does have a nice bathroom.

Across the way we have the historic Wilson Hall. Home of most English and literature classes, and simply one of the nicest buildings on campus. The elevator is creepy looking, so I would recommend the stairs if you need to get to the top floor. It's a bit of a hike to get to the top, but it beats the elevator. While Rechnitz has a nice bathroom, Wilson's basement is home to the most unique one on campus. It is an older one, but it just has the historic feel that the entire building does. Everything in the building just feels historic, and home to a lot of the main events (scholarship luncheons, Winter Ball, etc.) on campus.

Back on the other side we have Plangere and McAllan Hall. Plangere is the home of most communication classes. There is a small shop for coffee downstairs, plus a really comfortable couch. The Outlook's office is upstairs, plus a few tables around the building to sit. McAllan is home to many health studies, criminal justice and education classes. Another building I have not really had a class in, but from the few times I've been in there, it appears to be a building mainly for classrooms. No main locations to sit and do work from what I've seen.

Not too far away is the dining hall, which is exactly what the name implies. For residents, this is probably the main eating spot as opposed to the student center. As a commuter who doesn't have a meal plan, most of my eating takes place at the student center or off campus. But for anyone with a meal plan, this is certainly a main spot to go on campus.

If you go through the underpass, you will reach the residential side of campus. I will not go into detail on each of the buildings, but will simply talk about the quad. Right in the center is a large open space (the quad), which is a hot spot for activities. With a nice open space, it can used for many different things. On other days when nothing is going on, it is a spot where you can just sit on the grass and enjoy being outside as opposed to being in a classroom. There are some picnic tables, which are also nice spots to do some reading for class.

Back on the academic side, the two main sports facilities are Kessler Field and the MAC. Kessler Field is home to the football team, which has been steadily improving over the three years I have been here. The same can be said about the basketball team, who plays their home games in the MAC. Attending a game for either of these teams is certainly a part of the Monmouth experience.

The MAC is also home to the gym, which is open to all students. The school bookstore is connected and home to a ton of Monmouth-related merchandise.The smaller gym, Boylan Gym is also right next door.

The final point I would like to mention about the campus is parking. If you're a commuter, leave yourself some time for parking. Do not plan on arriving five minutes before your class starts, as I have circled the parking lot looking for a spot for up to 15 minutes on several occasions.

Well that's that, an overview of Monmouth University and its campus. I am sure I missed some solid work spots or things in general. Any fellow Hawks who have any thoughts about anything on campus, leave a note in the comments! And for those who will be new to campus this fall, I hope you found this to be helpful. Welcome to Monmouth, new Hawks - see you in September!