Okay y'all. I was a west sider my freshman year, and for the most part, I absolutely loved it. #SlaterGangOrDie. But I'm sure all my west siders can agree with this list of pros and cons.

Gym Facilities/ Recreation

Pro:

The field house is literally right across the street - AKA no excuse to not work out. Thankfully we didn't have to walk ALL the way down Burlington to get to the rec, that would have been awful.

Con:

What's up with the 17 flights of stairs just to get to the workout room in the field house? And that weird rickety staircase? And why is all the equipment kind of janky? How am I supposed to tone my glutes when that brunette chick is always on the only stairmaster? Remember when I had to workout with the power out? #What?

Dining

Pro:

Lucky for us, Hillcrest has a dining hall, so we don't have to go all the way to Burge when we're hungry... which is like, always. And I still remember when the burger bar first opened. Hello Heaven.

Con:

Honestly not clear on why Hillcrest refuses to feed us on Sunday nights. A girl's gotta eat.

"Lay of the Land"

Pro:

If you're smart, you found out that there's a shortcut behind Hillcrest that dumps you out at the bridge. You get to class a lot faster that way.

Con:

The shortcut involves the steepest hill you will, literally, ever climb in your life and if you don't hold on to the railing you might fall down and/or get knocked over by some idiot on a bike. Also, no one can tell me they ever climbed up that incline and didn't have a sore butt the next morning. No one.

Public Transportation

Pro: We become extremely skilled at figuring out bus routes.

Con: The only reason we have to take the bus is because the weather has reached the negatives, there is black ice on the ground, and I'm genuinely concerned for my health and well-being if I try to walk to class rather than fight the hordes of people also waiting for the 8 AM bus.

Ambiance/Community

Pro: We become our own little quiet community, away from all the hustle and bustle of the east side and the downtown. A sort of west side family.

Con: None.