I attend Rutgers University in New Brunswick New Jersey and this fall I will be a junior. I came to Rutgers unsure of what to expect and really without any expectations at all. My experience at this school has exceeded anything I had ever hoped for, and at this point I consider Rutgers a second home. It breaks my heart that many seniors will not have the senior year they expected due to COVID-19, and that incoming freshman will miss out on first year of college that I believe changed my life. My younger sister is an incoming freshmen, and I want her to fall in love with Rutgers the same way I did.
1. Midnight Breakfast
Each semester around finals week, the Rutgers dining halls hold a Midnight Breakfast, where the dining halls open at 12 and serve breakfast food to any student who wishes to come. Midnight Breakfast is so fun, and although the dining halls are packed, it's always something to look forward to during the dragging weeks of finals.
2. RU Hungry
This fast food place is located right by the Scott hall bus stop on college ave, and is open 24/7. I have still been ordering from RU Hungry at three in the morning during quarantine. They offer an assortment of ridiculously elaborate sandwiches and almost anything else you can think of, including my personal favorite, cheese fries.
3. The Academic Building
The Academic Building is possibly one of my most favorite places to study. It has a beautiful view of the campus, comfy places to do work, air conditioning, and of course, Cafe West, the new cafe that takes meal swipes with amazing food.
4. The Bishop Quads
I lived in Wessels my freshmen and sophomore year, which is one of the Bishop Quad dorms on College Ave. I loved Wessels with my whole heart. The rooms were big, the old fashioned "Hogwarts" lounge was the perfect place to study, and right outside there was a beautiful courtyard and a stretch of turf that is great to lay out on. This dorm is also the place that brought me together with the majority of my best friends, who have changed my life completely for the better.
5. Cook Doug Campus
The Cook Doug campus is stunningly beautiful, especially during the early fall months and the late spring months. It is not unlikely to see horses or other various animals, and the campus itself is lush and green, and a lovely place for a walk that makes heading to class not that bad.
6. The Teachers
Of course we aren't all going to love every teacher we ever have. But the best teachers of my life have all taught at Rutgers University, and I have taken a variety of classes. It makes sense that I would love my passionate, literary English teachers who have the privilege to teach small classes and interact heavily with their students, but I've also had great experiences with my hilariously sarcastic ecology teacher, who I learned so much from, as well as my funny, kind math teacher who made a 8pm class my freshmen year completely bearable.
7. Campus Deli
This deli is now right across the street from my new house in New Brunswick, but I discovered it during the beginning of sophomore year. Like RU Hungry, this deli is open very late and has basically anything you would ever need, from hot food to snacks to helpful things for your home/dorm.
8. Game Day
Even if you aren't into football, the exciting atmosphere on game day is unmatched. The campus is flooded with students dressed in their Rutgers apparel, and everyone is ready to go to parties and cheer on the Rutgers team.
9. Brower Ice Cream
I have a lot of hate in my heart for Brower, but it is undeniable that I also have grown a certain love for it as well. Everyone will tell you that Brower is the worst dining hall, and it is, but meeting up with my friends there at the end of the day became a tradition, and if there's one thing Brower does right, it's the ice cream.
10. Starbucks Truck
For students who love caffeine and have meal swipes, the Starbucks truck is literally a life saver. It circulates around the campuses and for one swipe you can get up to around 8$ worth of food or drink.
Incoming freshmen might not be able to experience all these wonderful aspects of Rutgers this coming fall, but there is so much to look forward to.
