As I was doing my college search in high school, I was wondering, "Who can find a college they actually love based off of a small campus tour and maybe an overnight visit?" I definitely proved myself wrong on that one because I was one of those people that had accomplished it. But I would not know until a year later that I had made the right decision by choosing Niagara.

The first time I had stepped onto the campus of Niagara, for some reason, I had this feeling that I didn't get at any of the other colleges I had visited. It felt like home. That weird sense of home is why I chose Niagara, and even going into my junior year, I still considered Niagara my second home. I did have my reservations about it, though. For one, Niagara is a Vincentian university and I had no idea what that meant or what I was going to have to do in order to meet those requirements. Little did I know, it basically means Niagara does a lot of charity work. And who could hate charity, especially when most of it is voluntary?

The other reservation I had going into it was that coming from a small high school, I knew Niagara was also considered a small to medium-sized college, so I hoped it wasn't too small. I later figured out that it is definitely is not too small. Yes, I always see someone I know on campus every time I'm walking to class, but that is what I like about it. It's nice seeing friendly, familiar faces before walking into two hours of class lecture. It also made it easier to make friends and remember people's names during freshman orientation and floor meetings that were specifically created just so that everyone could be acquainted with one another. And, don't get me wrong, there are still a bunch of people who I have no idea who they are.

My favorite thing about Niagara is the location that it is in. Yes, the city of Niagara Falls is not the best area in New York, but the other surrounding towns and the campus of Niagara are beautiful. Canada is 10 minutes away, and who else can say that they casually go for a night out in Canada weekly other than a Niagara student? The historic town of Lewiston is 10 minutes away as well, and is a perfect place to explore or find a unique place to grab something to eat. Niagara is also the perfect distance away from home for me that it gave me a whole new outlook and experience in life, which is exactly what most want when they go away to college.

All in all, Niagara is an amazing college and I am over-the-moon happy that I got the feeling I did when I first set foot on campus -- because that feeling has continued for over three years. I don't think I could've gotten the feeling or the experience I did at Niagara anywhere else.