Well, these past four years really went by quickly. Come next Saturday, I'll be...graduating. I have mixed feelings about it, and I'm sure mostly everyone who's been in college has had as well. As ready as I am to be done with classwork and stuff, I'm not ready to leave college. I've really enjoyed my time at Wingate, and I wouldn't trade my experiences here for anything. Here are 10 reasons I'm glad I chose Wingate University.

10. The Size

I've really appreciated that Wingate's such a small campus. Not only is there a relatively short walk to wherever you wanna go, but it's allowed me to enjoy my classes and professors more since classes have small as well. (Let's just say this introvert has been pretty happy about that.) Pictured is the quad where most of the academic buildings are located; in this pic, you can almost see most of the area actually, so you can see it's not that large.

9. The Campus

Wingate's campus is gorgeous. Just walk through it during a sunny day, and you'll see the beauty's almost breathtaking. There are also certain spots I personally like- the quad, the ampitheater, Dry Chapel, the pond by Stegall where I took the picture shown above- to use as "getaway spots" when I either need a break from schoolwork or to just clear my head.

8. My Jobs

College was the first time I ever had a job, and I've had the pleasure of not only working as a Writing Tutor assisting undergrad and sometimes even grad students with their papers, but I've also had the pleasure and honor of assisting one of the professors in the English Department with grading, helping out with the Shakespeare Competition, and other administrative tasks. My job as a Writing Tutor I've particularly enjoyed since I've not only read some interesting papers and even learned a few things while reading them, but I've also made some pretty great friendships there (one of these friends just so happened to take this pic of me while I was working and posted it in our Groupme).

7. The Service Opportunities

I've been a part of groups who've helped at H.E.L.P. Crisis Pregnancy Center in Monroe, One7 Ministries (shown above), and even the Operation Christmas Child warehouse in Charlotte. As much I would've loved to have participated in more service projects, i'm glad that I was able to serve in these areas. They've all be uniquely rewarding experiences for me.

6. Nerdy Academic Moments

I love classes that involve a lot of discussion since I like hearing other people's thoughts. However, there are some insights that I've heard that I really loved: Disney references, anime references, and even music references that helped us to get a new perspective on what we were learning. (I may or may not have even compared Donald Trump to Coriolanus in my Shakespeare class when we were discussing the latter's personality.) These nerdy moments have even crossed over to my research papers, one being my Honors Thesis that I presented in Asheville last month. (The pic above is actually one I took of the program guide all the presenters received at NCUR.)

5. Randomly Dropping by Friends' Apartments/Rooms

I love living on campus and being close to my friends. Countless times have I dropped by to either work on homework or just hang out (in either scenario we wind up hanging out anyway). I've also been known to just randomly crawl in my roommates' beds either because I was bored, wanted to do homework together, or wanted food.

4. Wingate Baptist Church

This church has been my home away from home. The people there are so friendly, welcoming, and loving; it's an incredible atmosphere. I love singing in the choir and worshiping with them. They also care about the community and even the college students, hosting after-church lunches, movie and game nights, and even pizza exam breaks for Wingate students. I'm really glad that I was able to find a church home while at school, and I'm even more glad that Wingate Baptist became my church home.

3. The Organizations

Christian Student Union, PRISM, Phi Eta Sigma, Alpha Chi, Sigma Tau Delta, Sigma Alpha Iota (my initiation pic is shown above), Creative Writing Club -- I've been a part of these organizations either since I was a freshman, which feels like ages ago now, or somewhere further down the line, and they've all enriched my college experience so much. I'm glad to have been a part of them all, and I'll miss them all come this Saturday.

2. The Experiences

I've had so many fantastic experiences here at Wingate, among my favorites being the trip to New York with my Honors Ideas in Fine Arts class, my NCUR experience, and the choir concerts. As much as I love singing, there's something about singing with other people that just makes the experience so much better, even magical. Two of my top favorite events happened this semester, though: performances from San Jose Taiko and Cantus. San Jose Taiko is a group that travels to give taiko performances, which are based on traditional Japanese drumming and incorporates global rhythms as well. (More info on them here.) Cantus is an all-male chamber vocal ensemble consisting of nine members. (More info on them here.) Their concert, "The Four Loves," was phenomenal and easily one I'll always remember. The photo for this section is actually me with one of Cantus' tenors, Paul Scholtz. (Fun fact: Paul was an English major for his undergrad). While I've enjoyed all my experiences here at Wingate, they've all been amazing due to my favorite aspect of this college:

1. The People

The people are the main reason I'm not ready to leave. I've met so many incredible people here whom I call my friends and professors. They've all helped make my undergrad experience one I'll cherish for life, and I'm forever grateful to them for that.

I can't imagine my undergrad experience any other way. Even though I don't know exactly what'll happen after I cross that stage, I can honestly say I'm a better person for having come here and having these relationships and experiences. With all that said, there's really only one thing left to say:

Lift the chorus,

Speed it onward,

Loud the praise relate,

Hail to thee, [my] Alma Mater

Hail, all hail, Wingate.