1. Everything you need is right in the city.
Every campus has a bookstore and a dining hall and probably a small convenience store, but going to college in the city means that almost everything you desire is right within your reach. You can find the macaroons you were craving while sipping on your Juice Generation-esque smoothie. Your cycling needs can easily be satisfied by finding the local Soul Cycle equivalent, and yoga studios keep popping up on every corner. When you live in the city, you never have to worry about not having everything that you need, just maybe too many options of what you want!
2. There are new cuisines right outside your door.
If you go to school in the middle of nowhere, I am sorry that Chinese takeout is as ethnic you can get in the culinary arts. In the city, your opportunities are endless for trying all different types of cuisines from places that you may not get the chance to visit yourself. Having a taste of a different country is almost as good as visiting the real thing, and having that opportunity to try everything in the comfort of one city can be a unique experience for college students.
3. You can shop high-end to thrift in a breeze.
You want to get a formal dress from BCBG and a pair of vintage jeans in one day? Going to school in the city can make that trip easier. Just going shopping for shopping's sake is so much more fun in the city than anywhere else. Cities are where you can find all the hidden gem boutiques and also whip out your coupons for sweet "student" discounts. And even if you are a little tight on cash like most college students, window shopping in your campus city can be just as fun!
4. It isn't just a "College Town."
Sometimes we college city kids wish we had everything that college towns had: large campuses, block parties, trees, and real sports. But what we hear from most of our friends who go to colleges with exclusive college towns is that there is nothing to do. So yeah, the photo opportunities may be cool in the spring and summer, but we college city kids definitely have a lot more fun. The only way you can say that there is nothing to do in a city is if you don't really feel like finding anything new.
Your college city is independent of your university and that does turn out to be a good thing. Life goes on in the city even while your college life may seem to take over everything, so taking a day off in the city can just as easily be a stress reliever for you.
5. There is such a thing as "off-campus" housing.
For college city students, there are better options for living on or off campus that are actually sustainable for college students. Better off-campus housing options is greatly appreciated on all college campuses just so that students don't always have to deal with RAs, room checks, quiet time curfews, or the possibility of getting written up. Not to mention that it is impossible to live with a dining hall that closes at 7 p.m. on the weekends. Even if you are not the best cook, or you are a little worried about living outside of the university security, having the option of living a little more independently is a luxury for city school students.
6. Downtown "club" parties and clean bars are a real thing.
For freshman year, frat parties and house parties are all the rage since they are close to dorms and walking distance from Wawa. But most college students get tired out from these parties in less than a year. If you are a born rager, you probably will never be bored of these parties, but having a little variety can make or break your nightlife experience in whatever college you attend. Going to school in the city, though, gives you the option to have a unique partying experience unlike those kids in "college towns." You can club at a hot new lounge, relax at a beer garden, or just have a nice night out at a trendy bar. In the city, you have the choiceof to going to the typical college bar or the exclusive speakeasy without sacrificing a distant trip away from home.
7. There is a public transit system that you probably don't use.
It is always the cool thing to bring your car on campus so that you can actually get to class on time or go to the supermarket, but in cities, it is really not a necessity. Having the opportunity to take buses, subways, trains, and trolleys to wherever you want to go is the luxury of a good city. But even if you don't have the necessity to use it, you know that it is always there for you. What is even better is knowing that most of what you need in college is walking distance from you!
8. Traveling to other cities is relatively easy.
With the fact that public transit is easily accessible in the city, you can find the fastest ways to get to and from most cities in your geographic area. On the East Coast, getting to Boston, Philadelphia, New York, and Washington D.C. aren't the biggest hassles if you are leaving from one of them. And the fact that you attend college in these cities is that you can easily get cheaper tickets and discounts through your school, too.
9. Late night food is not a myth.
Walking to Wawa or 7/11 is usually enough, but knowing that you could walk to a few restaurants down the block at 2 a.m. to get a sandwich is a beautiful idea. Having the opportunity to have real food besides vending machine snacks is what makes living in a city so great. And if you are too lazy to walk to get food, food delivery websites can bring you everything you need. Having GrubHub, Seamless, Instacart, and PostMates makes late-night eating even easier!
10. It's hard to say that you've seen it all!
One great feeling about going to school in the city is that you never feel like you are done exploring. Every city is filled with individual treasures like museums, monuments, and historical sites. You may not have time to spend all your energy in experiencing every single one of them, but you know that if the time ever arises that you need to see more of your city, it is all right in front of you. What is so great about going to college in a city is that you aren't counting down the days until you finally leave, instead you are wishing every day that you have more time to spend just being a city kid.
