I've learned a lot of things from my time here at Duquesne. The quality of education here is very high, and I love my classes and program. However, this place has taught me a lot more than just stuff in class. What you may ask? Well let's find out:
1. A library is not just a place to check out book.
I have probably spent 60 percent of my total time here the last two years at Duquesne. Plus, the place is always packed. I go to the library just to hang out with people, sometimes. It's definitely the heartbeat of the university and a fantastic place to get work done, socialize and learn.
2. Any recipe containing buffalo chicken is like sought-after treasure.
Never in my life have I seen a group of people so passionate about a variety of recipes containing buffalo chicken. Dip, pizza, mac and cheese, rolls, sandwiches, etc. Back where I come from on the opposite side of the state, buffalo chicken is cool, but it's not this prevalent. Pittsburghers and Duquesne students love their buffalo chicken and for good reason.
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3. ...And so are pierogies.
I've also never seen an area that's this crazy about pierogies. You can get them on, literally, everything. Burgers, pizza, fries, you name it. Just another staple in this city, and whenever they are served on campus here at Duquesne, so many people have to get them, myself included.
4. It's never too cold for shorts.
No matter how cold it is, I always see at least three to five people wearing shorts, and when you're on a campus this small, that's way too many. I've seen people trek through six inches of snow in shorts, walk around in -5 degree weather like it's nothing. The funniest part is they always have a big jacket or heavy sweatshirt on, as well. Just complete the outfit and you'll feel a lot better!
5. St. Patrick's Day is a bigger holiday than Thanksgiving and Christmas combined.
This city is obsessed with St. Patty's Day. The parade is humongous, people are going nuts and Duquesne even plans a bunch of different on-campus events to help augment the festivities. I've never heard of a school this small have such an awesome and fun St. Patrick's Day culture, absolutely obliterating experiences at other notorious spots such as Penn State and schools in Boston. It really is a fun day, just be safe!
6. Finding a spot to study for finals week is absolute torture.
The picture above is a good representation of how many people all of a sudden need to study in the library and any other place to study on campus. People just come out of the woodwork one time a year and cram up every spot. It's painful looking for a place. Unless you wake up at six in the morning, you're basically all on your lonesome here at Duquesne.
7. If I ever complained about going up steps before, I had no idea what was to come.
An infamous aspect of Duquesne, of course, is the South Side Steps. They're so bad because, unless you feel like paying for an Uber or if the loop bus isn't running, it's almost impossible to avoid these coming from South Side. Yes, one could take the tunnel, but every Duquesne student needs to experience this torture at least once. I won't even tell you how many steps there are just so you can count on your own sometime.
8. Vegetarian and vegan food is actually quite good.
Not a knock on all the wonderful food service workers here at Duquesne, but most students would agree with me that the food here is nothing special. However, the V2 line at the dining hall is constantly dishing high-quality dishes that look great, too. Compressed watermelon with feta, veggie burgers with Russian slaw and homemade sweet potato chips, polenta cakes with a spicy yogurt sauce, etc. It's such great food that doesn't make you feel awful afterward. A win-win!
9. Doing laundry on a Friday is actually a good idea.
When I think of a typical Friday at Duquesne or at college in general, laundry isn't normally the first thing that would come to mind as what I would want to do. Here at Duquesne, though, it is prime time for laundry. The machines are all open, and you don't have to worry about anybody throwing your stuff on the ground. It's just great timing.
10. Before Duquesne, I've never craved a warm cookie at 1:30 a.m.
Sure, I've craved a freshly baked cookie before. We all have. But the fact that I can take an elevator down five floors and walk to a place to spend fake money on one at 1:30 a.m. is amazing. It satisfies any late night insomniacs to give them the internal warm fuzzy feeling they need to finally go to sleep.
11. Pittsburgh is the best city on Earth.
Yes, quite cheesy. My time here at Duquesne has been probably the best years of my life. The people at this school are the main reason, and to live our lives in this fantastic city makes it that much more special. This place will always be in my heart now, and I have to thank Duquesne for making that possible.
