1. The sprinklers don't water the grass.
Although it's winter and the sprinkling system isn't turned on, you can bet at the first sign of spring, they will be. And when they are, they definitely won't be watering the grass. Nope, they'll be watering the sidewalks, benches, and maybe even you.
2. Parking is a bitch.
We're a commuter school. This means that the vast majority of the student population will be competing for parking spots every day. There a limited parking lots for commuter students and all the big lots that are actually close to relevant buildings are for faculty and Shocker Hall students only. Don't even try parking there, because Campus PD will find and they will ticket you. Commuter parking lots turn into shark tanks, so may the odds be ever in your favor.
3. Especially on game day.
You know that parking pass you paid a $150 for? Well, you might as well throw it out the window on game day because it won't get you squat. They give all the big lots near Koch Area to season ticket holders, so you either have to walk all the way across campus or park, like, thee blocks away. Have fun walking!
4. Because all of Wichita, Kansas is obsessed with the Men's Basketball team.
In case you didn't know, the men's basketball team is kind of a big deal. I mean, we might have gone to the final four a few years ago, I think we went 31-0 in the regular season in 2014 and I'm pretty sure we beat KU last year. So, yeah.
5. So, have fun trying to get tickets
It's awesome that students get free tickets to every sporting event, but this means that on days they release tickets, you better either be standing in line, or running to get in line. They go fast. Last year, there were multiple times I found myself waiting in line for tickets at five in the morning.
6. And apparently we have a stellar bowling team.
I had no idea about this when I came to WSU, but we have bowlers from across the country, as well as other countries, coming here to try out for the team. Apparently, we're one of the best in the US. Maybe we should give a little more credit where it's due.
7. The surrounding areas of the school are a little shady.
Everyone knows that the couple of blocks (or miles) surrounding the school aren't the greatest. So keep your guard up, pepper spray out, always walk in groups and you'll be fine.
8. But campus is pretty, especially in the spring.
The campus is really nice though. They have done an awesome job updating it and keeping it in good shape.
9. There are ups and downs about living in Shocker Hall.
Yes, Shocker Hall is new, but when I lived there that didn't mean that everything always worked. The thermostat broke, the shower broke, and the Wi-Fi never worked to begin with. And when you called maintenance to come fix it, they would be barging through your door at 7 a.m. But hey, it's close to all the main buildings on campus, so I could always go back and nap during my 45 minutes breaks. Even if the thermostat was still broken and my room was still freezing.
10. But we'd choose Shocker Hall over Fairmount Towers any day.
Because Shocker Hall is still newer and shinier and you don't have to walk as far.
11. Shocker Dollars are almost more valuable than real dollars.
It's an amazing thing knowing that all you have to do to pay for your Starbucks or Chick-fil-A is swipe your student ID and it doesn't directly affect your back account. It's just too bad that I used 85 percent of my funds a month into school.
12. It's a big school with a small school atmosphere.
Yes there are nearly 20,000 students, but classes usually don't have more than 30 people in them, unless you are taking a gen ed. Which is nice, because most of my teachers know my name and actually care about my grade and I usually get to know at least several other students in each of my classes. But at the same time, while I always see a lot of familiar faces on campus, I see a lot of new ones, as well. It's a big school so there are always new people to meet.
13. "What's a Shocker?"
Sigh.
14. Don't walk through Plaza of the Heroines.
For those of you don't know what this is, it's that circle plaza right in front of the Library. They tell people during tours that if you walk through it, you won't graduate within four years. Occasionally, you'll see someone walk through it, but most of us (myself included) avoid it like the plague.
15. We love Wichita State and are proud to be Shockers.
Yes we know that Wichita isn't actually a state; It's a nation.
