Being a part of the Admissions office gives me the chance to see the highlights of Lehigh so often, that I forget the things on campus and beyond that are completely under-appreciated but really deserve some credit.
1. How extensive our orientation program is
Even though after one session we feel like we're well prepared to tackle college, so much of those skills actually come from orientation. Not to mention, if it wasn't for orientation, there's a good chance a chunk (no matter how small) of your friend group came from orientation. Where would you be without all this?
2. The number of active clubs on campus
You can pursue any interest with clubs here, and that often goes unnoticed with other elements of our social system but joining a handful of clubs gives you the opportunity to see everyone thrive in something they're really good at or passionate about. My advice? Join any and every club that peaks your interest.
3. The Math Tutoring Center in the basement of Christmas Saucon
In the stress of math classes, I definitely did not appreciate the resource of having the TAs for a variety of math classes, on rotation, in a room from 8am-4pm, there to answer any and all of your questions. I talk about this on Admissions tours, and it didn't hit me until recently how useful this really is.
4. Our Sports Teams
Those athletes work so hard, and every time I go to a game, I'm filled with so much pride that I attend the same school as these people. Though our athletic campus can feel removed, going to at least one game a season per sport is so worth it, and so fun (and plus, you usually get to see the Marching '97, who are just a phenomenal group of humans).
5. The Hill (yes, seriously)
I know we huff and puff are way around, but seriously, we avoid the Freshman 15 and have great calves by the time we graduate. Having cardio integrated into daily life is actually a pretty nice bonus.
6. The Dorms
We all complain about the size or the lack of air conditioning, but really, let's be honest. We probably met some of our closest friends here and cherish the memories of the common areas forever. I couldn't be more grateful for the memories of my tiny shoebox of a room from freshmen year.
7. How large the Lehigh Family really is
We can get so blinded by our experience here and think that our experience only consists of the people around us immediately (people in our classes, dorms, sororities or fraternities) but when you stop and think about it, our Lehigh legacy stretches way back. Any time I've ever talked to an alum, I've been stunned at how similar our experiences are, and it really makes me realize how big this thing I'm a part of really is.
