Rider University is a medium-sized liberal arts university in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. Many students have mixed feelings about the school, and similar to any institution, much can be improved. Rider offers students the ability to become involved and to learn and grow in addition to join the close-knit community. I have recently graduated Rider University, and while my four years were imperfect, I am grateful for the knowledge that I have acquired, the relationships that I have built, and the memories that I have created.
Not all students have identical experiences to share, but I feel that I enabled myself to walk away with more than merely a diploma. However, I am experiencing many thoughts and feelings as I have recently graduated, and they are as follows:
1. Why is the "real world" so difficult?
2. Remember when I thought that college was so tough? But now I've stepped out of college and wish I was back to simpler times.
3. I miss Cranberry's.
4. I'm jealous that Daly's Dining Hall has gotten better and wish that the game could've been stepped up when I was still a student.
5. I am proud of the school for renovating and upgrading its buildings and amenities, but still wish that I was able to be a resident and take advantage of these resources.
6. I miss seeing a familiar face whenever I walked around campus!
7. I wish I still lived in West Village with its luxurious lifestyle and accessible washing machine.
8. Nights in Princeton are the best! Too bad I no longer live nearby.
9. I am grateful to have been active in clubs and organizations due to Rider offering so many ways to stretch oneself.
10. I feel that the opportunities that Rider has provided have helped me succeed in graduate school where I currently am.
11. I cannot believe how fast those four years truly flew!
12. I love sitting in the gazebo, and my gazebo at home doesn't have a lake nearby.
13. I also am a fan of those hammocks and am still wanting to have one installed in my backyard.
14. The professors are mostly so caring, and I wish that graduate school professors gave me the same sense of intimacy!
15. I miss seeing faculty and staff at 10:00 at night.
16. This reminds me that I miss home and school being one and the same.
17. The basketball games are super fun, and I miss getting hyped for them.
18. Upon reflecting, our basketball teams were pretty damn good in spite of some negative commentary from students!
19. The chapel is a special place for all faiths to come and worship and learn about religion in addition to housing musical theatre students. I miss the diverse building and all that it offers!
20. The plays and musicals are always top notch, and I wish I could still attend several times a semester.
21. I miss all of the traditional events and predicting who I thought would win "R-Factor!"
Rider is still expanding, but the diverse and inclusive school will always be another home to me. I initially was not accepted to what was my top school at the time but feel that being a student at Rider was a blessing. I am glad that my college advisor introduced me to the school, and I cherish both the awesome and not so awesome times that I had at Rider. Once a Bronc, always a Bronc!
