BIf you've had a conversation with me at any point in the past year, chances are you know how much I LOVE my school.

I can say with confidence that Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona is THE HYPEST university you will ever go to, from everything from school spirit to student life to a beautiful and growing campus. GCU has played such a huge role in my life thus far and given me so many amazing and lasting relationships. If you have already heard my rant about how awesome it is, then well... I'm sorry, but there's more.

For the people that are still on the fence about which school to head to after graduation (*cough* you know who you are *cough*), let me give you the 15 reasons why GCU is THE school for you.

1. It's LIT.

If you've ever been to a basketball game at GCU, you already know what I'm talking about. Spending a night sitting in the student section of the GCU arena with the Havocs (what up) will change your whole perception of what it means to "turn up". There is NEVER a dull moment in GCU athletics and the student body knows how to get a crowd going, no matter what the score. We crush in basketball though, so it's never too hard to get hype. #justsayin

2. Events, events, events

If you take advantage of all the events Grand Canyon is constantly putting on, you are guaranteed to never be bored. From movie nights on the Grove lawn to the classic Lope-A-Palooza to zombie-hunting to simple club meetings or pancake parties in the dorms, there are always opportunities to get out of the room and go have some fun. GCU provides endless ways for students to meet other students with similar interests, relieve some stress around the time finals show up, and give students ways to loosen up.

3. Fantastic dorm life

This point may be slightly biased, but if your experience at Grand Canyon is anything like mine, you will LOVE the dorm life! Your roommates each have bios available online before you select a room, so you have the option to find people with your similar interests and living habits. The dorms themselves are spacey and very comfortable, so if you like staying in more than going out, you can settle in on the couch with some ice cream from the Lopes Mart and a couple of blankets and have Netflix show marathons (for us, it was Bob's Burgersall day). GCU also hand-selects RA's who are friendly and caring about your overall living experience, who occasionally set up some dope hall meetings- complete with snacks.

4. Knowledgeable professors

If you take an on-ground or online class at Grand Canyon, you may be certain that your professor is someone who knows their stuff. I have never taken a class where I've retained nothing, because every professor I've had was committed to ensuring that their students understood the material and came out of the class having learned something. Truth be told, I've made several lasting friendships with some of my professors, simply because they were dedicated to answering my questions and providing a great learning experience. (Not in nursing anymore, but shout out to Wireman).

5. Someone cares

Even if you find yourself in the unfortunate situation of having a professor or a student advisor who isn't helping you or providing the best learning experience, there is ALWAYS someone who is willing to help you. Whether it's your SSA when you have trouble with a professor or the faculty training and development team (who ensures that both your SSA and professor are doing their job correctly), there is always someone at GCU looking out for you and making sure that you get a great and fair experience.

6. You literally do not need a car.

My freshman year, I left campus about once a week, but I absolutely did not need to. Grand Canyon makes living on campus so easy and convenient. You can get everything from snacks to complete meals prepared fresh daily to shampoo to school supplies, all within a walking distance on campus. If you need Advil and don't have a car or can't make it to the store, you can walk directly into the Grid and pick some up using your dining dollars.

7. Frozen tuition

I already loved GCU after touring and hearing about the student life, but the thing that really sealed the deal for me was the frozen solid tuition rates. Even with the economic collapse in 2008 and the cost of tuition skyrocketing within the past few decades, Grand Canyon has not raised their tuition prices in the slightest. For a private university out of state, I pay less with scholarships than I would if I had stayed in-state.

8. Growing community

Around campus, us students like to call GCU "Grand Construction University" because there is always something new being built. From new dorms to paved roads and sidewalks, Grand Canyon is expanding their campus to accommodate the ever-growing influx of new students. Their volunteer work around the community is astounding, as well. GCU is committed to raising property values in the surrounding communities and continually developing a stronger and safer environment in the Phoenix area.

9. Volunteer & work opportunities

One of the great things about being located in a huge city is that you will always find work opportunities. GCU helps out with this quite a bit. Utilizing a job site that students can visit whenever they are searching for jobs on campus or in the general vicinity, students get hired left and right for positions in office, custodial, food service, hotel, teaching assistance, and medical work. Because there are so many new buildings coming up around the campus, there are a lot more job opportunities! For the students who don't want a job on top of their workload, but still would like to keep busy, Grand Canyon offers opportunities to volunteer and serve in the community (my Serve the City crew, what up).

10. Campus hangs

If you've ever walked around GCU and seen a bunch of crazy people laughing at the top of their lungs and swinging around in hammocks, it was definitely my friends and I. Grand Canyon not only offers events every week, it has some of the coolest spots to chill and hang out with your friends. There's Thunderground by the student union, which totally rocks the underground hideout/soda shop type of feel, complete with food directly above, a bowling alley, ping pong tables, pool tables, giant jenga, and couches to spare. There are multiple lounging chairs and hammock poles all around campus, some conveniently located next to coffee shops and restaurants. Perhaps most near and dear to my heart are the many, many places one can find on the tops of buildings and parking garages to just sit and watch the sunsets (which are incomparable to any others you'll ever see, let me just tell you now).

11. Online schooling

If on-ground and traditional class styles just aren't your thing, then boo boo- GCU has got you. With a complete online platform, GCU is making it possible to get your degree without even leaving your couch. That probably makes me sound like a commercial ad, but I say this because that is literally what I am doing with my personal schooling. I realized last year that taking online classes would not only give me more time to spend with my friends, but it would free up my schedule and enable me to work more hours at my campus job. Online classes are easily among my top ten favorite things on the planet and GCU has them in abundance, in almost every subject.

12. FOOD

Qdboa, Subway, Panda Express, Chick-fil-a, the Canyon 49 Restaurant, frozen yogurt, multiple convenience stores with freshly made sandwiches, salads, and wraps all ON campus... Need I say more?

13. Amenities baby

Yes, this is a photo of my friends and I casually tanning by the pool. Yes, GCU does have three pools spread out over campus. Yes, two of these pools also have hot tubs. Yes, these pools are all located in extremely close proximity to free student gyms. Yes, we have multiple student gyms, because we're beast like that and we value health. Yes, that last comment was written in all seriousness.

14. Safe atmosphere

This picture was taken during our first month on campus at around 3 AM. We were outside sitting on a blanket in the grass, jamming to a ukulele and going a little crazy. Not one of us was concerned for our safety in the slightest because GCU cares so much about the safety of their students that they have campus security patrolling at all hours (yes, especially the wee hours of the night). If any of us walked into the dorm past midnight, there would be a security officer in the lobby asking each one of us if we were alright. Carefree nights like this one are possible all the time because of Grand Canyon's extreme concern for the physical and emotional safety of each of their students.

15. Good vibes for days.

Lastly and perhaps most important, there is somehow an overwhelming sense of peace only Grand Canyon University emanates that other colleges just cannot compete with. It might be the great values they hold to, it might be the spiritual openness they invite, it might be the sense of friendship you experience from almost everyone around campus. GCU just bleeds an inviting atmosphere- a place anyone could call home.