A lot of the time, students tend to think in a more negative way about our school. Almost every student has done it, and it's contagious. Sometimes we forget about what we love about our school and what makes it so fun. It's important to remember to be positive, that way you enjoy your days at college. Here are some thoughts that may help you remember why you chose to be at Marywood.

The nature on campus

I remember one of the first things that had my heart upon visiting Marywood in high school was the scenery. I loved the trees and the grass... I enjoyed looking at it all. Sometimes it's weird to think that all of that forest and nature is surrounded by taller buildings only ten minutes away. I appreciate that Marywood is a natural arboretum.

I love the view from campus buildings

Almost all of the buildings on campus have a fantastic view when you look out the windows. My dorm room looks out to the mountains, so I get a really vast view. At night I can see all of the lights in Dickson city. It really is a beautiful area. Sunsets from the view in my room are gorgeous. I get the pleasure of seeing some redish-orange sunsets sometimes in the evening. And because Marywood is up on a little hill, I feel like Kusco and his "Kuscotopia".

I love the close-knit community

I know a lot of college kids hate going to smaller schools because everyone knows each other, but I love it. I love being able to know people. I hate walking into a room and not knowing a single person. I'm not sure if I could handle being at a bigger college because of this. At Marywood, it just feels right. Not to mention my professors are really close with me and all of my peers in my department are my friends. We aren't all just strangers to each other. Close-knit community means we are almost like a family, and I love my Marywood family.

I love the housing options

I really love that Marywood has different options for housing. We have the option to live in a more modern dorm: Madonna Hall, a vintage dorm: Regina Hall, or apartment living: Woodlands. Freshman get to live in Loughran which is a pretty nice start for the first year on-campus living. I love that each option for housing is different. We are able to get a taste of apartment living in the Woodlands, a "hotel" living in Madonna or Loughran, and a quiet niche in Regina. Since all of them are spread across campus, we can pick whichever one is closest to where our classes are.

I love the bus trips

One of my favorite things Marywood has the option for is the bus trips. Normally there's a bus trip to NYC each semester that allows students to go on a bus for a small fee. It's fun to get away and go crazy in the big city with your roommates and friends. For some, it's a chance to learn more about art especially with the art bus trip to NYC. I highly suggest all students go on the bus trip at least once. It's really fun and it's a great way to meet more people.

I love SAC's events

Last year I went to an event to make my own terrarium and I made my own little home for succulents. It was really eye opening and it was an experience I never had. They also have other events like Open Mic Night and Bingo. There's always some cool prizes, especially the one year when someone got an iPad at bingo! Most of the events, if not all of them, are free. The only complaint I have for those events is that a lot of the time they are during the day when I have class! I want to go to more because I think they are so much fun... Plus you can win stuff!

The staff

Most of the staff and helpers at Marywood are amazing. Honorable mentions include the amazing front desk staffs in the dorms, some Chartwells workers, and the custodians of almost every building. I have had some really positive experiences with the staff at Marywood. Most of the people who work for Marywood are genuinely nice and treat you like family. There are very few workers on campus that I have had a problem with.

All of these things help me remember why I stay at Marywood. Despite some conflicts since I came her three years ago, everything is still amazing. Especially this semester, with the opening of the new library, it seemed most of us forgot why we loved Marywood. We should be proud to go here. Every school has its problems but it's all how you handle it. Our life at Marywood is what we make it. If we chose to be positive about it, we can make a better campus, community, and living.

Go Pacers!

Meaghan Hudy