As a current Mercer student, I quickly learned the interesting phenomenon that is campus on a preview day. Suddenly, signs emerge directing people across campus to specific buildings. The food magically becomes better and the orange polos are more abundant than usual. However, as a current student, there are certain things that I wish I could say to you as you decide which college you are going to attend.
1) The food doesn't always taste like this.
Whether you're marveling about the delicious Panda Express or Chick-fil-A in the University Center or discovering the Fresh Food Company and pizza bar, you are probably thinking that Mercer has great food options. What you do not know is that Chick-fil-A only seasons their fries on basketball game days or preview days and that the Fresh Food Company rarely has the plethora of meal options that you see.
2) The wifi is horrible.
Depending on where your residence hall is located and what time of year it is, the wifi can go from semi decent speeds to completely nonfunctioning. Some of the people who live in the brand new Legacy Hall can't even connect to the wifi in their rooms.
3) Meal swipes are a blessing and a curse.
I'm sure your head early exploded when they informed you that freshmen get 10 free meal swipes per week for Chik-fil-A, Panda Express, Einstein's, and Which Wich. This sounds amazing and is until everyone wants to eat Which Wich at 5 pm on Sunday and you have to wait an hour for a sandwich. First world problems.
4) Mercer Village does not take Dining Dollars.
While you may be thrilled at the idea that you have Mercer Village right on the edge of campus, your excitement may be short-lived. Mercer Villages hosts a variety of restaurants from Sauced, Francar's, Margaritas, Nu-Way, and Jittery Joe's. When they tell you that you can use your Bear Card to purchase food there, it sounds great. However, your $250 Dining Dollars that come with your freshman meal plan can only be redeemed at on-campus restaurants. Bear Bucks, which is real money outside of what you pay to the university, can be put on your card to purchase things at Mercer Village, which makes it like a Mercer Debit Card.
5) The UC steps are killer.
Almost everyone complains about having to climb the UC steps to get the freshest cookies from the Farmer's Market or a delicious chicken biscuit from Chick-Fil-A. However charming the steps may seem now, you can not form an opinion until it is pouring down rain and you have to run from the UC to freshman dorms without an umbrella while protecting your beloved food.
In conclusion, it may seem that I dislike Mercer because of this list. This could not be farther from the truth. Mercer is my home and I love it dearly. I have made lasting friendships and bonds here that I would not trade for anything. However, no place is without its faults so I just wanted to share a few things that Mercer students can often be heard complaining about.
