Perhaps the most interesting aspect of college is the introduction of choice. You get to choose whether to eat at a restaurant or stick to the dining hall food, what classes you get to take, and how you want to spend your free time.

I myself have always been a homebody. It was better for me to stay in and get my work done, but being surrounded by other students in the same grind as I was, I decided that I wanted to try something new. So I decided that I should walk through my campus and check out what I was not quite missing (because I still enjoy the solitude of my room), but not seeing enough of.

The weather was perfect for this outing, and I was surprised by the amount of other students on the quad. The trees drape over most of the sidewalk and grassy areas, and we have plenty of trees. But the things I saw changed my perspective on my campus immensely.

I saw the girl that I always encounter on the way to class who enjoys going for a run. Her outfits are always colorful and she runs laps and laps around the quad.

I saw the theatre students sitting in the grass or on blankets. Sometimes, they’ll do cartwheels and bring their food out to eat while they play music. Most of the time, they invite me along, and make me feel as welcome as they can. It’s one of the perks of going to a small school; everyone seems to know each other, but even when they don’t, they want to make sure they do.

I saw the students studying for an exam with strewn papers dangerously daring the wind to blow them across the quad. Sometimes their friends bring food to make sure they’re getting enough and not running themselves ragged-- it’s honestly what we all need sometimes.

Often, you can see non-students walking a dog through the park. One thing about college students is that most of us will ask to pet the dog. We all need it, and the dog most likely appreciates it as well.

Sometimes, on rare occasions, a man sets up a tightrope between two trees and walks across, practicing his balance. One time, he even let me try it out for as long as I wanted. I fell every time, but then my friends, also looking for something to do, came to join me. None of us could quite get it right, but it was fun to try nonetheless.

The school even runs events outside. One time they set up ginormous hamster balls and an inflatable bouncy house, because sometimes we need to have some innocent fun too. I suppose being knocked over and rolling on the ground together becomes a bonding experience as well.

I still see these things, and I also see students coming together and bonding in some strange ways. I see the outdoor stage where classes can practice Shakespeare, and frisbee played on the quad. Students love to climb the trees or play a campus-wide zombie game. There are so many places outside to sit and enjoy the sun and good weather.

The things I see in my campus can be chalked up to my liberal arts college experience, but I believe that that’s what makes this campus special. We have the benefits of a tight-knit community and the ability to bond with anyone you see on a simple walk around campus.