Home Is Where The Arch Is | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Student Life

Home Is Where The Arch Is

Ever hear of a "Weekday Warrior"? If you have not, you will probably recognize these types of students when I describe what it is. Those students who stay on campus during the week but go right back home every single weekend. Sometimes they have what one may deem as a valid reason, but usually, it is to simply be back in a familiar place far from the world of college dorms and dining halls. UGA has plenty of students like this, and here is my plea for my classmates who tend to be "Weekday Warriors" to stay on campus during the weekend.

10
Home Is Where The Arch Is
Facebook / Jared Bouland

When I first decided to attend the University of Georgia, I noticed that a large majority of incoming students were talking about cars, parking, and permits. This initially came as a surprise to me because both of my siblings were not allowed to park on campus during freshman year. If they wanted to bring a car, they had to find parking elsewhere – forcing the majority of their classmates to leave their cars back home. If I pleaded and bargained enough with my parents, I may have been allowed to bring a car for my first-year in Athens, but did not see any importance. Yet, after being on campus going on 4 months, I realize that UGA has a culture where driving back home every football-less weekend is a routine.

Don't get me wrong – having a car on campus has great benefits. Students can go grocery shopping, get around campus quicker and explore the community around the university. However, here at UGA, cars have lead students to become "Weekday Warriors," a term I first learned in John Green's book Looking For Alaska. Weekday warriors are those students who remain on-campus during the week, usually with a lively campus-life, yet head back home right when class lets out on Fridays. If this sounds familiar, it should because UGA is full of them.

Nothing against going home on the weekends, the majority of these said students usually stay on campus when there is a football game or any other large event, but as one of those students who does not have the privilege of having a car on campus – the one negative of UGA is the lack of students on the weekends. Yes, with approximately 30,000 undergrad students, the campus is not vacant, yet every weekend where there is not an event where attendance is expected, the great migration is more than likely to occur.

These behaviors are completely understandable, the university is comprised of over 80% in-state students and paired with the opportunity to have a car, many students take advantage of their ability to come-and-go as they please. Still, eliminating cars for first-year students will force many more students to remain on campus during the weekends – experiencing all that college has to offer and more. It always seems as though there is nothing to do on the weekends because of the lack of students on and around campus – though, this can easily change.

At the end of the day, I do not believe that the university would remove the privilege of cars for freshmen, but feel as though more students should understand that leaving campus every weekend is not as fun as staying on campus. I am not trying to hate on these "Weekday Warriors" because at times, I have wished that I was one of them. Being able to go home as you please sounds nice. Meeting up with your friends from high school and family would come in handy every so often. I have visited home once so far and will be honest, I loved it; however, going back home every weekend is not experiencing college to the fullest.

The way to fix the problem is with you – UGA students. Maybe you have your mom's birthday party this weekend and the weekend after is a school break – don't worry, continue to go home as you please. But maybe, just maybe, stay on campus for a weekend where there is no big and flashy football or basketball game. Maybe stay on campus when the largest party of the year is not scheduled. Maybe stay on campus just one weekend where the university may be empty because while being a "Weekday Warrior" has its perks, staying in Athens during an entire week will help you to understand that sometimes home is actually where the Arch is.

From Your Site Articles
Related Articles Around the Web
Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

1990
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

448533
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

21094
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Moana's Top 10 Life Tips

"Moana" is filled with life lessons that involve far more than finding true love as many other Disney movies do.

44203
Animated image of a woman with long dark hair and tattoos
StableDiffusion

1. It's easy to be fooled by shiny things.

Digital image of shiny gemstones in cased in gold. shiny things StableDiffusion

Tamatoa created a liar filled with shiny things simply for the purpose of tricking fish to enter and become his food. He too experiences a lesson in how easy it is to be tricked by shiny things when Moana distracts him by covering herself in glowing algae so Maui can grab his hook.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments