It's that time of year again. Acceptances roll in and it becomes harder and harder to choose where you want to spend the next four years of your life. To go to the school with your best friend, the big school in the city, the school close to home, or the small school in the heart of Virginia.
Well, decision made. You should go to the small school in the heart of Virginia. You know what school that is?
Longwood University.
Let me tell you why.
1. The campus
The 60-acre campus is gorgeous, from each side of Brock Commons and the corner of Chichester, the science building, to the state of the art Health and Fitness Center. Surrounded by red-brick colonial buildings, Longwood is picture-perfect, even on a rainy day. Make sure you step on a black crown along the way!
2. The location
As aforementioned, Longwood is located in Farmville, Virginia, "the Heart of Virginia." It's a quaint college town with friendly people. High Bridge Trail starts in Farmville and it's 31 miles of beautiful hiking and biking trail.
3. The weather
Summer lasts longer and winter is shorter here in south central Virginia. Frisbee on Iler Field during Fall finals week in December? No problem.
4. The size
With just over 5,000 students, expect to see a familiar face almost everywhere you go. 10 minutes is a long walk to class and after your first few days, you'll know the campus like the back of your hand. Getting lost on campus is not even plausible.
5.The dogs
Now, this may be targeted to a specific group of people, but dog lovers: fear not. Many people walk their dogs on campus and if you ask the magic question, dog parents are willing to let you pet their furry creatures. And during exam week, you can look forward to Study Paws, where professors and students bring their dogs for the petting to relieve stress. It's seriously awesome. Seriously.
6. The activities
From Color Wars to Oktoberfest to Spring Weekend, there's always something interesting to do. Not only that, but some pretty cool people come to do interesting things with us. Have you ever heard of Taylor Swift? She's been to Longwood, as well as Dierks Bentley, Hoodie Allen, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Fray, and The Ramones.
7. The clubs/organizations
There's a club for just about everything at Longwood, from belly dancing to primitive technology to League of Legends to German! And if, by chance, we don't have a club you're interested in, you can start your own club! Also, approximately 30 percent of the population is involved in Greek life, whether it's social or professional. Did you know that four sororities were founded at Longwood? Yup, Zeta Tau Alpha, Kappa Delta, Alpha Sigma Alpha, and Sigma Sigma Sigma all call Longwood home.
8. The staff
Most classes are small and your professors will most likely know your name. They have more time to focus on the individual students and therefore, you will probably learn the material better. Not only do the professors know your name, but they also get to know you as a person. They care. And that does a lot for your confidence regarding your academics when you know you have a cheerleader along the way. The professors aren't the only friendly staff on campus though, our cleaning staff is super nice and the dining hall ladies make everyone's day when they walk through the doors. There's no better way to start a meal than to be welcomed by Ms. Betty, Ms. Madeline, and Ms. Sharon's smiling faces, who know a good portion of the students by name.
9. The students
Familiar faces are always around and on the off chance that you don't see one, you can always make a new friend. Everyone is extremely friendly and will talk to you, given the opportunity. People care about others at Longwood, and making friends is as easy as "hi, my name is ________."
10. The history
Longwood has been around (given it's had a few name changes) since 1839, which is before the Civil War even happened. Speaking of Civil War, soldiers marched right down High Street, parallel to Ruffner Hall, on the way to the Appomattox Court House. No more spoilers, though, for the full effect, you need to come and listen to Dr. Jordan, Longwood's most senior faculty member, tell his version of the stories.
11. The traditions
You're not going to want to miss the infamous Chi walks, which exhibit the spirit of Longwood through cooperation. Chi is one of two secret societies on campus, the other, Princeps, representing leadership and academic success.
12. The spirit
The Lancers are nothing if they're not Lancer Strong. The spirit of Longwood is very important to us, and we exhibit it through daily spirit wear, wild student sections, and social media posts and shares. Can we help it if we love it here and want everyone else to love it too?
13. The education
Ah, the most important reason. Longwood offers more than 100 programs of study in the forms of majors, minors, and concentrations. Basically, if you want to study it, we probably have a program for it here. Some popular majors include criminal justice, nursing, education, nursing, kinesiology, and business.
If that doesn't convince you, I guess you'll just have to come on down to Farmville and visit. You'll love it here, and if you don't... just kidding, you'll love it here for sure. See you soon!
