Most people graduate high school and are nervous and excited to see, not just what college life will bring, but what will their new home and town be like. Leaving beautiful California to come to the desert seemed like a weird idea to most of my friends. Why leave such a beautiful place? It is, of course, hard to move away from home and feel comfortable but there are many things that can make you eventually feel more at home than ever at college. One of the main things that contribute to loving your college is loving your college town! Tucson, Arizona is one of the most beautiful places on the face of the earth to me and it might not be for the reasons you think.
1. The University of Arizona is a community
Everyone who lives in Tucson pretty much loves the UofA. Whether they graduated from here or not they stand behind us in everything we do. Most colleges have a town and a college that are for the most part separate. If a university is in a big city it can be more difficult to build a community with the university in it. UofA and Tucson are one in the same. All of the Tucson locals support the university, come to the games, and have just as much school spirit as the actual students. You could say bear down to anyone in town and they would say it back. It is easy to find your home away from home when everyone treats you like family.
2. Tucson has the best of both worlds
If you like rural life, suburb life, city life, or anything in between you will love Tucson. There are so many aspects that make Tucson so unique, it is practically indefinable. There is dry heat, which bring the perfect combination of warm days and cooler nights. Downtown and Fourth Avenue bring some adventure to nightlife away from campus (but not too far), while university and bordering streets to campus are just as lively. No matter what your life style is there is always something to do. You can hike in the mountains, go shopping, eat some of the local authentic food, or enjoy live music at one of our theaters. You pretty much can’t go wrong no matter what you want to do!
3. It makes a big campus feel small
Since Tucson is such a community that rallies around the university you always feel supported and know people all over town. Servers at local restaurants remember you, organizations you volunteer for recommend you for future jobs, and everyone on or off campus is rooting for you to succeed. There are so many clubs, Greek life, intramural sports and honoraries on campus that you start to feel like a school of 43,000 undergraduates is the same size as your high school. Once you get out in the community and get to know people you have an infinite amount of support and love.
4. Our sports teams…
Even if you don’t go to the University of Arizona you know our sports teams slay in every sense of the word. The best thing about Tucson is that there are no major sports teams in the area. All of the community supports our teams and comes to our games. If you are a big sports fan you understand how much excitement sports bring into peoples lives. Having one of the best student sections in the nation is pretty great, but how many colleges get to brag about filling their stands with people who aren’t even alumnae. Everyone in Tucson is a UofA fan and that’s what makes our games so special.
5. Our history
The University of Arizona has a pretty amazing history. Being the first established university in the state makes us the oldest college in Arizona. We have taken our time here to grow and make changes that make us stand out among other campuses. Another great thing about having such a long history filled with great traditions is we have so many alumnae who come back year after year to take part in those traditions with us. From homecoming, to spring fling, to lighting the “A”, everyone from decade to decade knows how important these traditions are to our campus. I look forward to coming back after graduation and seeing how much more the campus grows and progresses.
