My little sister came to visit Wake this past weekend now that she's wrapping up her junior year in high school and really starting to think about where she'll go to college. I was so happy to have her here that I tagged along on her admissions information session and campus tour just so I could spend as much time with her as possible.
I listened intently as WFU's main selling points were rattled off: small class sizes, a holistic education, 98% employment after graduation… Sitting there, I realized that the initial reasons that drew me to WFU are not the only reasons I love being a deac. For starters:
1. Walking on the quad, you'll be able to wave at a couple people but you won't recognize every face you pass. To me, that's the perfect size. I don't feel lost in a sea of people I feel I'll never meet, but I also don't feel like I know absolutely everyone.
2. It's incredible how many people go out of their way to hold doors open for others on this campus. It's this small act of kindness, among many others, that make this such a nice campus to be on.
3. People take the honor code relatively seriously? Or we all just have a pretty big sense of security here. When you walk into the Pit, you put down your keys and your phone at your table of choice and walk away as you struggle to decide whether you'll get creative or just stick to good ole grilled chicken for your dinner. When you return, your phone and keys will be exactly where you left them. While this is definitely a bad habit to get into for life after college, for now, it's a serious perk. Does anyone even lock the door to their room?
4. There's a really strong sense of balance here. While you can ask any kid how they are Wednesday morning the answer is probably “stressed out of my mind," but that same kid will be seen having the most fun come Friday night. It's reassuring to be a part of a community that believes in the “work hard, play hard" mentality.
5. Wake combines the benefits of a small liberal arts college with the idea of a “real college experience" between its dedication to an extraordinary classroom experience with professors who genuinely care for their students and its extra amenities like Division I sports and Greek life. How many other schools can say they have kids attending high profile football games on Saturday afternoon and then rolling into a high quality 12 person class on Monday morning?
These are just some of the thousands of reasons I love Wake Forest that I didn't even know would play a factor in my experience before I applied. I'm thankful every single day that I did apply. Between the people, the classes, the social life, the size, the scenery, the traditions, and everything in between… There's no place I'd rather be.
