Laura

I think that the size of Ithaca College is great for students. There are about 6,000 undergraduates which I think is the perfect size. It's not so small that you know everyone, as a senior, I still meet new people every weekend, but at the same time, it's small enough that I don't feel lost in a sea of people. I see a lot of people I know while walking around campus or when I go out at night.

The city of Ithaca is pretty dynamic for a small city. In addition to Ithaca College there is also Cornell University in the same town which makes for a huge population of college students. There are two main hangout areas, the Commons which is closer to Ithaca College and Collegetown which is in Cornell's neck of the woods. Both areas are filled with cute coffee shops, small stores selling anything from bongs to Seven Jeans, and amazing bars and restaurants representing many different ethnic food types.

One thing that people must be prepared for when they come to Ithaca is the weather. The winter weather is pretty miserable, it is pretty gloomy, windy and cold. It's definitely not fun to walk to classes in the middle of a snowstorm, but it's worth it to make it through the cold to get to the warmer months. When it's warm out there are a lot of waterfalls and gorges to go which are very beautiful if you're into the outdoors. Ithacans are generally pretty outdoorsy so there's a ton of ways to get outside and do something fun. Some of my favorite memories from Ithaca are going down to the gorges when it's warm out. Students walk down and sun themselves on the rocks and then jump, sometimes 60 feet, into the water.