I absolutely love Florida State. The campus, the students, the faculty, you name it! There is such a great campus unity. My first day on campus as a student, I met so many people, and everyone was unbelievably friendly. The people are considerate, and are eager to make new acquaintances and friends, you'll never be lonely! (Unless of course you're a recluse: you have to at least meet people half way. How are they going to befriend you if you never put yourself out there?) I'll never forget my experience at Orientation. I met three of my now really good friends, and had such a great time. We were all in the same group and we all became friends during the mandatory Orientation events, but then continued to hang out during our free time playing cards with everyone in the dorm hall. It was just another reassurance for me that Florida State was the place to be. The campus itself is one of the most beautiful places I know. When making my decision for where to go for college, all it took was one visit for me to know that Florida State was where I was meant to be. The architecture is beautiful and the grounds are kept up and always breath-taking. There has been so many times that I've tasted inspiration on the grounds, whether it be inspiration for a project, or inspiration leading to insight on my life and fixing potential problems. It only takes 15 minutes to walk across campus, making it manageable to attend classes that are spread out from each other. Other campuses with just as many buildings/classes/population as FSU can be difficult to navigate because they are so spread out, but the compactness of our campus makes it easy. There is always so much going on around campus, Student activist groups can be found petitioning or promoting a cause. (One of the most scandalous student run petitions is the anti-abortion display put on by the College Republicans. Though graphic, and sickly to see, exposure to things like that allows students to get involved in the cause whether they are for it or against it.) It allows students by exposing them to controversial subject matter to form their own opinions and discover things about themselves that they may have never even known before. It's character building, essentially, to walk across campus and reflect on your reaction to all the things around you. One of my favorite things to do on campus is to attend Market Wednesdays. Every Wednesday in the Student Union, peddlers set up booths and sell goods ranging from posters and movies, to makeup and clothes. Each week generally brings about something new, and the black fraternities usually perform a step show for everyone to watch. It's such a good atmosphere to be in. As for my favorite place on campus, I'd have to say that it is Landis Green. In good weather, you can find students off all types playing Frisbee, throwing a football around, playing soccer, reading, doing homework, or just catching some sun. It's a wonderful place to meet people, as you can always join in and kick the ball around. Football games and basketball games are always so excellent; it's almost ridiculous how much school spirit and pride the students and everyone involved at FSU has! There's also a great night life in Tallahassee near the school-for all of you party animals out there. There's the strip across the street from campus (it's a plaza that contains multiple clubs/bars), Potbelly's (another bar) two blocks from campus, along with multiple other bars and clubs across town. When it comes to academics, FSU does not disappoint. I've always done exceptionally well in school and never once had to study for any of my tests. Once I came to Florida State, I realized that I would have to change my ways. The courses are challenging enough so you're not bored, but not too challenging that you lose all hope in getting a good grade. I personally think that the courses teach you something outside of the subject matter of the class: they teach you to challenge yourself and to strive to do your best, and not to settle for less than your best work. If they were too easy, would you really learn anything from them? Or at least retain the knowledge you garnered from them? All of the professors and other faculty that I've had the pleasure of dealing with are incredibly nice and try their hardest to help you when you have problems, and are generally more concerned than just having you pass the class. I've had a few times where other things going on in my life have affected me, and my professors were so understanding, and worked with me to help ease my situation in terms of me not being overwhelmed by the class on top of everything else I was dealing with. I've never felt more at home than I do at Florida State.