The campus is beautiful. Visit the turtle pond. Also, the mediterranean garden is nice too. There is a "farmer's market" every Thursday on Campanile Walkway. It's more like international lunch foods and some really good hummus (no produce like a real farmer's market).The arc (gym) is really nice but can get busy around 4 pm. If you go then, be prepared to wait in line for a treadmill. If you are a freshman, gym membership is included with the dorms. Take advantage of that!
There is going to be a new building next year, I think they are calling it the student union so that should be nice.
One school superstition is to rub the foot the statue of President Black for luck. I forgot which foot, just look for the one that is worn down. I think it actually works! I graduated Summa Cum Laude and part of that is from luck.
Warnings:
Do not get caught up in partying. Save it for junior and senior year. Your freshman year is the best time to get your GPA high. The classes are easier and it is a lot easier to keep your GPA up than to bring it up.
The greeks kind of take over the campus and are pretty annoying. I think they are stuck in high school.
There is a pretty significant population of international students, mostly from Europe. Although I made friends with a few, they tend to all stick together.
There are only two bars near campus, Effin's and Bridges. Bridges is really nice and has good (and a little expensive) food but it is new so no one really goes there. Effin's is a fun dive bar but it is only really good on Thursdays. Besides that, you have to go to house parties or downtown or pb which means you have to worry about having a dd or crashing at a friend's.
Do not walk around in the dark alone. Do not have your iPhone out unless necessary or it will be stolen right out of your hands!Overall I had a great time at State. I wish I had been more involved in clubs and stuff but I still had a good time and as a Math major, I learned a lot.
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