I recently transferred to James Madison University. Nestled in the Shenandoah Valley, the little town of Harrisonburg is more than just a "college town." With a cute downtown area filled with small businesses, coffee shops, unique eats, and breweries, scenic drives and hikes with all the sunsets in the world, and friendly residents, this town has easily become a second home for me.
The social experience Harrisonburg provides is probably my favorite thing, but also the most surprising. I wasn't expecting such a little town to have much going for it in that department aside from crowded frat parties in stuffy homes, but I was pleasantly surprised. One of my favorite places to go with friends to relieve the stress of school is Ruby's Arcade. Ruby's is an underground bar + arcade with old fashioned bowling lanes, ping pong, air hockey, darts, pool, and more. They also have some of the yummiest sweet potato fries I've ever had and their cocktail menu is fun and unique.
Moving on from Harrisonburg and focusing in more on JMU, I love all of the clubs and activities JMU offers. You can join a sorority, give tours to prospective students, or be an orientation advisor for freshmen or transfer students. You can work at the university gym or in the library, and you can also write for the student newspaper or be an anchor for the campus news station.
I also love all of the greenery and walking paths throughout campus. One of my favorite things to do on a nice day is walk around campus to my classes instead of taking the bus. It helps me stay active, even when I don't have time to workout, and it gives me time to enjoy some fresh air and explore new parts of campus.
My classes at JMU challenge me to broaden my horizons and force myself to try new things that I may be scared of or uncomfortable with. My professors are willing to go above and beyond to help me achieve my goals and I know they always have my best interests in mind. I know that I am getting a great education and learning things that I can actually use in the real world. I genuinely enjoy going to my classes, especially now that I'm in JMU's School of Media Art & Design, and I actually get sad when one of my classes gets cancelled.
One of my favorite things about JMU, which I don't think gets enough credit, is UREC. UREC is the campus gym, and with all that it offers it's basically impossible to not stay in shape during college and live a healthy lifestyle. UREC offers rock climbing walls, a huge exercise facility with plenty of equipment for everyone, and excursions that take advantage of JMU's proximity to campgrounds and mountain trails for hiking or mountain biking or kayaking.
UREC offers free workout classes like yoga, HIIT, boxing, and zumba, and they're free to attend as a JMU student. UREC also offers cooking classes that teach you how to cook healthy meals on a college budget and wellness classes that promote mental health in addition to physical health.
JMU has so many wonderful qualities that could never be covered in one article. To me, nothing will ever beat lounging on the quad on a sunny day, or going to a sports event to cover it for the paper and feeling the energy from the crowd, or walking out of UREC after an amazing workout. Deciding to move to Harrisonburg and enroll at JMU is one of the best decisions I have ever made, and this town will always be special to me.
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