What I’ll miss most when I graduate from JMU

Attending JMU was one of the best decisions of my life. It’s a wonderful community full of kind, beautiful people; it’s my happy place. As sad as I will be to leave it in 2017, the end is near.

The views are amazing

Our campus is beyond beautiful, as is all of Harrisonburg. I don’t know where I’ll end up after I graduate, but I know the scenery won’t be half as good as JMU’s!

We know how to party

I mean, just look at this awesome pep rally! JMU knows how to throw a school-friendly bash for sure! There’s always something going on on-campus or in the Harrisonburg area to keep JMU students having fun. I know I’ll miss that a lot.

All the free JMU merch

One thing I’ll definitely miss about JMU is all the free merch they give out! I have a Madison Union (our bank, if you didn’t know) tiny football, two “Gay? Fine by me.” shirts (purple and gold, of course), a fight song shirt, and some magnets, all of which, I got for free.

My professors

I can’t speak for all the departments, because I’ve mostly taken classes in the English and Foreign Language Departments, but my professors are the best. My favorite thing to do, when I have a break in my day, is go in any one of their offices and chat. Not only are they incredibly knowledgeable in their fields, but they’re always there to help. Dr. Mark Parker, for example, is on sabbatical this semester, but I didn’t know and I had emailed him for help with a poem and, even though he wasn’t working, he offered to help via email.

This is the level of dedication the English Department’s professors have. Dr. Lillian Feitosa (in the Foreign Language Department) invites all her students into her home at the end of the semester and makes them a delicious, Brazilian dinner. My professors (especially Dr. Parker, Dr. Hefner, Judy Good, Dr. Rebhorn, and Dr. Feitosa) have made a huge impact on my life. I know I would not be prepared as well for my future if I had not taken these professors’ courses. I will miss them deeply.

The food and dining services staff

This year, our food was ranked sixth in the nation! In previous years, we’ve been first and second. Our food is phenomenal, and they have a lot of worry-free options (vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free). They go to great lengths to assure the safety of the worry-free food and the staff are incredibly nice and love to chat with you.

Having two Dunkin’ Donuts coffee shops on campus

While I’ll agree that Starbucks has some pretty tasty coffee, I’m a Dunkin’ Donuts girl. I love that I can get a delicious cup of coffee the height of my laptop with a shot of espresso in it for less than three dollars. Sorry, Starbucks, but this girl doesn’t like to pay $4.75 for, what I would consider to be, a small cup of coffee. I hope wherever-I-end-up has a Dunkin’ nearby. I’ll miss you DD.

The librarians

Being an English major, I spend a lot of time in Carrier. The third floor is my favorite place on campus. The librarians at JMU are incredibly knowledgeable and helpful. I experienced the wonderful Ask the Librarian desk for the first time. She helped me locate several books and articles and complete all of the research for my paper in one night, all within 10 minutes of the time she got off work.

We have several, department-specific librarians, as well, to assist in researching for papers and projects. The English librarian, Brian Flota, is brilliant and hilarious. He can help you get everything you need for your assignment and quickly.

Buses going almost everywhere

Again, I’m not exactly sure where I’ll end up after I graduate, but I hope their buses are as reliable and frequent as HBDT! They go all around campus, to most of the apartment complexes, downtown, and to East Market. I love that I don’t have to walk all the way up to East Campus every day. Thanks for making my time at JMU great, HBDT!

Everyone being so nice

So, as most of you know, graduating college comes with its fair share of stress and fear. Part of my fear in embarking on this new journey of post-college confusion is of ending up somewhere that is nothing like JMU. I love how kind everyone is on campus, how willing people are to direct someone whose lost, how everyone holds the doors for people, and how no one seems to mind when you rush up to them to pet their dog in the quad. However, not everywhere is as nice as JMU. I’ll miss this facet of my JMU-life very much.

People watching on campus

I know a lot of people walk around JMU with headphones in, but I highly recommend you don’t. Some of the conversation you hear and the weird things you see will make your time at JMU all the better. You miss out on some pretty great stuff when you’re zoned into your phone.

Above all, just being a part of the JMU community

I think what I will miss most about this wonderful place, way more than anything listed above, is being a member of the JMU community. Whether it’s for the atmosphere, the help I receive from other members of the community, or just simply polite behavior (people holding doors for you when your arms are full/offering to carry something for you), JMU is the absolute best community I’ve ever had the pleasure of being in.

With just my super senior year left ahead of me, I’m filled with excitement and anxiety for what the future holds. However, there’s one thing I’ll never doubt, the preparation for my career and level of education I have received from JMU. It’s been real, it’s been fun, and I’ll miss you terribly JMU.