For the past four years, I have called the University of Rhode Island home. From living on campus to living in an adorable beach house in Narragansett, this state has provided me with lifelong memories, connections, and a location that I will forever cherish.
When I first began to apply to colleges, I was unsure of where I wanted to end up. At first, I was ambitious by choosing schools that were far away from my New Jersey home. But, as I began to narrow down my options, URI seemed like the perfect place for me. The location by the beach is something I always dreamed of, it is a drivable distance for weekend trips home and has excellent Journalism and English programs for my major.
URI’s decision day, May 1st, is rolling just around the corner, and students are continuing to tour our campus to decide if URI is right for them. As I am graduating this May, I wanted to share some of the reasons why I chose URI.
Reason 1: Endless Amounts of Beaches
Growing up, going to the beach was always a summer activity. Once school was out and the weather was warm, my friends and I would drive to the beach for the day. However, my drive to the beach in New Jersey is about forty minutes to an hour from my house. Needless to say, though I wanted to go to the beach every day in the summer, it just didn’t make sense.
When I visited URI, one of the first things that caught my eye was the beaches and how close everything was to the water. Turning onto each road, signs pointed to the beach. After my initial visit, I came back to campus with one of my friends to visit her cousin Gabby, who was in the URI pharmacy program (if you haven’t read Student Success Stories, now is the time!) This visit, we got a tour of life off-campus as a student who attends URI: a house down the street from the water that is in the middle of a beautiful beach town.
Clearly, I was convinced to attend URI. And now, in my second year living in my off-campus home, I do not regret a thing. I find myself going to the beach almost every day – even if it is snowing! For me, the location of URI and the surrounding area is the perfect place for me as someone who loves to see the sunset, drive with my windows down in a beach town, and also having the opportunity to visit other neighboring cities.
Reason 2: URI Programs
I have always dreamt of becoming a writer and the University of Rhode Island’s Journalism Program was the perfect fit for me. With a variety of different classes that feature elements of the growing digital ecosystem of journalism, URI is filled with the right equipment to prepare me for my future in the field.
In my sophomore year, after taking numerous journalism and English courses to fulfill academic requirements and my own writing goals, I decided to double major in Journalism and English, the creative writing track. With the help of my amazing professors and educators, I was able to complete the courses I needed to graduate within four years this May with a double major.
At URI, many of the programs and majors are widely recognized across the country. In fact, URI’s undergraduate nursing program is ranked in the top 10% in the country, according to a U.S. News & World Report in 2022. Whichever major you are interested in studying, URI has endless options and opportunities for you to grow.
Reason 3: The Campus
As the youngest sibling in my family, I have attended many college visits and have seen numerous campuses. When it was time to narrow down my options of where I wanted to attend, I found myself circling back to URI because of the beautiful campus.
One of my favorite parts about our campus is the quad and the stone buildings filled with classrooms that surround it. When you walk on the quad, you see a beautiful view of the main academic buildings, while also admiring the grassy area where students like to relax or study.
When I was living on campus, I was constantly looking around for spots to do work, new places to get fresh air, and exploring other academic buildings where I did not often have classes. There are so many different areas to check out like 193 Coffee House in the Memorial Union, the different floors of the library, or even the hidden walkways around campus.
Another reason why I love this campus so much is because of the various opportunities to improve my mental and physical health. As a student at URI, we have access to two gyms, an indoor track, and a pool as part of our tuition. Ever since I lived on campus, I have been attending all of the amazing workout classes that Campus Recreation offers each week! I am grateful to be able to focus on myself while still being able to admire the campus around me.
The University of Rhode Island has so much to offer students from high-level programs to an unbeatable location. These are just a few of the reasons why I landed in Kingston, Rhode Island.
As decision day is coming up, everyone at Campus Recreation, and myself, wishes students a smooth transition to whichever university they decide to attend. And, for those who have already chosen URI, welcome. We are so happy to have you here and I hope you have a memorable time here as I did!
Thank you for reading this week’s blog and stay tuned as Campus Recreation’s InsideRec shares new blogs every Friday, highlighting Flourish Fest!
By Tara Roumes