A Hall or A Home?
By Lena Pawlewicz '18
Oswego has a multitude of assets unlike any other university in this country. Assets that are extraordinary and different, and that make us, us. The city, the campus, and the singular experiences that all make Oswego unique—Rudy's Lakeside Drive-In's fried seafood, record snowfall winters, and picturesque sunsets over Lake Ontario. However, one of the most signifying merits of our campus is the residential life.
"The sense of community you feel on Oswego's campus is really like no other and in all honesty, is a big reason why I chose to come to Oswego. Everyone here is so friendly, nice, and willing to reach out to you" senior Cloey Olkowski expressed.
It is a transformative experience that is incomparable elsewhere across the nation. There are a number of student accounts that affirm the value of living on campus; it is not only a residence hall, but it is a home.
Olkowski continued, "One word to define my residence life experience is definitely family. When you go away to school you leave your friends and family behind. What most people don't tell you is that the friends you make while you're at college really become a second family. You live with them, eat with them, spend your free time with them, and study with them."
The residential life experience is much more than just the convenience of living on campus. It is the intangible aspects of residential life that make all the difference in a student's experience. Living on-campus provides a wealth of opportunities for developing lifelong friendships and forming lasting memories with peers from different backgrounds, interests, cultures, academic pursuits and aspirations.
"My sense of community on campus is so unique to Oswego. I feel like the social aspect to Oswego is reflective of the diversity and inclusion on campus. The residence life experience has allowed me to gain better insight in the world around me," senior Sonya Kedarnath stated.
Oswego strives to provide a living environment that is much more than just a place to sleep, eat, and study. It is an atmosphere that contributes to a student's overall academic and personal growth. Residents gain new insight and perspectives on what "home" means to others.
Learning opportunities can happen anywhere and at any time. However, Oswego's residential life provides a different experience. It is a community that provides students with a solid foundation for success in college and beyond. Students living on-campus make connections, build a sense of community, and find their place both socially and academically.
As residential students are more likely to be invested and involved with campus events and organization, this creates an overall higher satisfaction with an individual's college experience. Living on campus provides students with direct access to convenient resources to make the most of their time at Oswego. Our residential communities deliver an atmosphere where students can live, learn, and thrive.
Olkowski concluded "Living on campus has allowed me to stay more connected to not only what's going on on-campus but also it allowed me to make those lifelong connections with people and have a family away from home."
The experiences developed in our residential communities will stay with students well after graduation. The residential life experience is a positive and even life-changing journey that every Oswego student should encounter. It is an experience that is unlike no other; defining and exciting.