20 Reasons Why Ole Miss Is The Absolute Best
As if you didn’t already know, I’m here to tell you why Ole Miss is the absolute best place to be. If you haven’t visited, you need to, and you need to allow yourself to experience everything Ole Miss has to offer. I know you’ll fall in love just like I did!
1. Sports
Probably the number one topic that is most associated with Ole Miss is sports, specifically football. The atmosphere surrounding Ole Miss football is like nothing you have ever experienced before. Not only the school, but also the entire community surrounding the university, including the residents of Oxford, alumni, and fans from all over the country, all go all out for the Rebs! Game days are some of the best days in Oxford and there is no doubt about that. But let’s not forget to mention all of the other sports that Ole Miss has to offer. After football season is over, there are many other sports to enjoy, such as basketball, volleyball, and baseball. No matter what sport, the whole student body is proud to see their Rebels compete and win!
2. The Grove
If you think that you’ve experienced true tailgating without ever having been to The Grove on game day, you are sadly mistaken. The atmosphere in The Grove is indescribable on gameday. All of campus is taken over by thousands of people and tents partying it up for the Rebs and there is nothing else like it.
3. Trashcan Friday
What other college can you think of that has a holiday dedicated to trashcans? None. Exactly. The Friday before a home game can only be described through the Snapchat stories of every Ole Miss student as they walk to class: trashcans, trashcans, and more trashcans.
4. Walk of Champions
This tradition is just another game day ritual that shows the Ole Miss pride many have come to know. Everyone gets even more hyped up for the upcoming game during this parade of football players. You truly know it’s game day when you hear the band playing and the cheerleaders cheering as the players walk under the Walk of Champions arch in The Grove.
5. Locking the Vaught
In my opinion, everyone should Lock the Vaught at least once in their life. It’s an amazing display of the Rebel Family showing support for their team as one.
6. Greek Life
Although I’m not in a sorority, I know that many students at Ole Miss are involved in Greek life and they absolutely love it. Greek life is another aspect of Ole Miss that is well known and sorority girls and frat boys take pride in that. The fact that you can gain so many new friends or sisters/brothers by joining Greek life in college is amazing. It is definitely an experience that many people love and at Ole Miss it is even better.
7. Academics
They don’t call us “The Harvard of the South” for nothing. Don’t be fooled by tailgating on The Grove and our reputation of being a party school! Academics are very important at Ole Miss. Despite what it may seem like, Ole Miss students strive toward academic excellence every day.
8. Party School
Ole Miss, as declared by The Princeton Review, is the seventh top party school in the country, even though we all believe we deserve that top spot. There is never a dull moment at Ole Miss and we believe that everything deserves a party! The saying is true: “We might not win every game, but we never lose a party!”
9. The Square
The Square makes for the perfect college town. During the day, there is a plethora of clothing shops, restaurants, and bars open for your enjoyment. Walking around The Square and shopping or getting lunch is a great way to pass the time on a lazy Sunday afternoon. By night, the college bar scene is open for business. With 18+ bars like The Levee and The Corner, every Ole Miss student can have a blast during a night out.
10. Alumni and Fans
Ole Miss has some of the absolute best alumni and fans. There are so many people that show so much love for this school and for all the students and staff in it. You can feel all the love the school has in it and that people have for it every day, and that makes going to school here that much better. It’s good to know that there are so many other people that love Ole Miss just as much as we all do.
11. Beautiful Campus
From the Grove, to University Circle, to all the buildings, Ole Miss campus is one of the most beautiful campuses in America. If you don’t believe me, check out The Princeton Review’s list of the most beautiful campuses! Currently there is some construction going on, but once everything is built, campus will be even more beautiful than it already is. The best part about being on such a pretty campus is that it is so easy to find a nice and peaceful place to study or to just relax and get out of your room for a while.
//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js
12. Grove Squirrels
I know what you might be thinking, are all squirrels the same? NOPE! Grove squirrels are special squirrels. They are special to the University of Mississippi and there is no denying it. They are comfortable with all of the people on campus and they stick around because they know, just like I do, that Ole Miss is the absolute best!
13. On-Campus Food
The food options on campus at Ole Miss are actually really good. Before coming here and visiting, people may think that all the food here is just like cafeteria food in high school, but that is not the case. Even in the cafeteria/food court type options there is decent food and there is a variety. In the Rebel Market there are so many stations including the southern comfort food, sushi, grill, pizza, and pasta. Then, we also have chain restaurants on campus like Subway, Qdoba, Panda Express, Chick-fil-a, and Starbucks. There are so many options and everyone can find their go-to meal right on campus.
14. Speed Limits
At Ole Miss, we have a peculiar speed limit of 18 miles per hour. The reasoning behind it is none other than Ole Miss’s own Archie Manning. Archie wore the number 18 during his time as Ole Miss Rebels quarterback, and in order to honor him, that became the set speed limit on campus. More recently, the speed limit on Manning Way has lowered to 10 miles per hour to commemorate Eli Manning!
15. School Spirit
School spirit at Ole Miss is the highest level of school spirit that you will ever encounter. The turnout for The Grove and every home game, as well as the fact that we’ve broken the school record for the number of fans at the football games twice this year, speaks for itself.
16. Off Campus Activities
Oxford itself is filled with fun things to do during your free time. Personally, I have recently spent some of my own free time volunteering at the Oxford Lafayette Humane Society and it has been amazing. Playing with the dogs and cats is a great way to destress from a long week. Other than that, Ole Miss is relatively close to bigger cities with other things to do as well. Memphis is one place that a lot of people go to for shopping and day trips. Nashville is also relatively close and it is the location of a lot of concerts. If you ever find yourself bored on campus, there are plenty of options off campus and outside of Oxford to fill your time.
17. Second Home
Warning: This is where it starts to get sappy. Even after living here and going to school here for just a few short months, I feel like I am at home. I have had such an amazing experience so far and I have had so much fun. Honestly, I don’t think I belong anywhere else but here for my college years. To anyone thinking about going to college at Ole Miss, I urge you to come and visit and fall in love with it as much as I did. This place grows on everyone that comes here and makes it so easy to call a second home.
18. The People
I have not met a single person that has been rude or unkind to me in any way. That seems impossible, but it is true. Obviously, no one can be friends with everyone, but at Ole Miss no one goes out of their way to be rude. Everyone says hello to each other in passing and asks how the other person is doing. I have also had the opportunity to meet and become friends with some amazing people. Everyone here can find that group of friends that they click with and feel like they belong to. Ole Miss is filled with so many unique and interesting people, including the professors. This makes it an amazing place for anybody because no one here is an outcast. Everyone is accepted and can find their person.
P.S. Did anyone catch that Grey’s Anatomy reference?
19. Overall College Experience
When looking at colleges, you should not focus solely on the academics, or the amount the students party, or the cost. You should look at the whole picture and pick a place that fulfills all the requirements of your dream school. Ole Miss is the place that fulfills those requirements. It is a big school, but does not feel extremely big when you are actually on campus. It has an amazing athletic program. It has amazing academics. It has the ideal college party scene. It’s beautiful and so are the people. It is a place that everyone can feel comfortable and can see as their second home. Ole Miss has all the elements for the perfect and absolute best college experience.
20. “Are You Ready?!”
“HELL YEAH! DAMN RIGHT! HOTTY TODDY, GOSH ALMIGHTY, WHO THE HELL ARE WE? HEY! FLIM FLAM, BIM BAM, OLE MISS BY DAMN!”
That is all I have to say.
Tell us why you think Ole Miss is the absolute best in the comments!
Featured image source:
