5 Reasons Why I Chose To Go To The University of North Dakota

Applying to – and choosing where to go to – college is a stressful yet exciting time in most young people’s lives. However, if you are fortunate (and smart!) enough to have done super well in high school and have therefore been accepted by more than one school, you have an important decision to make! So, where do you turn to get advice on where to school? Family, friends, the Internet? Well, if you stopped in to check out Society19, you’re in luck! I chose to pursue my graduate degree at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks. Although there are far more reasons than what I’ve listed here, these are my top five reasons why YOU should go to the University of North Dakota!

1. The professors are amazing!!

They really care and have a vested interest in teaching and helping students succeed. Even though professors have designated office hours, you are very likely to catch them in their office a lot of the time before, between, or after classes. They are super dedicated, intelligent, and well-rounded/published in their areas of expertise.

2. The UND campus is safe!

Granted, no place is altogether free of crime, but UND’s campus is a relatively safe place. The University’s Police Department is always driving around, and you can call and ask for a police escort if you ever feel unsure of walking back to your car or place of residence alone. The only thing you need to do is stay warm during the cold winter months!

3. Activities and involvement are often available for students.

The University offers various activities during the semester. For example, The Clothesline Project and the Take Back the Night March are popular events that occurs in the Fall semester, and “Love Your Body” week is held during the Spring semester. Free food is frequently offered if you attend lectures or speeches (like the “Meet, Eat, and Learn” discussion panel has free pizza, or the Spring Leadership Series also offers free pizza for attendees).

A Student Involvement Fair is held every semester, where various student organizations congregate for students to learn about various opportunities to get involved in what interests them (hint: free pizza is available, and the various organizations oftentimes have candy or other assorted goodies to hand out). On top of all this, the Student Involvement Office (in partnership with the Student Government and Apartment and Resident Halls Offices) offer numerous freebies throughout the semester (and this means every semester!), including passes to see movies for free at the local movie theater, free passes to swim at a smallish water park located close to campus (it’s inside a big hotel, so you can go even when it’s cold outside!), and free food available at the Union Building, among many other things.

4. The campus is pretty year round, yet still very manageable.

UND’s campus is known for its large trees, beautiful landscaping, and historic buildings. As clichéd as it may sound, the architecture of the buildings is amazing; buildings on campus are really pretty. With the combination of the landscape and campus buildings, it’s no wonder why so many students choose to walk, ride bikes, or even rollerblade to class!

Similarly, for UND being one of the two major state schools in North Dakota, the campus is well laid out and, as a result, easily manageable. (But, if you’re feeling lazy, there’s always the campus bus routes and even the city buses that stop at multiple locations across campus!) Be sure to check out the awesome Wellness Center and get a nice workout in, then head over to the Ralph Engelstad Arena – right across the street from the Wellness Center – to check out a men’s or women’s hockey game (or to the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center to see a volleyball game)!

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5. The University’s location and proximity is a big draw.

Yes, Grand Forks is a small town, relatively speaking, but that does not mean it doesn’t have its upsides! Grand Forks is about 75 miles north of Fargo (about an hour-and-a-half drive), where more opportunities exist to shop, eat, go to concerts at the Fargo Dome … whatever floats your boat! Then a possibility always exists to take the approximately 315 mile drive (a little over four-and-a-half hour drive) to Minneapolis/St. Paul. Or, if you’d rather not venture that far into Minnesota (if you’re a newbie to the area like me and have never been to Minneapolis or much of Minnesota for that matter), there are plenty of places to explore in Minnesota that are much closer to Grand Forks! (A quick Internet search would probably tell you more than I could and be vastly more accurate as well! Like I said, I’m still new to the area.)

Plus, you could always explore the other neighboring/nearby states, like South Dakota, Montana or Wyoming. Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada is about 180 miles (or a three-and-a-half hour drive) and could be another great option if you have a passport. And last but certainly not least, you could always explore the various other places in North Dakota itself (the western part is supposed to be really nice, from what I hear!).