GSU Blog Series: Where's the "Small Feel" At?

This is a series of blogs regarding Georgia Southern University, my alma mater. I attended GSU from the Fall of 2007 until May, 2012, when I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology. These blogs will reflect facts and opinions in regards to various things I experienced, saw, or heard of while at GSU. 

I'm not a credible news source, however I do check my facts before writing them down. Below the blog, I credit the conversations with people, if any, that played a hand in shaping the body of this blog. If you have any issues with what is being said, please feel free to contact me.

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When I was searching for universities to apply to as a senior in High School, the task of figuring out where to go was very.... daunting. I remember not being sure where I wanted to go or even what I wanted to do. But one thing I did learn was that I didn't want to go to a BIG school. 

I toured the University of Georgia my junior and senior years in High School, each time at the persuasion of my father. Each time, the one thing I didn't like was the massiveness of the campus. I felt like a completely lost human being amongst the massive nature that was the University of Georgia. So when I heard about Georgia Southern University, and actually saw it, I had a great feeling. 

If you've never seen GSU's campus, let me just tell you.... the campus itself is beautiful. [If I can find pictures I'll post a couple.]   The other thing I liked was the feel of the campus. It was definitely not a large university by any stretch of the imagination.... very enclosed, very homey. And the town it was in reminded me a lot of the town I was leaving. AND, it was only 2 hours away. Win for everyone. 

So naturally I was elated when I was accepted. Plus, at the time, I only knew one person at GSU. So it was going to be a definite challenge for me to stretch outside my comfort zones and be a bit more... social. 


When I started my collegiate career, the fact that campus had somewhere between 14 and 15 thousand students made it seem like there weren't people everywhere. It was nice. I didn't feel overwhelmed. Plus, one of the things that drew me in is that the university branded themselves as a university with a small feel to it. What that meant, I'm not entirely sure... but at least it felt comfortable. 

Fast forward to my 4th year in school, and you would swear things were entirely different. Mind you, growth is absolutely amazing, I cannot dispute that. But, in my mind..... Where did the small feel go? 

Classes quickly felt oversized, professors seemed overstressed, and what's worse, the campus felt like it was buckling at the seams. Try walking down the pedestrium anytime between 11am and 4pm Monday through Thursday, and it's a struggle to navigate through the throngs of people. I remember the lines for food not being excessively long, and attribute Chick-fil-a to my gaining of considerable weight during school due to the lines. Fast forward to my Senior Year, and I'd rather go to the Chick-fil-a off-campus and not deal with a 20-30 minute wait. Even with the addition of other eateries like Einstein's Bagels and Coldstone Creamery, I felt like I had to eat lunch relatively early or dinner relatively late just because of the lines and the waiting. 


I know that Georgia Southern is becoming more and more public, and now-days, a student's first choice for schools versus an option for a "University of Georgia reject." (not even kidding, people said that to me a lot my Freshmen year.) People are more inclined to include GSU as a first-option, which is great. And especially with Georgia Southern's anticipated move into a different sports division (see GSU Blog No. 1 for more information about that), it's only going to get bigger from here. 

Maybe it's just an opinion of an Alumni who remembered the days before Centennial Place existed, when the library was half-open, when the likes of Johnson, Winburn, and Olliff existed and the Department of Music was in Hendricks Hall. Maybe it's just an opinion of someone who can remember things like the Lanier Express, construction on the Bypass, or being able to drive all the way down Forest Drive. And I'm pretty sure WHEN I am able to visit Statesboro, I can almost bet you that things will have drastically changed from the 6 months when I last saw it. 


But the one thing I miss is the small feel GSU had when I first arrived. Like I said, I understand that things grow. But just make sure the university doesn't lose a part of the feel that attracted everyone in the first place.