Written by Tayla Holman
Many of us in the Hofstra community appreciate the plethora of opportunities that are presented to us as college students in New York. While academics may not be the foremost thought on everyone's mind, when thinking of Hofstra, they have no doubt increased in credibility over recent years. So when you hear someone say that they decided to come to Hofstra to be close to the beach, take into consideration that they wouldn't be here at all if the academics were not at least somewhat appealing. With the improvement and additions of more technically-advanced facilities, a strong commitment to providing limitless computing power, and a keen awareness of students' ever growing needs, Hofstra is showing the world that it is willing to invest in the future and to correct what has been done wrong in the past.
All that being said, let me tell you a little story about what the Hofstra experience has been like for me. During my freshman year, I immediately became close with all of my roommates and several other students in my dorm. I lived in one of the houses of Netherlands North, which again are the freshman dorms. We were the type of kids that would stay up late every night partying, hanging out, socializing, and just doing whatever. Most nights, we'd head out in the car and drive around for hours, just familiarizing ourselves with the surrounding areas. By the time freshman year came to an end, I didn't want to leave New York. A brief summer stint back up in Connecticut seemed like an eternity. Sophomore year picked up right where we had left off, reliving the late-night scene that New York is so famous for. Now that I'll soon be a graduate of the University, I still feel like I haven't truly experienced all that I could have. But while I was not able to develop good-working relationships with some professors, I feel very privileged to have been able to work with the professors that have reached out to both me and all of their other students. No matter how much fun you have at school, or how much you like the sports teams, or how great the location is, I'm telling you now that if you don't find a few professors that you click with, the overall experience at any school will not be satisfying. When all is said and done, Hofstra students will be able to say this because of the experienced and dedicated faculty, and nothing else really even matters.