Goodbye UNCG

THE RIGHT ANGLE: Goodbye UNCG - Opinions

I have a slight confession to make: I never expected to graduate from UNCG. No, I wasn't planning on dropping out, nor was I just sure four years would seem like an eternity. I just always assumed I'd transfer to some other school, specifically Wake Forest or Chapel Hill.

Of course, there were several reasons I chose UNCG. It was close to home and quite well-known for the career path I was aiming toward at the time (education). But we all know things don't always go entirely as planned. And looking back on the last four years of my life, I can't imagine having ever wanted to go anywhere else.

UNCG has brought me some of the best times of my life. Nearly every part of this campus holds some special memory for me. Living in Cotton Residence Hall my freshman year, I met my friends Courtney and Eileen, who I consider to be two of the most important people in my life. For four years, those girls have stood by me no matter what, and I honestly cannot imagine what my life would be like without them.

And, while it is true that I have enjoyed my social life at UNCG and made life-long friends, I actually came to college for educational reasons. Part of why I wanted to transfer so badly was the fact that I did not feel challenged by my classes, nor did I feel much of a connection to the faculty teaching them. Looking back, I realize that my problem was mostly with the entry-level GEC requirements, which I would have had to deal with no matter which school I attended. Once I had more freedom to take the classes I really enjoyed, everything changed.

I'm sure this might sound biased, but I think the Political Science Department has some of the best professors in the school. I've always held my teachers to a high standard, because I believe anyone can just teach facts to a classroom of students, but a great teacher is one who really touches your life somehow.

When I think of the professors who have been the most important to me during my college career, Professor Colbert is almost always one of the first on my list. This is probably because he taught the first two political science courses I ever took, and he's one of the major reasons I fell in love with that department. Professor Colbert's teaching style is one of the most enjoyable I've ever witnessed, and his comfortable sense of humor makes you feel like you've known him for years. He was like the light at the end of the tunnel during my GEC semesters.

Dr. Prysby, in the same department, would also definitely have a place on that list. Dr. Prysby has always seemed concerned and interested in my life goals, and he's always been there for me, whether I needed help with my student organization, emergency academic advising, or advice on life after graduation. And I'd have to give Dr. Showden a place on that list, because she is at least partly to blame for many of my more liberal political views. I'll never know what possessed me to sign up for my first women's studies class (Women and Politics), but I do know it was her that made me stay. Her open-minded approach to all opinions voiced in her class made me realize that there is always more than one side to an argument.

But far beyond the classroom, the unique opportunities I was offered at UNCG have taught me more than I ever expected to learn in this short amount of time. A lot of these lessons were not learned the easy way, and at the time I only saw how much I was inconvenienced. In fact, several of my friends have suggested that I spend my last column telling off everyone who has made my life so much harder while at UNCG.

But the truth is, the adversity I've faced here has probably done more to mentally prepare me for the real political world than anything else. So I really need to thank everyone who has ever tried to undermine me, who has ever spent hours attacking me on my blog (or writing about me in their own), or who bothered to join that hate group about me on MySpace. Every single obstacle I have gone through has made me stronger, and I'm thankful for it.

I can't imagine having had a better college experience, and it is my sincere wish that all other UNCG graduates be able to say the same thing. And if you haven't yet reached the end of your time here, try to make the most out of it. Join a student organization, or try to make a difference for an issue you are passionate about. Have a problem with a school policy? Join with others like yourself and try to get it changed. There are thousands of ways to make your mark on this campus and to feel like you've made a difference, but none of them will come by sitting on your couch watching MTV.

Whether you read my columns because they made you angry or because you agreed with me, thank you for doing so. Every single one of you has had a significant impact on my life, and I could never thank you enough. I came to UNCG because of its location and reputation, and I stayed because of so much more. I wish all of you the best in life, and I hope you all will remember UNCG as fondly as I will. Thank you, UNCG, for the best four years of my life.