USF St. Petersburg is the only college I applied to during high school, because it was the only college I wanted to attend.
USF first came onto my college radar because of, all things, journalism. My newspaper class made a pilgrimage to the Tampa campus to attend the Florida Scholastic Press Association one year, and I was immediately intrigued.
I liked USF. It had a friendly, academic vibe that appealed to me, not to mention the chicken-filled goodness of its on-campus Chick-fil-A.
But the prospect of navigating Tampa’s huge, sprawling campus with 41,000 other Bulls frightened me. I wasn’t ready to step out of senior year and straight into the microcosm of a massive university.
USF St. Petersburg seemed like the perfect fit # it was still a branch of the larger university, but it was in a downtown market, only heartbeats away from the Dalí Museum and Central Avenue shops.
The school itself was located right on the water, in a city known for its culture, creative community and journalism. USFSP felt like the younger, cooler cousin of the Tampa campus, with more artistic flair and tattoos.
I applied, got accepted, and the rest is history.
Flash forward four semesters, and I am now a sophomore here at ol’ SP. I’m still not too keen on the idea of taking classes at a crowded, cramped campus; nor do I ever intend to transfer to USF Tampa.
The appeal of living locally, staying in St. Pete, is familiarity. While I realize this can also be a crutch, the comfortable, kindhearted nature of our campus is what continues to impress me about this tiny school.
For me, USFSP provides not only a practical learning environment but also an on-campus family of sorts. Even students who liken themselves to social caterpillars (or those that are still swathed in social cocoons) can make # and keep # friends here easily.
Those who transfer from the Tampa campus, or the students who spend but a semester here, are sure to notice the intimacy of daily interactions.
In this way, the St. Pete campus functions as a high school hallway without any of the animosity # it is an off day when you aren’t greeted by a familiar, friendly face.
During the first week of classes alone, I was met by a myriad of friends # someone I knew from a class in a previous semester; the kind professor who helped me survive math class; even a pal from elementary school.
There truly is something refreshing about this particular school. Although the anonymity the Tampa campus affords can be attractive, so is seeing someone you know.
Erin Murphy is a sophomore majoring mass communications and assistant arts and life editor. She can be reached at erinmurphy@mail.usf.edu or on Twitter @sassyerbear.
