My experience at Georgia Southern has been a rollercoaster. To begin with, I wasn’t supposed to be here at Armstrong; originally; I applied to the flagship campus, but due to an influx of incoming first-year students, I was placed here on Armstrong and given a $500 housing grant.

I was infuriated by the situation. I thought, How could they possibly do this without any repercussions? I was out for blood, and Georgia Southern was my subject. I didn’t have a problem with a specific entity of the university either. My anger was towards the university as a whole.

You may ask, “Why did you stay ?” Well, I wanted a sense of independence while also staying in Georgia. I also liked the idea of being in Savannah; actually, I loved that idea, and I still do to this day. There was also the change of scenery, which I needed after my mother passed away in April of 2020.

Although I was irritated with my situation, I was astounded by the environment once I came onto the Armstrong campus. I hadn’t received a tour of the campus so my move-in day was my first impression. I walked around and saw all the Georgia Southern flagpoles and incoming freshman advertisements.

I continued my freshman year with a grudge for the university, and I was truly unhappy with my situation. The COVID-19 pandemic did not aid this vexation either, as I was confined in my dormitory on a small campus devoid of social activities. I didn’t care about the $500 housing grant given to me; in my mind, I was getting robbed of my collegiate experience.

My attitude changed once I began my sophomore year, and with lessened COVID-19 protocols the campus started to open up. I was already appreciative of the campus on a surface level, but once I was able to explore and be freed from the shackles of the pandemic, I was even more entranced by the environment.

The social aspects of the campus started to open up, and I was gradually falling for Armstrong. By the end of my freshman year, I had my mind made; I was going to Statesboro after my sophomore year. After a couple of months on Armstrong in my sophomore year, that sentiment completely changed. I didn’t want to leave and still don’t want to; I am confident that I will finish my undergraduate studies here on the Armstrong campus.

I didn’t know that this campus had an identity of its own for over 75 years before a consolidation by Georgia Southern ensued. I didn’t know that this campus was still in transition and was getting lost in the shuffle due to an over-reliance on the idea of “Well it works on Statesboro so it should work for Armstrong.” I was completely unaware of all those dire issues pressing the campus that I was on. Instead, I was focused on my own and admittedly mostly unimportant matters.

I didn’t become fully aware of the Armstrong State culture getting subdued until the “Celebrate Together” event returned. This event showed me that Georgia Southern knew that there was a preexisting culture and that they were trying not to subjugate the culture as much as possible.

But it will take more than just bringing “Celebrate Together” back, and I’m sure that they are cognizant of that. It is essential to acknowledge that consolidation has effects on Armstrong, but that’s no excuse.

Simply put, I wouldn’t rather attend any other university or any other campus in the world. I have been on a rollercoaster that I am grateful and very fortunate to not have gotten off of.