By: Reagan Van Cleave

Indianapolis is the 12th largest city in the United States and the heart of the American Midwest. Many know as the home to the greatest spectacle in racing- The Indianapolis 500 festival. This is the city I’ve grown up in.

In high school, I was dead set on attending college at the Big Ten University in small town Bloomington, Indiana (I think we all know who I’m talking about here). When it was time to commit to a college, I followed my heart and became a proud Hoosier—just as my parents did before me. Bloomington was … strange. There were a lot of different cultures present with various food options and anything you could really want out of a small, college party town. But, I did find some challenges in the fact I always had to travel back to Indianapolis for internships or to meet other professionals. There was not much in Bloomington besides the college itself. So I moved back home to Indianapolis.
 
So why is college in this city SO MUCH better?
 
1.Networking- I think we’ve all heard way too many times, ‘it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.’ While small college towns have appeal, they completely lack in the networking department. The city has so many businesses and places of work. Indianapolis is home to three fortune 500 companies. It is nearly impossible to live in this small, but thriving city without having a healthy network of potential future employers.
 
2. Internships- I recently completed an internship at the Indiana Senate downtown. I realized how fortunate I was as students traveled hours from Anderson, Bloomington and even as far as Evansville. How long was my commute? 15 minutes on a bad day. The city is so drivable and traffic very low maintenance. If you live in this state, most of your opportunities with well-known organizations will be located right here in the city.
 
3. Weekends- I could be biased, but I firmly believe Indiana is home to the best weekends. Whether it’s spent Fridays nights on Mass Avenue eating gourmet burgers from Bru Burger, spending Saturday afternoons walking on the canal and finishing on Sundays at an Indianapolis Colt’s home game, Weekends in Indy always have something to offer.
 
4. Events- Indy is home to one of the largest convention centers in the country and has hosted sporting events such as the 2012 Super Bowl, the NCAA Final Four. As a college student, you’ll never get bored. There is always something to do with friends and family.
 
5. Affordability- Indianapolis gives it’s residents the opportunities of a large city with a small town price tag. Food and housing in Indianapolis are low-cost compared to its Midwest neighbor, Chicago. Indianapolis is extremely affordable for even broke college students like myself.
 
6. Good Ole’ Hoosier Hospitality- Hospitality is what we do best and it’s hard to find it on this side of the Mason-Dixon line. You wouldn't believe how cold-shouldered some people can be elsewhere. If you’re here in Indy you can count on great customer service, pleases, thank you’s and doors held open.
 
If you’re considering a move to Indianapolis, don’t hesitate. The city is thriving and named one of the best cities for millennials to date. What are you waiting for? Come see all this city has to offer, you wont be disappointed.  

By: Alliy Moyer

​While I have never studied abroad, I have gotten some pretty amazing opportunities over the years to travel to other countries. Each time I have left the States, I have always come back with something valuable. Whether it’s a new outlook into a different culture or a cool trinket picked up along the way. So far, I have been to 10 different countries.

But by far my favorite would have to be Kenya. What an amazing place! The people. The wildlife. The culture. Truly an amazing experience. While in Kenya, I met some amazing people, so amazing that I actually returned again the following summer. We visited a couple different tribes and it was so cool to see how differently they do things. Life for them is so simple. They even taught us some of their customs. We also visited a couple different schools. Those children are some of the best I’ve ever met. They told the best stories (mostly in Swahili of course) and attempted to teach me and my friend how to play soccer (to this day we’re still not very good). But even though we were really bad, it was the greatest feeling to put a smile on their faces.
 
Just recently, I signed up for the Spring Term trip to Costa Rica. This will be the first time I will be traveling to the Central/South American area and to say I am excited is a complete understatement. Just thinking about everything we get to do while we’re there gives me goose bumps. I can’t wait to talk with locals and see their way of living. After traveling to so many other places, I like to compare the differences/similarities to each place I go. You learn so much without even realizing it.
 
Traveling abroad, I think, is the best way to learn. Completely submerging yourself into a new place and a new culture can be truly life changing. I’ve learned so much about culture from traveling. In today’s work force, it is important to be aware of other people’s cultures and their customs. We have such a diverse group living in this country, it is vital to know all of your co-worker’s backgrounds. Diversity and acceptance is the basis of American culture. ​

By: Jessi Shelton

Back in high school, I had an English teacher that nearly worshipped the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL).  Granted, he was a former Boilermaker and probably had at least something to do with the website’s existence; nevertheless, the wisdom he imparted upon me will always be in the back of my mind.
 
“Write paper.  Consult Purdue OWL.  Steak!”
 
This snippet of advice has potentially been the most important that I have received to date.  When he used the term “steak,” what he meant to say was, “This paper was exactly what I was looking for and you couldn’t have done anything better!” but his brevity was always his redeeming quality.
 
The Purdue OWL is a website and totally free service that provides instructions and writing resources that make every college student’s life around three million times easier.
 
Worried about how your APA title page for that final term paper needs to look?  The Purdue OWL will have a .pdf example accessible for you.  You don’t have a clue how to cite that lecture you heard in MLA format?  Check the all-knowing OWL.
 
The OWL is simply arranged and it makes navigation a breeze.  The homepage features a sidebar that can take you on whatever journey you desire. (See image A)

Since citations and reference material are ever-changing, I consult with Purdue OWL most often when deciphering how to create my bibliography.  Located just under the Research and Citation section, the entire list of whatever you could possibly need appears. (See image B)

Step-by-step instructions are featured under each linked format.  Any and all of your questions are answered, and you’ve never been more relieved to have all of the information you need in one concise area.
 
Wah lah! Your paper is done and your citations are in place.  You receive your first steak, and the only people you have to thank are the handy-dandy OWL and my high school English teacher.
 
owl.english.purdue.edu
 

Image A

Image B

By: Kristen Gandenberger

1. It’s okay to be alone.
In fact, a lot of times you won’t have a choice. This seems counterintuitive since most college students live just feet from their classmates on campus, but in college everyone has different schedules. Your friends will have labs at night or jobs or just simply lunch breaks different from yours. Get used to eating alone sometimes. If you’re brave, try doing it without your phone.
 
2. But it’s okay to not to want to be alone.
It’s good to learn to be independent and at peace with your own thoughts sometimes, but humans, even introverted ones, are social animals. Everyone needs to get out and talk to people sometimes. So…
 
3. Say yes to people.
Even if you feel like you have a ton of homework or are exhausted from the week, go to dinner when people ask. Attend a football game with them. Pretend you knew before moving to Indiana that basketball is a thing here. Friends start out as strangers that ask to share your Spanish textbook. Say yes and get to know the people around you.
 
4. Say yes to challenges.
My first semester of college ever I was coerced into taking a 400 level course for modern language majors and minors (of which I am neither) where we learned French and German at the same time in a 2 hour class that met only once a week. I tell people this and they usually ask why I didn’t drop it. Truthfully, I was a confused freshman and just didn’t think of it. However, I tell people it’s because I’m super brave and confident and like to face challenges head-on. I got an A in the class.
 
5. You’re probably not the best at anything…
Even if you were the best in high school, have the trophies, scholarships and accolades of every teacher you’d had since Pre-K. And if you are the best at something, being in a new environment with tons of other, better dressed people who have trophies and scholarships and fawning teachers probably makes you feel like you aren’t.
 
6. But that doesn’t mean you’re not good at anything.
Just because you aren’t the unanimously voted best badminton player anymore doesn’t render your skills worthless. You’re still really, really good at badminton. Someone else’s skills don’t detract from yours.
 
7. Smile.
This is a simpler and less preachy way of saying “be considerate of other people because campus isn’t that big and they will remember your rude face and hate you forever.” This especially includes food service staff. June at the dining hall and Tina at Streets make my day (and my dinner!) every time I see them so the least I can do is ask them how their week is going.
 
8. Don’t complain all the time.
I might be an unqualified freshman, but I’m not dumb enough to think that college as a system or any particular university is perfect. What I do know is that the people who pay college tuition and only have negative things to say about their school look so dumb. I prefer to get the most out of my money by focusing on all the awesome things (like Top Dog Communication).
 
9. Call home.
I’m entitled to one cliché and this is it. Also, remember to tell your grandma happy birthday.
 
10. Be patient.
Surprise! When you get to college you still won’t have it all together. Building a flawless grownup wardrobe, deciding what you want to do for the rest of your life, and finding the perfect wise faculty member to take you under their wing all have something in common: They take time. So do yourself a favor. Breathe for a second. Order a pizza with your friends. Enjoy it while you can.