College Tour, Part 3: Peachy Keen–Visiting the University of Georgia
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary stay at the hotel mentioned in this post for sharing an honest opinion in my blog. All opinions stated are my own.
In a previous post, I mentioned that my family tends to make last minute hotel reservations. Well, this time we actually had a plan not one but TWO days in advance. Our initial destination on arrival in Athens, Georgia was Georgia Gameday Center. WOW! I think that I became a Georgia Bulldogs fan just by entering the building, lol! I honestly never really thought about the University of Georgia (UGA) before, but within moments of entering the building, I was a fan! Georgia Gameday Center is a condo hotel just blocks from the University. Upon entering, you are greeted not only by nice staff but also also a large multi-panel TV display with seating as well as A LOT of UGA memorabilia. If you were awake, you knew that you were in University of Georgia country!
Upon entering our condo for the night, my eyes opened wide and my jaw dropped. This place was cool! For anyone who is or will potentially be a Bulldogs fan, this place was nirvana! My son thought it looked like a UGA Bulldogs version of his future “man cave.” It was all Bulldogs in every space , but it was done in a fun and tasteful way. I felt like a successful UGA alum even though I had never set foot on campus (that would occur the next morning). (Saying that, I must now chant “Roll Wave Roll in honor of my Tulane Green Wave!) The condo suite included a spacious living area, kitchen with cooking supplies, two separate bedrooms, and two bathrooms. There was a balcony off one of the bedrooms as well. We could get used to this! The area was spacious without being overwhelming. The UGA/Bulldog theme was present throughout the entire space, and I smiled each time I spotted another bulldog! Again, having two bathrooms for four people while travelling was a real treat!
Jeremy was working at the front desk–great guy! He answered any questions we had and did not know that we had. He gave us some information about Athens–things we might be interested in seeing as well as interesting facts about the area. We just had a great conversation with him, not “formally” as hotel staff but rather as a “regular guy” who knows the area and has an interest in it. He was very professional, but you still felt like you could just hang out and talk to the guy. This just gave a very personal feel to the whole experience.
I admit that I also took advantage of the coffee in the lobby– Jittery Joe’s Coffee. This was roasted locally in Athens, GA. It did the job!
Prior to arriving, I had made plans to meet up with an old college friend and sorority sister (Go Phi Mu!). I knew that she lived in Georgia but did not know where. As soon as I learned that she was fairly close by, we made plans. Unfortunately, the rest of her family was not free, but she was available for the evening. It was so great catching up; we had not seen each other since college (back in the early 90s). Due to the “Wonderful World of Facebook,” we had some knowledge of each others’ lives, but there is only so much you can learn that way. What a terrific night! A lot happens over 20+ years! Amazingly, though, we look almost EXACTLY THE SAME now as we did then (except my hair is a little shorter ; ) )! When it comes to connecting with others, it is hard to beat face to face interaction. She joined my family for dinner at a local restaurant called “The Grill.” The name should give a fairly accurate description of the place. It was the perfect place to eat and continue catching up. She and the rest of my family had the opportunity to know each other as well. As a bonus, she promised that if my son ends up at University of Georgia, she would take on the role of “Mom” down there. Good to know!
The next day we made our way to the university. I initially had plans for us to walk and enter the university at the site near the hotel. Boy, am I glad that we asked some questions at the hotel front desk before we left. That entrance was on the wrong end of a very large campus! We fortunately made it on time to the designated starting location. Again, we learned about the admissions process. We also learned that University of Georgia and University of North Carolina both claim to be the birthplace of public higher education. The truth is, UGA had the first charter, and UNC was the first to hold classes and graduate students. Topics covered in the initial session included application information. Like many universities, admission decisions are based on transcripts, test scores, letters of recommendation, essays, etc. Overall, we were told that it is “all about context.” The school wants you to illustrate your impact, wants a well rounded student. They want to see growth. It does not seem as though schools have a specific formula–that would be too easy! Experiential learning is a graduation requirement. This may take the form of internships, co-ops, research, or study abroad, for example. The Honors Program was discussed. The university also has a program in which you can earn a bachelor and graduate degree together in 5 years.
We again had a tour of the large campus, both by bus and on foot, led by some extremely energetic and knowledgeable students. They shared information from the student perspective on topics such as student activities, housing, meal plans (everyone is always very interested in knowing about that–my gut feeling (no pun intended) is that schools take meal plans much more seriously now than in the past), classes, and more. We also learned that the university and town of Athens have a close relationship; Athens does have a role in student life. The university was present first; the town was created around the university.
Of course, we could see the football stadium from our tour, too. When I was in college, our football stadium was not on campus. It is still bizarre for me to see these various football stadiums as part of campus tours! Long story short, University of Georgia remained on the list of potential schools! We really enjoyed it. We were 3 for 3!
I know, no campus photos. I was still taking copious notes (somewhat reminiscent of those college days of yore), and the rest of the family was watching and listening throughout the presentation and tour.
Next step: Head to Knoxville, Tennessee!
Addendum:
If you want to jump around or look ahead, here are the links to all 5 of the college tour posts. Enjoy!
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