Arising from the bucolic farming fields of northwestern Ohio is Bowling Green State University, a medium-sized university serving about 16,000 undergraduates. It's a state school catering mostly to Ohioans from the Cleveland and Columbus areas, with mid-level academics, a standard amount of partying and Greek life--and a few surprises.
For example, BGSU is relatively diverse, considering its location in mostly Republican Ohio. There are a few African-American organizations (including fraternities and sororities), some other multicultural groups and a campus gay & lesbian organization. There are also lots of foreign students, because the university has exchange programs in several countries.
I was also surprised by the way it felt like a smaller school once I got out of the required classes and into my major. Professors are for the most part very available to students, and when I had to rely on graduate students instead, they were really helpful.
A great part of campus life for me was attending sporting events such as football, hockey and basketball games. BG has a good theater program too (they put on five or so shows a year), a well-recognized music school and a rec center.
A lot of students don't stay on campus for weekends, however. (I always thought that was silly and not the point of going to college.) The administration has been trying to put a stop to this; they will probably fare better in two years, when the new million-dollar Student Union has been built.
Meanwhile, there is enough going on off- and on-campus to keep most people's attention--especially once you find your niche. If you enjoy harsh winter walks, so much the better.
author: Anna Wahrman graduated: 1998 major: Magazine journalism, popular culture campus activities: Softball from: Ohio, USA native language: English
