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Last month I went “home” to visit my family. I say “home” because my home now is central Arkansas but I grew up in southwest Arkansas and that’s where my family still lives. Technically I grew up in Hot Springs but moved to the tiny town of Taylor when I was 7. Most people don’t know where that is so I usually tell people I am from Magnolia, a slightly larger town that most everyone knows about because of the college. What college you ask? Southern Arkansas University!
Southern Arkansas University is about 20 minutes from where I lived and I always swore I would never go there because I wanted to leave south Arkansas. I guess the saying “never say never” is absolutely true in my case because guess where I spent my first four undergrad years (2001-2005)? Yep…good ole Southern Arkansas University!
My stepmom works there now and it was fun to go see her at work when I was home and get to walk around campus and set lunch with her. I loved my time at SAU!!!
I lived at home my first year but then I moved into the dorms my Sophomore year and never looked back. Living at home was fun but I don’t feel like students who stay home get the full “college experience”. There is just something about living in the dorms and really getting involved on campus.
This is Bussey Hall…in my day it was an upper class women’s only dorm. I stayed on the third floor on the top left floor. That was the wing my sorority sisters stayed on. To this day SAU still doesn’t have Greek Housing so most greeks have a wing in a dorm they stay in, with other people too it’s not at all exclusive. I made some of my very best memories in that dorm!!
I was a Biology major and at the time I was in school Overstreet Hall held all of the biology and chemistry classrooms and labs. I have many not-so-find memories of that building…HA!! Now there is a fancy new science building but not when I was there.
After class I always met my sorority sisters in the Mall Area between classes. There was usually always something going on during the day…concerts, info booths, races, games, etc.
The Mall Area also housed the infamous Bell Tower. It plays chimes at every hour that you can hear all over campus so you could always tell what time it was. It was also decorated every Christmas with lights you could see from all over town.
The last picture I will feature is of the Bruce Center. In my day the Bruce was the place to hang. The cafeteria was on the bottom floor, Student Life and Student Activities were on the top along with a little cafe, a huge seating area with tv’s, and the campus post office! I worked in the Student Activities Office and my sorority held meetings in one of the conference rooms so I was always there. Now it houses a museum and a Chick-fil-a. Why couldn’t CFA have been there when I was in school??
So that is a little bit about my SAU. Now the campus is HUGE and offers apartments, a ton of new dorms, new new class buildings (Science and Agriculture), a state of the art fitness center, and so much more. It was crazy to see how much the campus had changed since I was there, but it was fun too. I love all of the changes and I really hope that all of the new students will have as much fun as I did!!
Sadly, I didn’t graduate from SAU but I transferred my senior year to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences where I completed my first bachelor’s degree in Cardio-Respiratory Care!
Just for fun here is a pic of me with my sorority sisters, I am the top left!
Where did you go to college??
Has is changed much since you attended??
How fun to go back “home” for a little visit and to relive some precious memories! I would love to go back to my “home” in Hawaii and to Oregon to visit my college as well! One day hopefully! But in the meantime… I’m in the middle of making a huge move to Canada!
SAU sounds like a great school. It’s always great to find a school that’s exactly what you need and that fits you well.
Isn’t it amazing how we protest and deny and exhort that we will NEVER do something… Then we turn around and do it! LOL. I’ve done it myself so many times.
gorgeous school campus!
I love your story. SAU looks like a nice school, glad that you are back!
Looks like a great school. Its always such an honor when you find a school you love.
Going back home sounds like a fun adventure. That’s a nice college and I love that it has a mall area.
I always enjoyed visiting “home” when I lived in NC. I ended up missing home and returned “home” in 2005. It was the best decision. Had I stayed in NC, I probably would be stuck in a dead-end job that I hated and I wouldn’t have been pushed to get my BS degree.
I have lived in so many different places because my parents moved us around so many times when I was a kid. I would love to go back to some of the places I called home as a kid to show my daughter but it would be quite a trip traveling to all of those places.
That looks like a great college! I love all the outside photos. What a great photo of all your sorority sisters! I bet that was fun!
This looks like a great school. My Daughter is moving seven hours away this week to go to university.
It looks like a beautiful college! It has been years since I’ve been to college, but I attended University of Evansville. :)
I studied part time so I never really had the opportunity to be in campus and have the typical college life. i actually wish I did go full time…
It’s always nostalgic to go back home and see everything. I’m glad you’re able to do it.
It’s been a long time since I graduated and both colleges have changed significantly. My oldest was accepted to my alma matter but he choose another school which was a better fit for him.
What a beautiful school campus! Looks like you had a ton of fun visiting! I haven’t been back to my school in a while but I hope to one day visit.
Such a beautiful campus. So lucky you got to study at a great school with beautiful surroundings
love love these pictures. So happy you were able to attend a beautiful university. Beautiful pictures
Looks loke a beautiful and peaceful campus. I went to a catholic school where I also worked after graduation prior to coming here in the US.
It is a gorgeous campus. I haven’t been back to my college in over 8 years! I need to see the changes!
You weren’t very far from me in Memphis. I attended The LeMoyne- Owen College, a historically Black college. It was a great experience that I wouldn’t trade in for the world. – Yolonda
It’s so fun to go back to your former college, brings back a lot of memories. Going to a faraway college is what I did before too, but later on, I wished I studies near my home.