Ask half of campus what their major is and you can already anticipate the reply: criminal justice, forensic science, marine biology, or music and sound recording. Dare a student say anything else and the inquirer leans in with their eyeballs twice the normal size.

I used to be part of the majority as a Forensic Science and General Biology double major. Now, as an English major, I prematurely jumped to an idea most students in this position consider: transfer.

Surprisingly, examining other universities actually made them less appealing. The University of New Haven is home. It has been since the first visit. While this is partly attributed to an awesome group of friends I can call family, some of the factors that have made UNH home just could not be found elsewhere.

For starters, I am not an extremely extroverted person by any means. However, the small size of the campus prevents me from walking anywhere without bumping into at least three people who know my name — even at eight in the morning. There are so many other campuses out there that are consumed by people that would remain complete strangers even after a four years’ residence.

While many students complain about work study, it isn’t as impossible to get a job here as it is elsewhere. I have two. And no, I don’t have work study. I am a teaching assistant and work in the marketing department. While these jobs work with completely different types of people, I can truly say that I adore both of them. The faculty, staff, and students are so accessible. The opportunities to both lead others and follow instructions in an office setting are irreplaceable.

These are the connections and skills that can be useful later in life.

I hold two volunteer positions — as note-taker for career access services and a first year success captain. These programs must be raved about. The university not only takes experiential learning above and beyond, but also creates a community with programs like these. Community service may be great on a resume, but it has an even greater impact on a life.

What about the academic program? “You are there for your education,” parents kindly remind us. They are absolutely right. No matter what program you pursue at UNH, the faculty is more than happy to help you learn. The opportunities to build your resume from internships and research are monstrous, and the education is stellar. Checking all my professors on the famous www.ratemyprofessor.com, I was shocked to see that all of the ratings were above a four out of five. The commentary connected to them was incredibly positive.

The university really does ensure that the students get the best education and experience that they can.