Heading Home

This past Wednesday I woke for school and proceeded with my regular morning routines. My alarm clock rang, I rose and my day began. I stayed on schedule but I had a little extra incentive because I knew that day Thurgood Marshall's "incredible junior class" had a college trip scheduled. But not to just any college trip; the colleges were found in my home state of Delaware! Of the two colleges we would visit, I was more than familiar with one, Delaware State University and less familiar with another, University of Delaware.

The first stop on our college tour was Delaware State University. I am very acquainted with this college and campus because it is where my mother graduated with a bachelors degree in business administration. On top of that I have been to numerous activities and events there myself from a pre-k program to sports camps and from academic enrichment programs to homecomings. Yet, as we entered the campus, I myself saw things that were new to me. In the past couple years Delaware State has been actively taking steps to improve their school's view and student life with upgrades such as the addition of a state-of-the-art student center, fully equipped with two full basketball courts, an overflow work out area, a full length track that surrounds the top floor and a Olympic-style aquatic center. The campus has improved in numerous areas and those improvement showed. At tour's end, many TMA students expressed their new found interest in learning more about or possibly attending Delaware State; citing the calm and cool campus life and intimate class and population size as major reasons.

The second tour took place on the grounds of the University of Delaware, where the feel was a little different but still was positive. UD is home to a considerably larger population of students than Del State, almost seventeen thousand more, but the opportunity pulled many students in. The Blue Hens also have an amazing student center where we, the "prospects" could see where and how students spend their down time or choose to study. The campus style at UD is different from DSU's as well. The University of Delaware gave a relaxed rural feel to everyone that entered the area.

By way of areas on campus like "the green", an area were many students met and conversed or did work. But what stood out most was the talk of the educational opportunities that varied from those at Del State. UD offers many diverse majors, that definitely provied something for everyone. For example the authentic business center caught the attention of many students from Thurgood, saying that they would love to work in such a realistic center in preparation for their actual jobs. I myself was even interested in what the school had to offer, being that my group's tour guide majored in the exact subjects that I plan to, assuring me that the programs were very exciting and hands on.

Overall I think each experience was eye opening , allowing many to get an idea of what type of college lifestyle and atmosphere they really wanted. The difference between the two colleges also gave a prime example of just how diverse each college really is from each other. As I made my "bittersweet" departure from my beloved state, I couldn't help but be proud of the impression that my hometown colleges made on others. The pride and joy of a state nicknamed "the Little Wonder" still lives in the colleges.