Rachel Returns

08/30/2011 10:04 AM

Junior engineering major Rachel Briskey of Indianapolis talks about her favorite Bradley memories, why she’s enjoying the changes on campus, and the familiar traditions she has grown to love.

As I begin my junior year at Bradley University, I am reflecting on all the things that I love about BU. This year is definitely different from my freshman year in a lot of ways. Academically, I’m in almost all engineering classes. Until now, I have been in a mix of classes for my major and general education classes like history, math and English. I also lived on my own this past summer, working an internship at John Deere in Iowa, which caused me to be more responsible and also gave me some industry experience.

I’ve always felt like BU is home, and it was great to return here after a summer in Iowa to find that feeling returned. I didn’t know much about Peoria when I came here as a freshman, but I was really open to the city, and I found great places like Leaves and Beans coffee shop. It’s located in a completely different pocket of Peoria than Bradley. It’s good to change up my studying scene and it reminds me of a coffee shop at home in Indianapolis.

Although my classes are different and I’m feeling more grown-up, there are lots of things that have remained constant in my BU experience that I love! Welcome Week is wonderful. It’s a crazy move-in day, followed by making new friends and signing up for clubs during the Activity Fair, and just like every year, I am overbooked in the best way possible.

Living in an upperclassmen residence hall has also been a nice change for me. My dorm has a different vibe, partially because I supervise a floor of guys! I am in the unique position of serving as a Resident Advisor (RA) for a floor of gentlemen. When the uncommon chance arose for a girl to supervise a boy’s floor, Residential Living thought the position suited me well. I also get to have an almost unused restroom right next to my room.

Even though I was gone for less than three months, I found I missed my Bradley home a great deal. Small things have changed on campus, like the new buildings and the swipe-card access in the residence halls, but the feeling I get when I see my friends and greet my professors is the same one I had when I started two years ago. This is home.