A good portion of my college search was through online research, scrolling through school websites, watching video tours of campuses, and browsing through lists of major program. So if you find yourself doing the same to try and get a feel for a school’s campus and its academic vibe, don’t forget to take a peek at the “Campus Life” page. The college you choose is going to be your home away from home and you’re going to have a lot more free time than you think. When you’re not in class, studying, or binge watching the newest season of your favorite show on Netflix, it’s important for a school to have something to prevent its students from being bored.

Luckily, for Naz students, there are always plenty of things to do, both on and off campus. The Rochester area has tons of exciting places to explore, and the Campus Activity Board is constantly keeping students updated about weekly activities such as yoga classes, movie nights, trivia games, group hikes, grocery bingo, Pinterest nights, live music performances, and sports games. Now, this might sound a little biased coming from a student-athlete, but I love getting decked out in purple and gold to go cheer on Naz sports teams!

Unfortunately, one thing Naz doesn’t have is a football team. And if you’re anything like my dad, a college with no football team might be a huge turn off—which is understandable. Even for someone who isn’t all that interested in the sport itself, football games are a great opportunity for the whole school to get together, decked out in their school colors, and pound on the bleachers while their individual voices are lost in the roaring cheers of the crowd. So I completely understand why you might be worried about missing out on that experience, but don’t discount Naz as an amazing college because of this!

If it’s missing out on the sport itself that makes you hesitant about choosing Naz, don’t worry— there are plenty of opportunities to watch a good game. Even though we consider St. John Fisher College our conference rivals, I know a ton of students from Naz who go across the street to watch their football matches. Plus, New Era Field is only an hour and a half away. It may seem a bit far, but for those of you who haven’t been to a Buffalo Bills game before, it’s a blast and totally worth the drive.

Now, the biggest concern most people have about going to a college without a football team is that they won’t have the opportunity to get together with a bunch of friends and scream at the top of their lungs to cheer the school’s team, but Naz doesn’t really have that problem. We might not have a football team, but we’ve got twenty-four sports teams and plenty of home games for students (and parents) to show their school pride.

My personal favorites are the hockey matches. There’s nothing like bundling up in your comfiest puffy jacket to go watch the game, especially when you get a seat right up against the glass. Of course, there’s also the Battle of the Beaks—the biggest game of the year in which the men’s and women’s basketball teams go head-to-head with our rivals from down the street, St John Fisher. Even if you don’t like basketball or hockey, Naz has volleyball, soccer, lacrosse, tennis, and many more sports teams who would love to have your support at a game.

Of course, you won’t hear me complaining if we ever do get a football team, but with all the other extracurricular activities and sports games Naz already has to offer, it’s easy to stay busy and keep myself entertained. So like I told my dad when he found out Naz didn’t have a football team: it’s really no big deal.