Written by: Megan Messina As a student I look closely at what a college has to offer me. Not just in academics but in student life as well. I am originally from Florida so when I decided to move to the Seattle area my first duty was to find a college that fit me. I searched online for weeks trying to find the right college to attend. After about two weeks I realized I kept going back to Bellevue Community College, due to the fact they prided on their academics and diversity. I though it was great that I could choose between classes that ranged from Drawing 101 to Intermediate Japanese. I applied in April 2007 and by the summer I became one of thousands students at BCC. Once I stepped on the campus I realized it wasn’t just the courses that made BCC a great college. My favorite thing about BCC is that it offers students more then one area to grab a bite to eat while also giving students a place to sit to socialize, study or just relax before classes. The college I attended before in Florida only had the cafeteria to eat at and the library to study. So students would fight over the limited seating in the cafeteria, while others would get kicked out of the library for talking or trying to sneak in food and drinks. BCC not only has a full cafeteria but four other locations for students to choose from. If you didn’t know there are three coffee and snack stands around the BCC campus. They are located in the R building, the L building, and the C building in front of the cafeteria. There is also a a lounge for students to gather in the A building. So instead of students fighting over the one open seat in the Cafeteria students have options on where they can go meet with friends or study. Having these options can help students meet new people because everyday if they wanted to, they could change where they go. I know that sitting in the L building the last three quarters has opened my eyes to the diversity of the BCC students and has introduced me to many of my friends. You are exposed to other cultures by just grabbing a cup of coffee and sitting at a table in one of the lounges around campus. People could argue you can do that at any coffee shop but the difference is you can watch people in the same age bracket interact and learn about each other’s cultures, which is important since there are such diverse cultures on campus. It is said that high school is the best time of our life.. Is that statement true? I mean college is where we learn so much more, we step out of our comfort zone and are exposed to things unknown. Which is why having a variety of places to witness the experiences college students go through is neat. Most students have to leave campus to meet up with people which can be a pain in itself, waiting in line at a busy coffee shop can eat up time especially if it is for a study group. BCC made it easy for students to have more than one place to get coffee on coffee breaks from studying which makes line short and bearable. It makes it possible to have more time for studying or relaxing. Students also have options on where they can pick up a caffeine fix in the 10-minute window before classes so they can get that fix without being late. So, my favorite thing about BCC is that I have the option where I can go to get a caffeine fix, or where I meet up with other students to study or with friends to just catch up on the days’ events. If it wasn’t for sitting in the L building I don’t think I would have met all the great people I know today.