This is a more personal post about was my first year living in downtown Chicago. I started at Columbia College Chicago in August of 2017, majoring in Fashion Merchandising and minoring in Marketing. My experience so far has been amazing, I have met so many people and experienced things I would never be able to in my hometown. 

My classes have been a dream. High school for me was fun but my interests were never in science and math. Attending an art school I get to learn about such interesting topics and go to really cool places.

My favorite class was Visual Culture: Practices of Looking. Almost every week we met for class at different locations in the city. This day we went to the Museum of Contemporary Art to view the Murakami exhibit. We had our lecture on the front steps of the museum. This was why I came to Chicago. These experiences are one of a kind and if you are looking into attending a college in Chicago, do it, do it, do it!

Another big adjustment moving to the city is public transit. In my hometown I basically lived in my car. Going to school, work, hanging with friends, getting dinner or whatever I was up to was simple. I don’t have my car in Chicago and my VENTRA U-pass is included with my tuition.

Navigating the trains and buses was much easier than I thought it would be and I’m now super comfortable with transportation. I will warn you that you will see, hear, and smell some interesting things, on the trains especially, but it’s all part of the experience. I once had an old man tickle my foot on the train which was the last time I wore sandals or sat cross legged on the red line!

My home life has been a new experience as well. I live in a two bedroom, two bathroom apartment with 3 other girls. It hasn’t been too difficult getting along with everyone, it’s all about compromise and respect. It was a challenge fitting all of my things into a tiny room but that’s college. I’m lucky I only have to share my shower, sink, and toilet with one other girl.

I don’t have a meal plan at school so walking to the store is in my weekly routine. I try to buy healthy organic food for myself but as it gets colder Trader Joe’s is feeling farther and farther away. I have recently been going to Target for most of my groceries. They offer a pretty good range in food, but I wouldn’t recommend going there if you’re looking for produce.

Another thing I’ve loved about Chicago is the endless list of things to do! I love love love going to concerts and I have had the opportunity to see some bands that don’t come to smaller towns like where I’m from. I’ve seen HAIM, Khalid, and Harry Styles each in different theaters. The Aragon, Riviera, and Chicago theater are all beautiful places to see shows and I highly recommend getting to all three!

I also love love love movies. The indie film My Friend Dahmer came out in 2017 in select theaters and I was super excited to see it playing near Lincoln Park. I took 3 friends and we journeyed out on a 20 minute train ride and a 20 minute walk, when we got to the theater it was sold out. We ended up having to wait 3 more hours for the next show in a random part of the city which led to my favorite thing to do, explore.

This night was so fun because we got to know a new part of the city with no plans, we were just there. If you are moving to Chicago my number one recommendation is to explore. Just take a train somewhere and see what you find. (Disclaimer: choose safe places to explore!)