This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Bryant chapter.
It’s no lie that everyone on this campus bleeds black and gold. To hear someone say on this campus, “I hate Bryant” would actually turn heads…it’s very rare to find someone like that. With being rated #1 for the Most Connected Campus in the United States by The Princeton Review, #1 for the Safest Campus in the United States by Seventeen, #1 for having the Best National Co-op Placement by Fidelity Investments, and #1 for the Most Attractive Campus on the East Coast by Seventeen, it’s no lie that Bryant is great. Nevermind great, it’s awesome. Below are listed 10 reasons, in NO particular order, why this little campus in Smithfield, RI tops the charts.
1. The Career Center
- The Amica Center for Career Education, the career center on Bryant’s campus, has to absolutely rank in the nation’s best. Actually, it’s ranked #9 in Princeton Review’s Best Career Services. With more career resources than you could wrap your head around, you will be anything but unprepared for any job interview. Multiple times a day, you can attend workshops designed for all majors to help guide you in your career path. Did I mention Bryant has a 98% job placement rate for graduates at Bryant? And, if your parents are getting worried that you are never going to find an internship, the career center has you covered for that too. Thank you Amica! Right now, they are holding a Twitter contest. They are trying to reach 1,000 followers by April 29th. Think you can help them out? Follow them @BryantCareer!
2. The Community
- With just over 20,000 people living in Smithfield, it’s very easy to feel a sense of community. If you’ve visited campus, you are very well-aware of the farm-like feel that surrounds the area. Once you step inside campus, you are definitely aware that we literally have 5 “public” buildings, 17 residence halls, and a village of townhouses. That’s it. It takes a flat 4 minutes to walk from the townhouses to the unistructure. The unistructure is home to every single class you will most likely ever take. That means when it’s raining, you won’t get wet walking from class to class. With a sense of community, comes a sense of connectedness. Being connected on this campus happens in numerous ways. For one, being virally connected is easy with campus-wide wi-fi. That means it’s no problem connecting to the internet when you are laying outside! Beyond viral, being socially connected is even easier. We’re a big enough campus that you will never know everyone, but a small enough campus that you know everyone. Does that make sense?
3. The Confidence
- Don’t be surprised if you gain an insane amount of confidence while being a student here. Almost every class requires class presentations, which means, yes, public speaking. Professors expect you to go out on a limb, raise your hand, and problem-solve creatively while answering a question. If that wasn’t enough, with big research projects or semester-long projects, companies like Target and TJX Companies Inc., step onto campus to hold case competitions. Here, you have to stand up in front of the representatives from those companies and present your research. Each club or organization on campus also has an executive board where members are expected to step up to the plate and run the club. Pretty cool, right?
4. The Academics
- Our academics are rigourous, demanding, and very valued in the business world. Having a degree from Bryant on your resume is a good enough reason for any employer to higher you. We have the 27th Best International Business Program in the Nation according to Bloomberg Businessweek and rank 17th in the Best Accounting Programs in The United States by Businessweek. All, or at least most, of the professors here have their PhD in their respected fields and continually conduct research on different topics. The professors have also held jobs in their respected fields, allowing them to bring real world experiences right the classroom. Don’t be surprised if you purchase your textbook and your professor’s name is written in big gold letters on the cover, he or she more than likely wrote it.
5. The Opportunities
- It is obvious Amica Center provides many opportunities for job placement, but what about on-campus jobs and on-campus opportunities? Amica can definitely help you find a job in the area or on campus, but nobody can match the opportunities and doors that will open for you if you’re a student here. By becoming involved in campus, you gain visibility. Gaining visibility helps when opportunities on campus open up. If the person offering the opportunity automatically thinks of you and your competencies for the opportunity, you’ve got it made. On a personal note, in my three years here, I have opened up more doors than imaginable. This ultimately comes down to networking, which is mentioned next. We just partnered with China to create a US-China Institute relationship…think there is opportunity there?
6. The Networking
- It’s not about what you know, it’s who you know. Building relationships with professors, co-workers, students, mentors, and other professionals is absolutely vital to getting your name out there. Think about it. There are hundreds of thousands of other college students who have a great GPA, strong competencies, are heavily involved on campus, and want the same exact job that you want. The stuff that will set you apart from the rest will be who you know. There are many networking events on campus held throughout the year. Between the Fortune 500 companies, alumni, and other organizations which show up to these events, you are guarenteed to collect a few business cards. And, of course, hand out some of your own! A hand shake goes a long way.
7. The Clubs and Organizations
- Bryant has well over 100 clubs and organizations on campus which help you become heavily involved. Don’t see the club you are looking for? Create it. Don’t be surprised if you talk to someone who holds multiple jobs, leadership roles, and membership roles on campus. It’s common.
8. The Safety
- Seventen Magazine didn’t rank us the #1 Safest Campus in America for no reason. We have one way to get in and out of campus. Just one. DPS routinely checks cars as they stroll into campus and the students in them are all asked to show their ID. I think on top of human safety, comes the safety of your valuables. The crime rate on this campus is little to nothing. The typical stuff happens from time to time, but typically you’re good. Leaving your purse on a table, when you walk away for an hour and come back to find it untouched, is common; leaving your phone on the table at Salmo as you get food is a norm; and leaving your dorm room door unlocked is customary. It’s just how this campus rolls.
9. The Weekends
- So many people love the weekends on our campus. Yes, there are parties. Of course there are, it’s college. There are also events that the school puts on every single weekend if you aren’t into the college scene. But, people love this campus so much because you do not have to go far to have fun. Parents can go to sleep soundly at night because they know exactly where their kids are. May sound a bit lame but trust me you will barely want to leave on weekend nights! On top of that, during the day on Saturday and Sunday, Bryant students absolutely love to escape to Newport, Providence, and Boston; lay in the outfield at a Bryant Baseball game with friends; and play kan-jam in the court yards. It’s not a suitcase school, I can tell you that much.
10. The Grounds
- Bryant is absolutely beautiful. I guess this is why Seventeen ranked it one of the Most Attractive Campuses in the US. Facilities Management are the eyes, ears, hands, blood, and sweat of this campus. Everything from the Irish Green cut grass, the picturesque foliage, and the ruby-red brick paved pathways make this campus absolutely stunning. The windows don’t stay shiny by themselves! In my own opinion, the two most beautiful parts of our campus are The President’s Walk and Memorial Grove. President’s Walk is the pathway from the library to the unistructure. It’s the perfect scenery for a horse-drawn carriage to stroll down, there are enough trees blanketing the path for birds to call home, and it’s long enough to appreciate it. Memorial Grove is the field right next to The President’s Walk which is home to trees planted in memory of those in the Bryant community which lost their lives in the attacks on September 11th. Bryant’s campus is touching, memorable, and beautiful.