It’s been a strange and difficult year for everyone, and almost everyone has endured some kind of heartbreaking cancellation or change of circumstance. For me that was the cancellation of study abroad this past fall. One of the negative outcomes of this was the scramble to find an off campus apartment to live in and missing out on my final year on campus. Living off campus, I learned a lot about cooking, when to call my landlord, how electricity is actually very expensive and that plants need water to survive. Overall, I’ve enjoyed this endeavor into partial adulthood, but there are some quintessential Notre Dame things that I miss now that I live a total of .2 miles from campus. So I’ve compiled a list of some of my favorite things at Notre Dame.
- The La Fun Candy Wall
-
I know the La fun candy wall is closed now for obvious safety and health reasons that maybe should have been considered pre-COVID, but that thing is so amazing. Whenever I had a rough day or an unfulfilling dinner, I headed straight to the candy wall. I think every Notre Dame student has their own unique candy bag preferences and it’s one of my favorite questions to really get to know someone’s soul. My order varied based on mood, but sour gummy worms and chocolate peanut butter cups were my two staples.
- Running Into Friends Everywhere
-
I miss seeing people everywhere. I think this is the one that I most undervalued when I lived on campus. I used to feel that whenever I was suffering from sleep deprivation and wearing the same sweatpants as two days ago I would run into everyone I’ve ever met and I hated it. But now I would give anything to do that again. It’s so hard to tell if you know someone when half their face is covered and I get so sad thinking there’s people I haven’t seen all year because I live off campus.
- Waddicks Coffee House Vibes
-
The coffee shop in O’Shag called Waddick’s is hands down my favorite place to study on campus. They used to have fantastic breakfast sandwiches and the little booths are so comfy, but not too comfy that you can fall asleep. It is literally the perfect place to study. And my favorite part was their $1.99 large iced coffees that were so delicious. Best vibes on campus.
- The Bagpipe Players
-
There’s nothing more Notre Dame-esque than waking up on game day to the sound of bagpipes. The hype of the game, the sound of the bagpipes and the sun shining on a perfect day– what more could you ask for? It is a priceless moment and if you are still living on campus please savor every moment, even if they wake you up earlier than you intended to get up.
- Daily Dome Sunsets
-
Whether I was having a good or bad day, a walk past the dome during that perfect golden hour always put everything in perspective. Seeing something so physically larger and symbolically representative makes me forget the little everyday stresses of college life, and remember that four years go by quicker than you think and that one day I won’t get to enjoy any of the little joys about being a Notre Dame student, so to be grateful for them now.
These are some of the things I miss most from living off campus, but each semester I’ve spent at Notre Dame has brought new experiences and new favorite things to be grateful for. And there is always hope that one day the candy wall will reopen.