Campus Sweet Campus

The University of New Mexico is open to many students and encourages all income types to attend. The Lottery Scholarship is welcoming to low-income families that may not have considered sending their child to college. Because of this, students from all over the city attend UNM, commuting from all parts of the Bernalillo county. Since this constitutes most of the students, they tend to leave directly after a class, essentially leaving the loop-hole of studying and academics. Making campus comfortable would encourage students to stay around, study, or utilize office hours.

Recently, as I have been trekking back and forth from my house to campus, and then straight to work, I find myself in limbo, stuck between work and school, where I don't have enough time to get home before work to take a shower or relax. Other days, Im so exhausted and I am dying to find somewhere to rest for an hour or two before my next class. But I'm once again in a dilemma, because the time it would take me to get to my car and drive home would constitute most of the free time. I have been wondering if this process could become more convenient in any way for students. Since the efforts taken to get to class are demanding, it is difficult or useless to go anywhere in between breaks or before school.

Only recently have I really become interested in making this process less gruesome, and tried to stay on campus more often. Recently, I rented a locker at Johnson gym where I keep alternate gym clothes in case I feel the urge to work out. Also, I keep my bathing material in the locker, so that I can shower after a rigorous workout. The showers there, however, are almost entirely out of service. You have to go to three different stalls before you found a spicket that works but the drain doesn't even work. By the end of the shower, a large puddle of water has taken over the floor, creating a mini bath. Not to mention, the tile looks as if it has been there a comfortable 20-30 years.

It seems to me, that all of the face-lifts given to the UNM campus recently, could easily be applied to making UNM a comfortable place for students to relax as well. Something as easy as replacing the showers is not terribly expensive, and could go a long way. If students are comfortable with sticking around campus, then they are also more likely to study school work and keep grades up. Likewise, it seems that designated rest areas would be beneficial to the campus, if not just comfortable places to relax for awhile and let your mind calm down. Often, I am between classes, and am dying to rest my eyes for thirty minutes, or just sit back and relax. But all of the chairs at UNM are single-seating, or look very uncomfortable.

Finally, it seems that alternate off-campus housing, bought by UNM for students, would be beneficial to encouraging students to stay on campus. Not everyone is interested in living in the dorms, or sharing a room with someone else. Some people prefer the personal space, where they can feel at home. But, if they dont want to live in the dorms, they have to try to house with other college kids, or look for cheaper living even further from campus. Then they have to muster up down payments or sign renting agreements. The houses near UNM are not cheap, and if they are affordable, they are falling apart. So, if UNM would buy housing around campus, students may spend more time at UNM and therefore increase their GPA.