Last fall I began my Running Start journey at Cascadia College, prompting many other new beginnings. I found a job that I actually enjoyed at the campus library, decided to pursue a degree in Computer Science, and have just recently been accepted at the UW Bothell for the Fall of 2017.

The decision to attend UW Bothell was an easy one; I fell in love with the campus this past year. Below are just a few of the many reasons for how this came to be.

Convenience

Of course, traffic on I-405 and downtown Bothell will be outrageous at times. But, this is really only during rush hours (from my experience), and isn’t nearly as bad as Seattle’s usual traffic. I can oftentimes get home to Lynnwood in as little as ten minutes!

There’s also so much to do around campus: hikes, museums, and our amazing downtown. UW Bothell has a great page on this here.

Small Class Sizes

UW Bothell and Cascadia are the Goldilocks of classes – not too big, not too small, but just right. Classes usually contain around 30 students total, allowing easy access to both classmates and the professor. Also, since these professor will have less students than ones teaching lecture halls, office hours are generally more practical. I love knowing that if I’m ever struggling, I’ll have opportunities to seek help from the instructor themselves.

Both colleges on campus currently have around 5,000 students each (compared to UW Seattle’s 45,000), which is really nice for people like me who tend to be intimidated by large crowds.

Diverse

The campus works hard to ensure that there’s a place for everyone here.

Clubs – We have many clubs for all kinds of cultures, majors, and interests… this website has currently listed 91 for UW Bothell students!

Campus Events – Cascadia and Bothell have their own frequent events on campus, and sometimes they’re conjoined! For example, our HERO program had hosted healthy snacking and free massages in the library right before Fall Quarter finals this year.

Academic

With two schools, it’s no surprise that the campus has a large range of degrees available. Cascadia offers certificates, associate (2 year) degrees, and even a couple undergraduate. While the selection is not as vast as Seattle’s, UW Bothell does offer both undergraduate and graduate degrees.

Because of the wide range of degrees available on campus, many students earning associate degrees at Cascadia attempt to transfer over to UWB! I’m personally hoping to take this route for a degree in Computer Science.

Resourceful

College is expensive, with tuition being only part of the battle. Luckily, our campus has lots of student resources.

Most materials needed for class (textbooks, laptops, equipment) can be acquired from the library, UW Bothell’s Qualitative Skills Center (QSC), and Cascadia’s Open Learning Center.

Both colleges on campus offer free in-person and online tutoring to their students. Here are links to what’s currently available:

UW Writing and Qualitative Skills ; Cascadia Writing and Math.

My absolute favorite part of campus is all of the space available to us, since our colleges realize that student homes aren’t always an ideal place to work. In addition to space in UWB (which can found here), many students also take advantage of Cascadia, the ARC, and the Food for Thought Cafe.

Tip: My go-to study area is the library’s third floor. This is the silent floor, home to the majority of our study rooms and the completely silent reading room.

Gorgeous

We may not have beautiful cherry blossom trees like Seattle, but we still have plenty more to offer.

Come here in the Spring or Summer, and you’ll find fruit, vegetation, and flowers growing right in the center of campus. Since it’s our community garden, anyone on campus is free to pick and plant (within reason, of course).

Many consider the North Creek Wetlands to be the highlight of campus, and for good reason; it’s a great, quiet place to walk through and just take a break from the stresses of school. For more info, click here. For AMAZING pictures, here.

The artwork around campus is incredible, and there’s a lot to see! Our library has composed a page showcasing much of the art. Meanwhile, Cascadia College houses the Mobius Art Gallery.

In the year I’ve been here, I’ve truly grown to love this campus; it is the only college I can see myself at and want to attend these next couple of years. UW Bothell tailors more to my own learning style than the other campuses, so I chose to only apply there. My advice is that instead of making a decision based on what others consider to be the better school, base it on which is the better school for you as an individual student. This is your education and your choice.