Melissa Rubin, sophomore, education major

One of my favorite things about Adelphi is its close proximity to New York City. At first, I was nervous about navigating my way into the city because I didn’t have much experience taking trains. When I was walking over to the train station from campus, I met two international students who were also heading into the city. They were kind enough to help me buy a ticket and make sure that I got on the right train. My new friends helped me realize how easy it was to take the Long Island Rail Road into the city. We joked afterward that I should have been the one helping them since they are international students.

Some of my favorite trips have been to the museums of New York City, including the Museum of Modern Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Natural History. One of my most memorable trips has been to an opera at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center. I went with other students in the Honors College. I’ve also spent time visiting the famous locations in the city, including Central Park, Times Square, SoHo and Little Italy. The LIRR train station is within walking distance of Adelphi’s campus, which makes these trips into the city very convenient. New York City also serves as the perfect meet-up spot to get together with my friends from other states such as Pennsylvania and Connecticut. We all pick a weekend to meet up in the city and catch up on things.

The small class sizes at Adelphi are another favorite aspect of mine. With an average class size of 20 students, I receive the individual attention that sets Adelphi apart from other universities. I received so many opportunities from my professors during my freshman year. For example, I have had the opportunity to assist in several studies in Adelphi’s neurophysiology speech pathology lab, alongside graduate students.

I don’t feel as if I am just a number in a classroom, which may be the case at larger universities. In my experience, Adelphi’s professors truly care about their students and help them to achieve their goals.