By: Jake Vosters

Hello Future Titans! My name is Jake Vosters, and I am a sophomore here at UW Oshkosh. I’m studying English and Secondary Education, with a minor in Spanish. Using these, I hope to one day become an English teacher that can also use my skills to pass on some Spanish. Now that I’ve got a few semesters under my belt, I’ve picked out some of the most gorgeous spots on campus that I like to go to study, to write or just to gaze upon nature’s beauty from the beautiful surroundings of our campus, and I’m here to tell you all about them!

First of all, there are so many gorgeous places to study and just enjoy the views on campus: feel free to take a walk around the campus and find some spots for yourself! There are plenty to choose from. However, I have a select few that I enjoy the most. The first location is near the UWO Student Recreation and Wellness Center. Just outside, to the right of the entrance are a handful of small, rock-like structures that I like to sit near when I do some of my writing. Whenever I’m sitting there (weather permitting of course, here in Wisconsin) I get an excellent view of the Fox River. The grass is comforting to sit on, the sunsets are incredible to observe and the frequent breeze coming from the river just helps to put me into a calm and relaxing mindset that allows me to write and study well. Although this spot is a bit of a walk compared to how close everything else is on campus, I say that it is well worth the extra exercise!

My second spot I like to go to is just outside of Horizon Village. There is a grassy area between the doors of Reeve Union and Horizon Village that is a popular spot that many people here on campus like to take advantage of. It’s kind of like a small, rolling hill that is easily accessible! What I like most about this spot is that it is really close by, not just because I live in Horizon Village, but because it’s also near Reeve Union, which is centrally located on campus. It’s also nice if you have friends that want to tag along and study with you, it’s a super cool spot to sprawl out. Plus, if you sit at the top of the hill, you can get a really cool view of the sunsets and passing cars that give a subtle ambiance. 

My third and final spot I’m going to talk about is near the bridge over the river, it’s just off of the trail that goes around campus. There’s a walking trail that goes around campus and along the river, as you get closer to the bridge there is a bench that you can sit at right up against the river. This spot is also in my favorites list because it feels perfect. The bench gives me a nice place to sit, but there is still grass to sit on if I want to. I am really close to the water, which is calming to me, but there is also ambiance from passing cars on the bridge and passing boats going underneath it from time to time. There are plenty of trees that have incredibly beautiful colored leaves in the fall, and overall it is just a fantastic place to take care of any homework or writing.