Wichita isn’t an average college town.

It’s a family-oriented place, and not everything revolves around Wichita State. There are some places where college students hang out, but not nearly as many as there are in Lawrence or Manhattan. A good chunk of students are Wichita natives and not many people live close enough to the university to walk.

For these reasons, people often dismiss Wichita State for not providing a typical college experience. My friends that live in Lawrence or Manhattan are from Wichita, so when they moved they were able to experience a new place. One of my friends gets along perfectly without a car in Manhattan, because everywhere she needs to go is within walking distance.

I’ve lived in Wichita my whole life, and although staying here wasn’t exactly what I wanted to do, I’ve learned to love it. After moving out of my parent’s house and attending Wichita State, I’ve discovered a part of Wichita that I never knew existed.

As a stubborn east sider, I never had a reason to venture to the west side. Last year, I mistakenly signed up for a class that was only offered on the West Campus.

Every Thursday, I would reluctantly make the 30-minute drive to class. At first, I was only focused on the negative aspects — the damage that was being inflicted on my gas tank and the sheer inconvenience of the situation.

After a while, I started to look around. All the buildings were spread out and everything looked so new. I had never even seen New Market Square before. One weekend, I dragged a friend to New Market and we had a pretty successful shopping trip.

Since I grew up in Wichita, I tend to gravitate toward the places I went as a kid. It’s tempting to stay in that bubble — it’s so comfortable. Once I stepped outside, I realized that Wichita has a lot to offer.

We have a wide variety of restaurants and lots of places to shop. Downtown houses a thriving art and music community. After re-mapping Wichita to fit the college student version of me, I’ve grown to like it more than I ever thought I would. This place is a lot bigger and vibrant than people give it credit for.