Even though Shark Preview hasn’t been a part of our lives for very long, I guarantee that everyone has strong feelings about it, whether they are good or bad. As a commuter student, it isn’t necessarily the worst thing in the world. I mean, it doesn’t really affect my day-to-day life. But thinking back to last year when I actually lived on campus, Shark Preview was a nightmare.
I get that Shark Preview is actually a great program that brings new students to NSU and gives out scholarships and what not. But it really is a pain when you live on campus and there are a bunch of high school students running around.
The lines at Starbucks are always super long, which means it takes twice as long to grab a drink and go. Yes, you get to skip the line if you have your Shark Card, but you still have to wait for all those cream-based frappuccinos to be made before you can get your iced coffee and move on with your life. And we all know how long it takes to make a frappuccino—the correct answer is “way too long.”
Honestly, your best bet is to just avoid the UC completely. If you’re trying to study in the UC, forget it. There’s way too much going on and you’ll never be able to concentrate over the heavy foot traffic and loud conversations. Don’t get me wrong, it’s nowhere near as bad as during a cheer competition, but it definitely isn’t a vacation either.
There are those even more unlucky than the average NSU student—those who live with a Shark Preview Leader. Not only do you have to deal with Shark Preview while walking around campus, but you also have to deal with it in the comfort of your own residence hall. That’s right, you are living within the same suite as a Shark Preview kid. They probably won’t be in there a ton since they have a full schedule, but they will still be living in your suite. While they could end up being a super cool person, it’s still a bit irritating to be stuck in that close of a space.
Shark Preview is something that I dreaded as a residential student. However, there hasn’t been mention of it going anywhere anytime soon so I guess it’s best to pull yourself together and have the best outlook you can … and try to avoid the UC.
