What Makes a Campus?

In a campus there’s many people, you see people about — sense of presence

In a campus there’s many spaces, resources, workshops — sense of opportunity

In a campus there are many teachers, mentors, and knowing students — sense of mentorship / network / community

In a campus there are many classes, you can supposedly decide which ones to take — a sense of choice

In a campus you have a chance to bump into or hang out with your friends, and the possibility in some cases of forming deeper relationships — a sense of connection / friendship

In a campus you are outside the expectation or pressure that your work is for a particular job (though unfortunately grades often lead to less risk-taking and experimentation) — a sense of freedom

In a campus there is often a library, a place to study, meet, or seek knowledge — a sense of knowledge / coziness / third place

In a campus there are often lots of clubs you can join — a sense of subcultures

In a campus you have the possibility of branching out or pushing yourself out of a single discipline, try different things out — a sense of dabbling

In summary:

• presence
• opportunity
• mentorship
• community
• connection
• freedom / dabbling
• knowledge
• subcultures / niches
• workshops / resources
• … (what else?)

Next up: I will be exploring digital equivalents for each aspect, figuring out exactly how a digital space can exhibit similar feeling or characteristics to a physical campus but in a uniquely digital way

🡢 Read Part II