I’m not always in the mood for the Caf. What are some great places to grab food in Harrisonburg? 

Harrisonburg is home to a number of small places where you can get authentic Mexican dishes. Local favorites include La Morena, Tacos El Primo, and if you go to the international store Foodmaxx, be sure to try the tacos from their food court. If you are looking for locally sourced ingredients and meals, you don’t have to journey far. The Harrisonburg Farmers Market downtown is a wonderful source for seasonal produce, baked goods, and ready-made meals. The Friendly City Food Co-op has recently renovated and now features an updated hot bar and salad bar, while A Bowl of Good serves delicious soup, perfect for these upcoming chilly Autumn days. More into Asian-inspired cuisine? Beyond, Sushi Jako, Oriental Cafe, Mashita, Vietopia, and a small Korean food truck called Kangnam Style are sure to satisfy. Got a date coming up? Enjoy the classic bar food of Ruby’s Arcade over bowling or a game of pool, grab coffee at Merge, or treat that someone special to a fancier meal at Local Chop House (which also has a much less expensive bar for those of us who aren’t so fancy). 

Finally, you can’t live in Harrisonburg and not visit any of the three Mr. J’s Bagels stores, eat a scoop of Kline’s ice cream on muggy nights, try one of Jack Brown’s strangely delicious burgers, or drink fresh apple cider from Showalter’s Orchard. 

Am I the only student here who doesn’t have any idea what I want to study or do after graduation? 

Definitely not! In fact, this upperclassperson is in their final semester and still only has a vague idea of what they want to do post-grad. The best advice is to really take advantage of resources here on campus. Your professors are the best resource you have and can introduce you to career options you didn’t even know existed. Don’t be afraid to show up in office hours with a slew of questions – professors are more than happy to help you sift through options. The career center is another valuable resource that can even help you shadow or intern in positions you may be interested in pursuing. Feel free to take a sampling of classes from a variety of different disciplines. If they don’t go directly towards your degree, at the very least you’ll be a more well-rounded and well-informed person than you were before. 

Take your time! There really isn’t any rush. The more you worry about it, the more stressed you’ll feel. This isn’t to say you should ignore your predicament or trust that you’ll get a middle-of-the-night epiphany, but do what you can do and then show yourself some grace.