I recently moved to Atlanta, Georgia to start my tertiary education at the illustrious Clark Atlanta University. Spoiler Alert: almost three weeks in and I’m already in love with this city.

Nicknamed by many as the ‘Black Mecca’ or ‘Modern Hollywood’, Atlanta has produced many extraordinary talents. With success ranging from all fields such as entertainment, business, politics, education, it’s clear that there’s something for everyone here. With an inviting culture, it’s so easy to feel welcomed as you find so many like-minded individuals who look, think and share circumstances similar to you. While, Atlanta, the state’s capital city might overshadow the other cities, it’s within good reason. Let’s break down why Atlanta deserves all the hype it gets.

Atlanta’s Academic Excellence: The Most Educated City in the U.S.

Let’s start off strong, shall we? A recently published report by Forbes Advisor declared Atlanta as the most educated city in the United States. It’s understandable when it’s home to well-accredited universities such as Emory University, Georgia Institute of Technology and Georgia State University.

However, with a predominantly Black population, we can never forget the exceptional historically Black colleges (HBCUs). This list include Morris Brown College, Spelman College, Morehouse College, Morehouse School of Medicine and Clark Atlanta University – the latter four collaborated to form the AUCC (Atlanta University Center Consortium).

These institutions not only provide quality education to Black students but they also help foster a sense of belongingness. They allow everyone from students, teachers and staff to be their most authentic selves with traditions such as Homecoming, the Divine Nine’s organizations or even Fry Chicken Wednesday when Southern soul food is prepared for lunch. It shows how rich in culture they are.

We must also give an honorable mention to the other HBCUs ranging all over Georgia as they help contribute to the third place award for most historically Black colleges and universities in a state with twelve.

Building Connections in Atlanta: Power of Close Relationships

As a shy kid who was scared of meeting new people, I’ve already met numerous friends, classmates and future colleagues which leads me to the next topic: connections.

I’ve been here for eighteen days and I can promise you I’ve heard this one phrase about a hundred times – no joke but it has extreme validity to it: “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.”

As previously mentioned, you will find so many like-minded individuals. I’ve met so many people who have similar if not the same aspirations as me. It has been so wonderful to build these connections with them where we help each other find opportunities where we all can shine.

It seems like many people in the ATL adopt the mindset that “If I eat, we all eat.” A popular quote, in layman’s terms, that means there is room for everyone to be successful.

Once again, there’s this sense of community. We are family and we treat each other as such. It’s such a wonderful feeling to have your dreams supported and encouraged. You can also find a plentiful of organizations and internships around the city that can help you improve on your career and future life goals.

Now, maybe this isn’t specific to Atlanta but with so many successful businesses and companies here, there’s always somebody who knows somebody who knows somebody who can get you this successful position or a high-paying job. A reason why it is so important to be nice to everybody and build these genuine relationships as they might help you in the long run.

Atlanta’s Vibrant Social Scene: Always Something Happening

Lastly, let’s touch on the social scene. We honestly have to.

This especially rings true in the downtown area but trust me when I say there’s ALWAYS something to do. All you have to do is text in the group chat, “What’s the move?” In a matter of seconds, you’re in the car with your girlfriends to the club that just opened down the street.

The promoters here jump through hoops to get the word out. So forget texting, all you have to do is just walk around outside and you’ll see find flyers posted or being passed out.

However, if you’re not the party type, you have a multitude of options. There are numerous concerts, functions and events for everyone. The city is home to popular venues such as the State Farm Arena and the Mercedes-Benz Stadium where there’s always a musician, comedian or a sport team performing.

You just have to find your thing.

Know your hobbies and interests, and you’re guaranteed to have a incredible night that you’ll always remember.

Well clearly, I have been enjoying my time here in the A. Please expect more posts about my experiences here. Thank you to Atlanta for being such a wonderful experience so far. I’ve been able to attend movie premieres, sports games and social events not even a full month in.

With so many positives, I would honestly recommend it to anyone. I truly believe that anyone who moves here will benefit so much that they’ll never want to leave.