The first year of college is an unfamiliar experience for most. Adjusting to new settings is a reoccurring dilemma in the process of becoming an adult. However, small towns like Forest Grove make the transition a little easier due to convenience of location.
Forest Grove is home to three large grocery stores, including Safeway, Bi-Mart and Walmart. Students at Pacific University mainly use Safeway and Walmart though, because Bi-Mart requires customers to have a membership to shop there. Students, mainly those with their own cars, also shop at Winco, Trader Joe’s and Fred Meyer.
“While I spend most of my time eating at the University Center, I’ve found that when I have gone grocery shopping, that Walmart tends to have better prices,” sophomore Kailey Frazier said. “However, if you have a Safeway card you can get some pretty great deals on Safeway brand foods.”
Most Pacific students use the university mail service, but for those who live off campus Forest Grove has a post office centrally located in town. Forest Grove has a local hospital on Maple Street as well as a number of dentist’s offices on Pacific Ave. However, the dental and health plans of some students do not provide coverage in the state of Oregon.
“Make sure you check with your insurance company before you go,” senior Cole Kanazawa said. “I have a few friends who tried to get dental work done and the cost of a regular check up was ridiculous because their dental plan didn’t cover them in the state of Oregon.”
Forest Grove makes accessible many activities for college students as a result of its proximity to Portland and the Oregon Coast. But students have found a few places of their own to gather in the home of Boxer Nation. For upperclassmen, Katz Billiards is always crowded on Friday nights when senior Bernadette Ochoa’s disc jockeys. Ridgewalker Brewery has also become an attractive hangout spot for Pacific students of all ages.
While some may find living in Forest Grove to be bland, much of the student body has embraced living in the small Oregon town.
“I like living in Forest Grove,” Frazier said. “It has a great community full of diverse people and am proud to be a part of it.”
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