One Thing I've Learned Here

One thing I’ve definitely learned here is the difference between the North and South of the U.S. Or, rather, between the Northeast and the rest of the country.

Difference #1: Politics. If you are a Republican in my school, you are verbally attacked. If you are a Republican here, it’s no big deal. In fact, it’s just as common as being a Democrat. Also, if you support the war here, it’s not as weird as supporting the war in New York. Many people I’ve met support and respect our troops and don’t see a military career as a waste (I especially noticed this at the Pentagon).

Difference #2: Religion. I’ve had people here ask me, “Do you go to church often?” Um . . . do I go to what? News: I’m not Christian. Where I live, there are probably about as many Jews as Christians, and nobody assumes you’re a certain religion. For all they know, you are atheist, Buddhist, agnostic, Hindu, or a zillion other things they don’t even know about.

Difference #3: Time. Where I live, being on time is a big deal. If you’re late, you’re counted out of whatever you missed. Being on time is seen as a sign of respect. Here, people are much more laid back, which drives me crazy because of my neurosis (believe me, I’m crazy enough already!)

Difference #4: Geographic diversity. Never before have I heard such a variety of accents—Northern, Southern, Western, Midwestern—I’ll keep it vague to avoid singling out certain people. However, I did notice there were far less international students here than I have found at other college programs.

Difference #5: College. In my area, college is a HUGE DEAL. If you don’t go to a “name brand” school, you feel like you’ve failed. I’d say about one in three students in my school applies to Yale. We live for college. Our whole lives and high school careers are aimed toward the possibility of admission to a prestigious university. Here, people are much more laid back about the whole thing—some people here are only applying to two are three schools, and some don’t know where they’re applying. I envy that people can remain so calm and relaxed throughout this nail-biting experience.

I hope everyone has a safe ride back and a fun rest of the summer.

--Suzy