Growing up in a small town and going to school with the same kids my whole life, I felt very safe knowing that I knew everyone and everyone kind of knew me. I liked running into people at the deli on Saturday mornings and I liked being able to drive down the street and pass everyone and their mothers, waving out the window.
I am also someone who isn’t great with change, which is probably why I order the same exact thing every time I return to a restaurant, even if I have only been there once before. (You can’t go wrong with a salad and grilled chicken, that is hard to mess up and hard for me to not like.)
So, when it came time to decide where the next place to call “home” would be, aka college, I never even gave a city school a thought. While I grew up living outside of the city and loved going every now and then, I never thought I would want to live and go to school in one - way too many unknowns.
A small-ish campus school in a little college town would be perfect for me. Or so I thought. After going to a campus school for my freshman year I soon changed my mind. While there are perks to both lifestyles, I learned that what I thought I never wanted was actually what was best for me. And to think, I had never even given it a chance! This is why we check all boxes people.
I asked my readers to send in some of their own pros and cons based on their experiences, so let’s see what they had to say!
Here are my thoughts on these submissions.
For starters, the campus school lifestyle. On one hand, I agree with a lot that has been said. Going to a campus oriented school rather than going to school in the middle of Manhattan definitely has its perks. Sure, there might be more grass and quieter places to sit. But that doesn’t mean those two things don’t exist in the city! I have found a quiet park that is five minutes away from my apartment, and when I am there it sounds like I am back at home in the suburbs! Just some birds, lawn mowers and the wind. You would never even know that two blocks away is the busiest street in Boston! ALL I am saying is that those things are available everywhere, it’s just easier to find at a campus school. The safety aspect is definitely true to an extent; there are a lot more strangers in the city. In terms of how I feel walking at night, I will be kinda scared of the dark wherever I am and would still recommend the buddy system, whether you are on a campus or the city streets.
Tip: if you are in the city and find yourself walking alone at night, do not have your headphones in and try and have someone on the phone! I call my mom or dad on my walks back from work at night.
In terms of making friends, I think that at a campus school you can feel super connected to lots of different people if you make the effort to join different groups of people, otherwise, you are just surrounding yourself with the same group day after day. In the city, I think it is easier to become acquainted with different groups just because the city itself is so diverse. While it might be easier for some to make friends when you are all in one area, that doesn’t mean it won’t be hard. Effort is needed in both places. And, with everyone and everything in one area comes the isolated feeling like you are stuck. Like someone said, you are operating in a closed off bubble with limited access to Chipotles, puppies and Targets - tough, I know. There is definitely not as much to do compared to being in the city, but some people like the remote, closed-off little world environment. To each their own. One thing I disagree with is the social life being better at a campus school, but I think that is really a personal statement and it depends on what you like to do! College is definitely a time where we get our freedom, but I think that there is more freedom to be had when you live in a city from an independence point of view. Now, let’s get into the pros and cons of going to school in a city!
I think I agree with just about everything on this list, both the pros and the cons. Never have I ever been surrounded by so many different groups and types of people all at once. Honestly, it was kind of a culture shock at first! I’ve also never felt more like an independent adult. I no longer feel like I am in high school or the extension of high school that I experienced my freshman year of college. Playing off of that, I love how there is no pressure to do anything except the things that you want to do. In fact, no one gives a shiitake mushroom what you do! Excuse my french. There are so many people in this city that no one has the time or energy to keep track of what you are or aren’t doing on a Friday night. If you want to go to a bar and stay out all night, amazing. If you want to go out to an early dinner and then get in your jammies and eat candy and rewatch Schitt’s Creek, incredible. THE WORLD IS YOUR OYSTER. My favorite part of living in the city? There are puppers EVERYWHERE. If you need to pet a dog, you can find one. Mark my words, that won’t be a problem.
In terms of the cons, YEAH, IT’S FRICKING EXPENSIVE. My god. It takes some getting used to, you know, the whole not buying everything in sight. That is something that maybe differs due to the social scene between the two types of schools. At a smaller campus school, all of your activities happen within that radius, which means you rarely need to Uber anywhere. Here, the city is so big so whether you are Ubering or taking the train, you are going to be spending money to go out and do things. That just comes with the price of living in the city. You learn to budget and not buy something from every bakery you walk by, but it takes time. You will learn. I promise.
I also agree with the sense that it is harder to make friends. We are surrounded by millions of people and yet, sometimes I feel like I really only know five or six. Those are the times I miss seeing the same people at the coffee shop or the gym or the dining hall. That sense of community at the small campus school is harder to find here, but I do find myself walking by familiar faces and it is definitely possible to make your own community. For example, within your specific college, your job or within the area where you live. There you will see the same puppers and runners and regulars at the shops. Sure, you might not KNOW them, but you know you will see them again soon and hey, that is comforting to some degree. Hey neighbor!
I am thankful for my experiences at both types of schools because they both taught me a lot about myself and the things that I like and don’t like. To people who have come to me for advice about transferring, I always say that you just don’t know until you get there. If you are in a city and decide it is too hustlin’ and bustlin’ for you, go visit a friend at a campus school and see what it’s like there. Maybe it’ll be more your speed. Same goes to those who are at a campus school and feel like it might not be enough stimulation. That’s how I felt and there is no shortage of stimulation and room for activities here. Go take a weekend and explore a city. TRANSFERRING IS ALWAYS AN OPTION PEOPLE. You are never stuck. I promise.
So, are you team city living or team campus living?
City Campus Megan.
College Campus Megan.