Culture Shock

[Dionysus]

When you arrived to college what culture shocks did you experience?

*I was flattered how guys opened doors for me, something that the guys at my hs never did.

*I came from a racially diverse area,where everyone was used to differences. Here I've came into contact with people (white and black) who haven't had close contact with people outside their race, and IT SHOWS! I was shocked by the closemindedness.

[josh8o]

Durgs...I'm still a good kid, but when I came to SDSU I had never even smoked pot. I had no idea that at college drugs rull so many peoples lives.

[SuperSister]

Now, I have had experience with gay men, one of my best friends in hs was gay, but it was a bit of a shock when I got to school and realised how many people on this campus are out of the closet.

[justamom]

Even though it was so long ago, my memories are vivid. I can put them in order-
1. The Sophomores and Juniors in the dorm who acted like we were stupid hicks if we were still virgins.
2. Truth or dare (first time to play) the truth question was always-Are you a virgin or who would you "do" it with-how far would you go?
3.The pot parties
4. The abortion doctor's name being available through the RA.

All this in the first semester...

[librasoul22]

Being that this is my last year, I am a bit nostalgic about my freshman year...but yeah, there were QUITE a few culture shocks!

I agree with the drug part. Not so much weed and other street stuff, but designer drugs. I would NEVER touch 'em.

The people who have truly been sheltered. It was a culture shock to me that THEY were so culture shocked, lol. I went through very mixed public schooling, so this diversity was not new to me.

What? No bells?

What? We can have cell phones?

What? We don't need hall passes?

What? We can wear whatever we want?

Yes, all of these floored me my first year.

Lastly, the parking. My my, the traffic, park-stalking...how it reminded me of my hometown of Atlanta. It was a shock that I had to leave and hour early just to ensure that I got to class on time. I lived about 10 minutes away from my hs, so I typically would roll out of bed, roll down the street, and roll into class, lol.

[Steeltrap]

My high school in San Diego was middle-class. When I went to the University of Southern California in 1982, I had never been surrounded by so many wealthy people in my life.

I mean, we're talking teenage-type people with Mercedes, Porsches and BMWs. The type of girls who, shall we say, would take "glamor jobs" until they could get their dudes to marry them.

[Optimist Prime]

Goddamn there are a lot of rednecks. They're cool though. I call one kid boomhower cuz he sounds and talks like boomhower from king of the hill,the.

[DeltaSig]

Optomist that's hilarious, honestly I didn't realize the extent of binge drinking, and drug use in college until I got their and experienced myself. I'm not gonna lie and say I didn't hang around some people that got caught up in some of the rampant drug use in college, but their not in school anymore and they know why. It's kind of hilarious sometimes when I think back to my fresh. year of college and moving in to the dorms for the first time. That year was a blast and I made friends that year that turned out to be some my best friends still. I wanted to go to a school that none of my friends went to (UNT) and I didn't want to know anyone there. It was well worth it, and I still can't forget the time we snuck a Keg into my dorm room and had a party with our RA their, it was classic..

[sororitygirl2]

Sex or drugs, or both... at the same time. Yeah, I was totally shocked that everyone was so open about it.

[Fewdfreak]

I was suprised that so many people can get into bars and obtain alcohol here underage without getting caught. Where I live all bars are 21, except one that I know is 19 on 'college ID night'. It is nearly impossible to get into a bar without having an ID, and they even take ID's that are real. The bouncers are Nazi's here, and they turn away people all of the time, you could be 30, and they would take your ID. So, mostly, we'd have parties at people's houses, and they'd get busted but you'd only get a consumption ticket if you were publicly intoxicated or the one that supplied the alcohol. At Iowa, you could get away some places with the ID of a 30 year old, and pass back, but if you get caught even in possession they fine you $150, and send a note home! Also, they arrest for public intox here! I guess where I'm from it was always the bouncers who made sure things went they way the law intended (because they want to be bada$$es), but here, the police are the ones that do all the work. It's so weird when I tell my friends from back home that we can sit at a bar and drink as opposed to going out to someone's house and finding someone with a keg, or getting someone to buy for us. People on my floor have brought in cases past the RA's door, and been very loud, and still not got caught. It's like underage drinking is almost accepted here or something.

[Peaches-n-Cream]

SEX definitely sex. I was a very innocent, almost naive, freshman.

[Hootie]

Since I live in the same town as my University it wasn't too different...but I was shocked at the number of older people that were going to school/going back to school. I'd have classes with kids my age and then a few adults too. It was just odd seeing a 60 year old woman in my short stories class the summer after my freshman year...but whatever floats her boat I guess!

Hootie

[MoxieGrrl]

1. Gay men
2. Goth people
3. Meeting people who actually drank in high school
4. Boys that have feelings??!! And don't like sports??!!
5. It's cool to be smart

[lionlove]

- Drugs, I knew people doing drugs that I had never heard of before.

- Intelligence. It was cool to be smart

[KappaKittyCat]

What, you mean that I don't have to go to something if I don't want to? (i.e. all the stupid icebreaker activities the first week)

Wow, I can stay out after midnight.

Wow, I can have boys in my room with the door closed.