What To Expect When You're A Midwesterner At Penn State

You need this article more than you think you do.

Smile Through Tears / Via smilethroughtears96.tumblr.com

If you're reading this you're preparing to go to the beautiful place known as The Pennsylvania State University. Just like you, I was ecstatic to leave the center of America and experience new things but it's not all gum drops and rainbows. It's a scary world out there.

Coming from Indiana, only two states west of Pennsylvania (a short eight hours away), I didn't expect that there would be as much of a culture shock as there is. At first, it's scary. You'll be worried about the fact that you don't understand certain concepts, places, or the hype about sports teams around here (let's be honest, the Chicago Blackhawks is the only team you care about). But it's okay, sooner or later everything evens out and you find that Penn State is your home....even though it's nothing like you're used to. Within the first week of my freshman year I heard a multitude of comments and questions. Here are just a few things you are bound to experience within your first week.

1. There is currently a war on campus

psychosocko.tumblr.com / Via giffy.com

Whether you first hear about it before you arrive on campus or unknowingly get caught in the crossfire your first week, the war between Sheetz inc. vs Wawa inc. is very real and raging on. I have never experienced this much verbal abuse towards a gas station preference before coming to Penn State. Don't believe me that this could be true? Ha. You just wait and see what will happen when you say "What's the problem? They're just gas stations?" I've made that mistake my first day and I learned the hard way that the best thing to do is just stay out of it. My dorm floor mates separated like oil and water once the topic of gas station food came up. Of course, being the only person from the Midwest I was caught in the middle between the two bickering groups. With my big mouth I asked "Why is this even important?" In which one person, whom I don't even remember her name, exclaimed: "This is important! Why don't you just go back to the cornfield in which you crawled out of?" I never talked about the topic again.

Advice: Stay out of it. If you don't it will result in the rapid deterioration of your ego.

2. "You're from where? Where even is that?"

blogger.com / Via pinterest.com

"That's where Pawnee is, right?"

I never expected that people who are at a college level wouldn't even know where Indiana is. It's not that hard and it's not that irrelevant. It is only two states away! It's not mars. People always used to ask me "Where is Indiana? Is it south of us? Is it by Texas?" No, It's nowhere near there. But I did not realize how little knowledge people have of the midwest. For instance, one of the first nights after move in, my roommate from Maryland and I were just blatantly trying to dismiss the first week awkwardness and we decided to take a couple online quizzes. One of them asked us to label all of the states on a map of the United States. Everything was going perfectly, I could tell my private school education was somewhat paying off, until it came to the question "Where is Indiana?" Of course, I decided this is one my roommate should do. After 2 minutes of her staring at the map she finally decided on the state which she dubbed "Indiana". All of a sudden a big red "X" and the words "WRONG" appeared across my computer screen. Needless to say, I think my roommate continues to believe that "Indiana" should be where Iowa is.

P.S. Since then I have taken Sarah home to Indiana with me and she still doesn't know the Midwest States.

Advice: If people tell you they know where Indiana is there is a 50/50 chance that's a lie.

3. "Why didn't you go to *insert a Midwest college*?"

cdn.straightfromthea.com / Via crushable.com

*Breathe*

This might be the most common question next to "What's your major?". It'll be asked in any type of environment, at any time of the day, and by anyone. The fact of the matter is is that you will never escape this dreaded question. In my first week I met multiple friends from Out-of-State. My roommate Sarah is from Maryland, my friend Jeff is from New Jersey, and my friend Molly is from Connecticut; do they ever get asked that question? Nope. When people asked me where I was from the first thing out of their mouth would be "Why didn't you go to IU or Notre Dame?" I heard this multiple times my first week and, just a warning, after a while the question gets annoying. Being only two states away from Penn State is not that big of a distance, but when you say you're from any of the midwest states it's automatically "weird".

Advice: When someone for Penn State asks "Why didn't you go to _____" just ask "why didn't you go to Rutgers?" That usually keeps them quiet.

4. "What do you even have to do out there?"

Just About Write / Via itsjustaboutwrite.com

Answer: "Nothing, we just grow corn."

Yes, the Eastern part of the United States seems to be more densely populated and have a lot more going on than the Midwest, but that doesn't mean we have nothing. Sure, there is New York and the New England and the Atlantic, but keep reminding yourself that we have the Great Lakes and snow. Most people like to tell me that we have nothing to do out in the Midwest but deal with the snow and grow corn. I mean, they aren't completely wrong, but we have more to our home than just that! For instance, my friend Joey asked me if Indiana has a Kohl's®. Honestly? Kohl's is a nationwide store. The Midwest isn't a part of the United States that's located on mars.

Advice: When you're trying to convince someone that you actually enjoy living in the Midwest and everything else fails, just show them a picture of your snowshoe collection.

5. "You have an accent."

Via theodysseyonline.com

*Cracks knuckles* Alright, let's do this.

With every person you meet, you are bound to hear this come out of their mouth sooner or later; some people like to lead with it. My first week at Penn State a conversation sparked with some girl and one of the first thing's she said to me was "You're not from around here. You have an accent." Oh why thank you, I didn't know that! Yes, I will say Midwesterners do speak in a different kind of way but don't tell me I sound Canadian, as my roommate likes to say. Believe it or not you will get the Canadian stereotype, a lot. So, when you leave your little comfortable bubble in the Midwest, be prepared that people will point out how you speak. They might pull attention to the way you say your "A's" or the fact that you say "pop" and not "soda". Either way, just remember that you are in the right.

Advice: Don't ever forget that this "accent" of yours is better than whatever accent other people have.

6. Dunkin' Donuts is taken seriously

tumblr.com / Via giffy.com

This is not a joke. I never realized how much people from the East love Dunkin' Donuts Co. until I arrived on campus. Penn State wins a football game? Free Dunkin'. Staying up late to study? Dunkin'. Did you just wake up? Dunkin'. Just broke up with your boyfriend? Dunkin'. Got hit by a car? Dunkin'. There's a pattern to this madness: get Dunkin' anytime of the day. Sure, you may have Dunkin' Donuts Co. back home, but out East there is never even a question if there is one nearby. I was never experienced in the art of Dunkin' Donutes Co. until this year when I FINALLY learned what a Coolatta® was *gasp!* When I first arrived I realized the hype and asked my dad "What is so great about Dunkin' anyway?" and I swear in that moment I could hear all of the backs breaking across campus as people searched for the infiltrator to this caffeine addicted valley. Needless to say, I have been reformed.

Advice: Just accept your fate now.

giffy / Via giffy.com

The first week of college is hard for anyone, especially if you go out of state. As much as you will love it at Penn State (because everyone does), you will miss home. Give yourself time to adjust because it is difficult to get into the flow of things. Most people have friends here from High School, but that is not always the case for Midwesterners. Luckily, I came to Penn State with three people from my hometown and I am very grateful to have them as a support system. If you're not so lucky to have had that opportunity, it's going to be okay! Don't stress. Penn State is big enough where you can make friends in no time. I never expected to become best friends with my floor-mates or my roommate. You'll meet friends in classes you never expected to meet anyone in; friends that you still talk to even though you're no longer failing the same Italian class together. In the end, Penn State is just as much home to me as Indiana is and for that I am blessed.