There are many southern nuances like “y’all”, tailgating, “yes ma’am,” and ambrosia, we experience on a daily basis, but imagine experiencing mild culture shock when moving here from the North — specifically New Jersey — for a college degree.
As of February, 24,679 undergraduates call UofSC home with 38% of those students coming from out-of-state, not including other countries. While the majority of out-of-state students hail from North Carolina, many come from different areas of the country with their own culture + traditions.
COLAtoday has a team member who moved to the Soda City from New Jersey to attend UofSC. She shared the top three things she found — let’s say different — about Columbia when first moving here.
- There are two, (sometimes three) states that don’t allow patrons to pump their own gas — New Jersey being one of them. Pumping gas is a weekly activity for us can be discombobulating for someone who’s never laid a finger on the nozzle.
- Southern nectar of the Gods — sweet tea. Bojangles’ Legendary Iced Tea is a cultural staple around here. The restaurant plays a major role in southern college football, kicking off the last season with a lineup of team-themed ‘Bo Boxes’ + offering a sweet tea giveaway after the Duke’s Mayo Bowl.
- “Ma’am” and “sir” aren’t typical expressions you’ll hear from the average Northerner and are usually deemed as too proper to use when addressing a stranger.
Citizens from all walks of life call Columbia home, so if you know anyone from out of town, see how different your dialect can be over a glass of sweet tea or “cawfee.”
Do you have any friends or family looking to go to school in the South? Check out UofSC’s out-of-state tuition + scholarship opportunities so that they can experience the southern charm of Columbia.
