Culture Shock (South vs. North)

[FunkMastaFlex]

Hello All,

It looks like I'll be attending college at North-Carolina Chapel Hill. I'm moving from Rochester, NY, and a lot of people have told me that while it is nice down there, I'm in for something of a culture shock experience... Is this true? Anyone care to comment from experience?

Gracias,

Me.

 

[warcleric]

I wouldnt worry too much about it unless you are a completely closed-minded idiot.

 

[tigerwannabe]

well if you've never been to the south, it'll be an experience seriously, you might have trouble understanding some of the slang & the accent. however, i'm sure you'll like it. there's nothing quite like a southern girl either

 

[thereds]

southern girls are hot!

 

[Swag1138]

Having experienced the north, AND the south, I would say that you will experience SOME culture shock. I moved from North Carolina to Connecticut, and things up north were MUCHO more hectic. The south is a lot more laid back. This is also evident in our speach There are some who dont put the effort to differentiate between words in their scentences (ex. Whachutinkurdoin? imagine that pronounced in what sounded like 2 syllables) I think it would be harder to go from south to north though, but thats just from my mindset. Going from a laid back society to BUSY BUSY BUSY just seems more difficult, but Im sure the other way around could be just as crazifying (yes I just made up a word, what of it?) Youll get used to it. The hardest thing, like somone said, will probably be getting used to the language. Just never ever ever go to Yadkin County. Never. Even I have trouble understanding most of the people in Yadkin County.


And might I commend your choice of schools. GO HEELS!

 

[Keribeth]

I go to school in Rochester and my roommate freshman year was from Tennessee. So we had the boston accent and the southern accent rockin in the same room. We were the entertainment of the floor for quite awhile. She said it was quite a culture shock.

 

[Cerebus451]

Just remember that when they refer to "The War of Northern Aggression" they are referring to the Civil War and you should be fine. I lived in Virginia for a period of time, but being in Northern Virginia it was a mixture of the norhtern and southern cultures already, so it wasn't really all that bad.

Things will be more laid back, grits are whats for breakfast, and you are never more than 3 blocks from a Waffle House.

Of course, Chapel Hill will already be a pretty good mix of northern and southern cultures being a large college town, so things probably won't be such a shock to begin with.

 

[BDawg]

I'm sorry to hear about your loss, FunkMasta.

NC is a great place. Here, we have sweet tea and grits!

All the food you northerners call "soul food" is standard here.

While you're there, you have to go to Bullock's BBQ in Durham! If you ever have a hot date, you can take her to the Angus Barn in Raleigh.

 

[Isla]

I love NC... we go to the mountains there regularly (looking to build a little vacation cabin of our own one day).

As a Spanish girl raised in the South, I have to say that you may encounter a bit of prejudice but it shouldn't be too bad. My biggest problem was that a lot of the Protestants down here look down upon Catholics, so that kind of puts a lot of Spanish, Italian, and Irish people in a bad position. You definitely can get categorized depending on the church you go to. If you don't go to church, that can get you talked about, too! Not sure if it is like that up North, but that's how it is here. Some people are worse about it than others... you just learn to blow it off.

For example: The son of a pastor has a MAJOR crush on my daughter but his mother found out she goes to a Catholic youth group with her Italian cousin, so she won't let him see her. He calls every chance he gets, hmmmm....

One of my sisters-in-law found out that I let my daughter go to the Catholic church and she about had a fit! "Well, I guess SOME Catholics go to heaven" is what she said, LOL! Cwazy people, my in laws... We don't go to the Catholic church because my husband would get grief. It doesn't really matter to me, so when we do go(rarely!), it's non-denominational.

Other than that, I love being a Southern girl. As soon as we can, we will sell our house and move to the country, and I will have my own little farm... really. It's The Plan.

 

[nicene]

no, chapel hill is good. i imagine a little more cultured than rochester. i'm at ncsu, and chapel hill is where the music/party scene is at. i wouldn't recommend journeying outside of chapel hill....be prepared for the rednecks. there's a lot about n.c that annoys the hell out of me, but we do have a few cities/college towns where the 'south' gets lost [so to speak].

 

[purplehayes]

<< you are never more than 3 blocks from a Waffle House >>



That is soooo true!

PH

 

[dutchboy]

Here, i'll translate this message for all you southerners, in order to ensure proper understanding..

<<Hello All,>>
Howdy,

<<It looks like I'll be attending college at North-Carolina Chapel Hill.>>
I'm fixin' to come down to a sUthern state. (emphasis on 'U')

<< I'm moving from Rochester, NY, and a lot of people have told me that while it is nice down there, I'm in for something of a culture shock experience... >>
I'm a Yankee and i heard it is nice down there, but not as good as up north.
(we cut to the chase down here.)

<<Is this true? Anyone care to comment from experience?>>
Thanks y'all for helpin me out.

<<Gracias,>>
Thanks y'all
we dont speak spanish down here. doing so will get you deported

Me.

-just don't talk to much with your New Yorkian accent and you will be fine....

 

[Amused]

I grew up in CA, and I lived in the South for about 10 years. I ended up staying there after I got out of the Army. I loved it. The people are more 'real' and polite. And the supposed racism there isn't as bad -- in my mind -- as what I experienced in CA and the Midwest.