Today we will be diving into the expericnce of moving away from home to attend college. I will cover what to expect if you are moving to a school in the south. We will talk about the seasons, dress attire, weather, and southern culture basics.
Seasons and Weather in the South
Are you moving from the north to the south for college? If so, you will be in for a surprise when it comes to the weather. One day it will be sunny and warm then the next it will be hailing. Here in the lovely state of Alabama we have a mixed bag of liquids that fall from the sky (aka precipitation). We have had rain, hail, sleet, and snow. I would recommend bringing an umbrella, raincoat, rain boots, a poncho, a light coat, and a warm coat. These will all come in handy at some point while you live in the south. Most of the time there is no warning as to when any of the weather listed above is coming, so just have things you may need in your dorm.
Now for the seasons. Seasons in Alabama include the traditional list of fall, winter, spring, and summer. You will feel all of these seasons, trust me. Though Alabama is in the south, which tends to mean hot weather, there is also a bitter cold that hits the state in the winter. Be prepared by having light jackets and thick warm coats. You will need both. Spring will also be chilly, so you will want long sleeves. Then the end of spring into summer the heat will be turned up exponentially. This happens around the end of April into May. Once the summer heat hits you will live in shorts sleeves and shorts. Otherwise, you will melt under the burning hot sun.
Now for the part everyone is waiting for… tornadoes! Alabama receives many tornado watches and warnings in the spring. Do not be alarmed though. Many places get tornadoes, and if you follow the correct safety measures, you will be safe. On tornado days you will most likely need a raincoat, rain boots, and an umbrella. The weather gets nasty, and the sky gets dark.
Next thing you should be prepared for is the sirens. When a tornado is coming the outdoor sirens will go off very loudly. Do not be alarmed. Make your way to a shelter as fast as you can. If you are calm, cool, and collected you will be better able to get to a tornado shelter. Just remember you will be fine.
Hopefully you gained some knowledge on seasons and weather in the south, well at least for Alabama. The key things to remember are to bring the materials needed to protect you from weather, stay calm during tornadoes, and go to a shelter when there is a serve weather alert. Now we are going to talk about the dress attire at colleges in the south.
Dress Attire
The dress attire in the south is much different than northern dress attire. There are certain standards that must be met when dressing for certain occasions. As someone from the north this was hard to adjust to. For example, you must wear dressy clothes to southern college football games, especially at The University of Alabama. This includes dresses, heels, hair and makeup. Being from the north I have never experienced that before. Going to sports games back home meant wearing jeans and a t-shirt. I quickly learned that this was not going to fly down south at a college football game. Please look online to get outfit inspo for your college football games. This will help you to have the right clothes in your closest. Another thing to remember is that people tend to dress up on the weekends. Saturday tends to include brunch outside or walking around outside downtown, in the south. To do these things you are expected to wear a cute sundress or flowy top with jeans. I would recommend having a few dressier pieces in your college wardrobe, especially in the south. Then there is Sunday, which means church. Of course, not everyone goes to church but many people in the south do. You will most likely be asked to attend at least one church service while living in the south. So maybe bring a church dress in case you get asked, and you want to go.
The biggest thing when going to college in the south is just bring dressy clothes, because you will most likely need them. Now to talk about some southern culture basics.
Southern Culture Basics
Again, as a northerner I was met with the intoxicating southern charm that people have down south. That is merely a joke, don’t be offended if you are from the south. The north just has a drier stay in your own lane type of feel. I think because I was raised in the north, I am just not familiar with people being overtly nice to me. Here is a list of the cultural differences in the south that I have noticed being a northerner:
- Men getting the door for women
- People holding the door open for someone behind them
- People talking to you on the elevator
- People talking to you anywhere you go
- People acting like they’ve known you for years
- Food is at the center of everything
- Thick southern accents
- Southern accents with made up or miss pronounced words (ex: The Walmarts)
- Nice people
- Using the terms Ma’am and Sir
- Thank you and you’re welcome are expected
- People helping older people do anything
- So many trucks everywhere
- Cowboy boots are dress shoes
- Rare use of bad words
- Made up bad word replacements (ex: See You Next Tuesday)
- Public ghost towns during Sundays because of church
- Sweet tea is everywhere
I am sure that I have forgotten something in this list, but those are the southern culture bits that I could remember off the top of my mind. I think that only northerners will find this list assuming though. Southern people will think this is nothing new.
You are now more informed of the changes you will experience if you move away from home to go to college in the south. These are just a few of the things you need to know about, but it is a good start. I hope you find your home in the south just as I did.
