Being a Jersey girl is a proud title I carry with me every single day. Being in Pennsylvania for college is an interesting experience because people from all over the country, as well as different countries, attend as well. Some people have preconceived notions about the Garden State and those who live there and I am going to break them down.

1.“So, you’re from New Joisey?”

The state is pronounced “New JERSEY”. We don't really pronounce it that way in real life.

2.“Is it Taylor ham or pork roll?”

There is no difference. All this is is a piece of pork product but in South Jersey it is referred to as pork roll and north of there, it is referred to as Taylor ham. We all agree that it is delicious with egg and cheese in the morning.

3.Jersey Shore is more than just a TV show

The Jersey Shore consists of about 141 miles of beautiful beaches with delicious food and fun and games on the boardwalks. Not everyone gets in drunken bar fights or visits from New York.

4.The state is divided into regions: North, South and (possibly) Central. There is a debate of its existence within state lines.

5.We popularized late night diner runs, not New York.

New Jersey originated Disco Fries and is densely populated with 24-hour diners.

6.Not everyone from New Jersey has a distinct accent.

I am from South Jersey and don’t say “wooter” or “jawn”. There are other people who fall in this category.

7.Hoagies=subs

The only distinctions are subs can also be served hot and hoagies have more Italian influence. These sandwiches are referred to as hoagies in South Jersey and subs in North Jersey.

8. "The City" refers to New York City. Philadelphia, or "Philly" as it is often called, is just "Philadelphia", or "Philly".

9. We all have a Garden State Parkway or New Jersey Turnpike exit that correlates to where we live.

Mine is Turnpike exit 4.

10. We're a very fast paced state and our driving reflects that.

There are other things that are often misconceived however these are the one's I have encountered most frequently.