I have been a student a Bridgewater State University for a few years, and I have noticed some odd behavior that I did not see in other places. When they said that every school had its own culture, I didn’t think it was anything too serious, but it is! There’s a certain way a lot of people act and when you move in you have to adapt to that environment. Here are three weird things Bridgewater State University students do.
1. The Staring
At first I thought it was just me but, people on this campus tend to stare at you for absolutely no reason. No, I'm not being paranoid and no they don't look past you, they stare directly at you. I've tested this at other universities and they don't stare; they keep to themselves and keep it moving. I have even asked other friends at Bridgewater State and they agree! What my friends said to me was to look down while your walking, or just keep staring back until they feel uncomfortable if you're in a classroom setting.
The most awkward instance was when I was passing by an open lounge to go to my room, and whenever me or a group of friends passed by they became silent, stared, and then kept talking once we walked away. To test the theory, I did it a couple more times on purpose, and they did the same thing! I still don't understand why but people just love to stare at you like you're wearing a crazy outfit.
2. The Awkwardness
What truly confuses me is when you interact and talk to someone at a involvement meeting every week, but outside of that, they act like they don't know who you are; it's really weird. What's funny is that they're really good at it too! You could have had a deep conversation or shared some laughs, but if you see them outside of that setting, they act like you don't exist. I truly believe it's a skill.
You may be asking yourself, "why don't YOU just try to talk to them?"; well I have tried but then it gets even more awkward. If I try to simply say hi, they don't answer, or if they do they are acting like I am trying to sell them something. They avert their eyes, and pretty much do whatever they can to end the conversation. After observing this, why on earth would I purposefully make you uncomfortable? I'll leave you alone .
I think a lot of BSU students fail to realize that saying hi and continuing to walk is a lot less awkward than making eye contact, look away, then pretending you get a text until you walk by the person.
3. Snail Paced Walking
Okay, at most universities we have about 15 minutes to get to each class. I understand that you may want to talk to a friend or maybe your just walking to your dorm because you are done for the day, but some people have places to go. I'm not trying to tell everyone to sprint, but for goodness sake, walk with purpose! Be considerate of the people who have places to go, or at least have the decency to not walk in the middle of the path way, creating traffic, and making others late to class. This may happen at other universities but at BSU, I have noticed that people don't move.
Of course this does not apply to the population as a whole but throughout my three years here, this has been a reoccurring thing on this campus that I have noticed. Bridgewater State is a great school with a lot of wonderful resources and kind people, but some people act odd.
