After being in the same area, or around the same people for a long period of time, it is common to start to pick up ways of behaving from them. This is especially true for students at Fitchburg State University. After living in Fitchburg for numerous years, it is common to change and adapt to this area. Here are four signs that you've adapted to the Fitchburg lifestyle.
1. You no longer think that shopping at thrift stores is a bad thing.
Before moving to Fitchburg, many students did not grow up in areas where there were thrift stores so close by. Due to lack of experience in these stores, and the common stigma that comes with shopping at thrift stores many students would have never thought of going into one of these stores, yet buy something fro them. However, after years of driving by the same thrift store and wondering what it is actually like inside these students will explore the wonders of a thrift store. After actually seeing that it is not dirty at all and that there are some decent items, this negative view will change.
2. You ask for a student discount everywhere you go.
The first thing that you are told at orientation besides how great Fitchburg State is are the perks of your student ID. One of the first perks that most are made aware of is the 10 percent off, or a free donut at Dunks. After learning this, and spending all of your money at college, it is likely that in most stores you go to you ask about a student discount.
3. Name brands mean nothing to you anymore.
After living in Fitchburg and living around the different types of people that live there, even your idea of decent products has changed. When you get to the market, you no longer look for the name brand, expensive Lucky Charms; Now you're okay with getting Market Basket brand Frosted Bites with Marshmallows, or instead of Cheez-its, you now look for generic brand cheese square crackers. In your mind, you are shopping smart, but to everyone else who is not living in Fitchburg it is seen as completely different.
4. You now appreciate what you have.
Before you moved to Fitchburg there is a chance that you did not realize how lucky you have it, and how grateful you should be for what and who you have in your life. For example, before moving to Fitchburg I was really mad because I only had the iPhone 5c. I saw it as an outdated, cheap looking iPhone. But, after moving to Fitchburg and seeing how some of the locals in the area were living I realized that I had no right to be mad over a phone that someone else could never even afford. That is just one example, but after seeing the poverty and homelessness in this city it has made many students really appreciate what they have.
After living in Fitchburg for so long, you start to adapt the special features and aspects of it. Whether you look at it as a bad thing, or a good thing; there is still no denying that from living in this city you have changed.