When I left sweet home Chicago (read: the suburbs) for school, I was prepared to face a lot of challenges, most of which had nothing to do with the culture shock I actually faced. Harder classes? Bring it on. Doing my own laundry? Sure! Going months at a time without Portillos? We're going to have a problem. Now, I've adjusted to the nuances of college life, but nearly a year and a half later, there's still some things I haven't gotten used to. And apparently, I'm not the only one. Here are the top five things to expect when you leave Chicago for college.
1. Suddenly, you're the one with a weird accent.
If I had a dollar for every time I've been teased for my accent since leaving home, I would almost be able to pay for my college tuition. Honestly, I barely even realized I had an accent before I went to college. I say Chic-ahhhh-go just like any other self-respecting Windy City native, which I knew would get comments from any new people I meant. However, I most certainly wasn't prepared to be called out for the way I say egg, milk, dad, and a plethora of other everyday words I've apparently been saying wrong my whole life. And the whole soda vs. pop struggle? Don't even get me started.
2. Your appreciation for hot dogs and pizza shoots through the roof.
I wasn't at school for more than a week before I knew the food was going to be a HUGE problem. Not only was deep-dish pizza nowhere to be found, but poppy seed buns and hot dogs sans ketchup were nonexistent. With no sign of Portillos or Lou Malnatis for thousands of miles, I came up with the solution that any self-respecting college student would support: I would survive without them while I was at school ... and then eat such asinine amounts of pizza and hotdogs when I got home that I wouldn't crave it until the next break rolled around. Am I proud? No. Is it effective? You better believe it.
3. You realize your definition of 'Downtown' is skewed.
Unfortunately, this is not an exaggeration. When I think of downtown, I think of Millennium Park, Oak Street Beach, and countless other parks, museums, and shopping locations. Downtown on college campuses ... that's another story. If you're particularly unlucky, it might be about two blocks (let's hear it for the schools in the middle of farm fields) large, have one or two shoddy bars and maybe, at best, a chipotle somewhere nearby. It's a harsh reality, but you can make it work. You might not be in a city bustling with thousands of people and surrounded by a million activities, but every college town has its own unique charms that only it can offer.
4. Your suburban town exists no more.
If you go to school anywhere that isn't in Chicago, let alone outside of Illinois, you quickly realize that names like 'Schaumburg' and 'Naperville' mean next to nothing. And once people start asking you what it's like to live on a farm because you say you're from a suburb in Illinois, you quickly start telling everyone you're from Chicago in hopes of avoiding unnecessary confusion. If you start feeling particularly like an impostor, you might try to explain, "I'm from Schaumburg, but really, it's only a quick train ride from Chicago," but generally, it's easier to just act like you're straight outta the Windy City itself.
5. You realize you love the city more than you ever knew.
Despite being excited about all your new surroundings, you realize that Chicago will always have a special place in your heart ... whether it's the food, sports, or shopping that speaks to you. Because really, theres no place like home, is there?
