When I left for college, I wasn’t wondering what it would like being in a college town. Growing up in Morgantown, West Virginia, I was very familiar being around a university. In fact, the West Virginia University town I lived in is 10 times bigger than Lexington, where I chose to go to school. The hustle and bustle of students and professors is typical to those who choose to live in a town where most only live for four years (or five... I promise, Mom, this really is the major for me).
1. The town population doubles every fall.
Have you ever seen a bunch of clowns fit into a tiny clown car? That’s how I would describe Morgantown when the students are there. The medium size town is expected to squeeze in about 29,000 students. This is like after Christmas when your favorite jeans don’t fit the same anymore. They fit, but not the same… tighter.
2. The town stops for football games.
Living in Morgantown, you follow Mountaineer football, whether it is on purpose or not. It is hard not to take an interest in something that takes place in the center of town and even has some players from your hometown. You know it is a Saturday game day because the streets within walking distance of the stadium are lined with cars. If you live near there, this is very profitable since they will pay to park in your yard. If for some reason you aren’t at the game, this is the best time to get grocery shopping or other errands done because there are no cars on the road. Let’s go…Mountaineers!
3. You hate move-in weekend.
For freshman, move-in weekend is so exiting. It is the beginning of their new lives and is full of many memories. For “townies,” it is the most dreaded week of August. Remember those 29,000 students I was talking about before? Well now picture them with moving trucks and emotionally distraught parents behind the wheel. It is a traffic nightmare. Most Morgantown natives, who can, choose to stay inside. I will concede that driving in Morgantown is not easy with its constantly changing speed limits and super curvy roads… but ehh, it’s for your child’s education.
4. Your parents work for the college.
If one of your parents doesn’t work for WVU, your friend’s mom does or cousin does, or someone else you know does. With such a huge influence in the community, the school brings a lot of job opportunities. Big thumbs up! It takes way more than professors to keep a university running (even though they are awesome!).
5. Someone in your family chose to stay home for college.
WVU’s main campus is less than half a mile from my front door and while I chose to go out-of-state, staying home for college was an easy choice for a lot of my friends. It comes with tons of benefits like in-state tuition and the choice to live at home. I am personally a fan that my best friend goes to WVU because it means that she is always home when I am on break even if she is still in class.
6. The businesses are targeted for college students.
When I come back from each of my school’s breaks, there are more and more new businesses in Morgantown -- all of which are aimed at students. I don’t think the high school students are complaining about the new Starbucks and Chipotle, though. Just like any college town, the students are a large percentage of the consumers and businesses want to do what is best to make a profit (thank you macroeconomics). This is troublesome to some when it comes to the multiple clubs and liquor stores, but I choose to look at the positives.
7. Every store sells the college’s gear.
I think at least 15 percent of my wardrobe is WVU gear, and I am sure for many, it is more. I remember being obsessed with my Mountaineer jersey in middle school and it was the biggest deal when Victoria’s Secret Pink came out with a WVU line. Pretty much every clothing store tries to make some type of game day gear, because they know how popular the blue and gold is to Morgantown. Basically if you are searching for a flying WV, it won’t take you long.
8. Everything revolves around the school.
It isn’t just the businesses that revolve around WVU. There is a weird feeling growing up in a college town that you want good things to happen to the college, because it is like those good things are happening to you. You don’t have to have graduated from WVU to be a proud Mountaineer. Everyone tears up when we sing "Almost Heaven" after football games and even being away, it is still home. You can’t separate the university from Morgantown. The distinct culture is what makes it such a great place to grow up.
