We all come from different places, but sharing a similar background brings a certain level of commonality amongst people. There is something distinct about growing up in a small town and going to a country school. Here we will find out what makes a country school, country, and all the perks of growing up surrounded by cornfields.
1. When you walk into the school you see every kid wearing camo, jeans and boots. We don't wear camo to blend in with our surroundings, we wear camo because it is a part of our lifestyle.
2. FFA week. One of the best perks about the week is when you're able to drive your tractor to school and turn the parking lot into a tractor stomping ground.
3. During the summer when flowers smell their best, the air smells of sweet manure. Everywhere inside and outside of the building smells like poop! Even if you wear your strongest perfume or cologne, the scent of manure lingers.
4. Even though your school isn't directly in the south, we still use the words "y'all" and "ain't." These words are a part of our vocabulary and have become a part of our everyday life.
5. After every football game there has to be a bonfire! Bonfires are our idea of a red carpet event without having to dress-up. If you grew up in the country around bonfires, you know what one of the "bonfire essentials" are...
6. Bug spray! This is almost a requirement during those awesome nights when you're next to a campfire. No one wants to walk around with bug bites the day after a bonfire, so always make sure you have a can of bug spray handy during any outdoor event!
7. We can all agree that snow is beautiful to a certain point. Lets be honest, if you're from a cornfield school, you're used to delays and early dismissals due to snow. No one ever knows what Mother Nature will throw our way. School gets cancelled from bad road conditions more often than not, and this just pushes summer further and further away!
8. The best part about being part of a small country school is that team work and community are our best traits. When we celebrate, we celebrate together; when tragedy strikes, we support each other far and wide. There is a bond among students from a small school that other people won't understand, and that is one of the things we find most special.
Coming from a small country school to a larger university, you're going to meet people who don't understand your background. You may be overwhelmed with so many new people and miss the days of having small classes at school and talking to your animals when you got home. (No, we don't talk to animals because we think we are Noah or Jesus, sometimes it's the best object to talk to...besides our tractor. I promise we aren't that insane.)
