Going to a southern school has been eye-opening for me as a northerner. I never fully understood the lifestyle and had misconceptions of my own, but coming to school made me realize that.

Here are some common misconceptions debunked:

1. Northerners don’t get cold.

FALSE. We can still feel the cold. We just know how to layer better and suck it up. We’re not immune to the cold, but we certainly can handle it better.

And what’s with southerners jumping down my throat when we say it’s cold? We can be cold. We can recognize cold and address the cold. Trust us, we know cold.

2. We enjoy the snow.

TRUE AND FALSE. I, for one, appreciate the beauty of a snowfall, but I do not enjoy the slush, the piles of snow everywhere, and constantly dealing with it. It’s pretty for a few days or maybe weeks, but we get over it and hate it.

Southerners, on the other hand, get excited over snow. When it snowed (maybe two inches) at my school last year, everything was shut down, but every field on campus was packed with students playing in the snow. I was called a hater for not enjoying it. I’m used to it. It’s not a big deal.

3. We talk funny.

FALSE. Okay, maybe it's true, but at least every region has a different accent. I have a “Chicago” accent, but there are also different accents in Boston, Minnesota, Wisconsin, New York, etc. All southerners have the same accent. Some just have deeper accents than others. You know it’s true.

4. We dress funny.

FALSE. Do I really need to explain this one? Camo, long t-shirts, Croakies, etc? I think the south takes the L on the fashion department. Sorry, guys.

5. We swear A LOT.

TRUE. Or as southerners would say, "Y'all cuss a lot." It's just what we do.

6. We're mean.

TRUE AND FALSE. We're no-nonsense. We call it how we see it, and say everything straight up. Being honest isn't mean. We don't really sugarcoat much.