At the University of Wisconsin-Madison, students come from over 100 countries, and almost all 50 states in the US. With all of our cultural differences, we still share many of the same interests such as getting coffee, going out on weekends, dressing in the current trends, and seeing dogs. As you walk through campus each day, you see certain types of students, and it reminds you that no matter where we're from, we're not so different after all. There are many types of students on campus, but these are the 9 that stand out to me.
1. Athletes
It's D1 athletics here. You can easily spot the athletes because they are decked out in Red, White, and Gray Under Armor apparel. They most likely ride around on their mopeds or electric scooters. Athletes are lowkey seen as celebrities around campus, and they know it.
2. Coffee Shop Goers
State Street is flooded with coffee shops. There's Starbucks, Caribou, Colectivo, Espresso Royale, Michaelangelo's, and more. These are the hotspots for studying, writing papers, and talking with friends and classmates. Coffee is also a hug in a mug, and with the stresses of college, students like to find their little bits of happiness where they can.
3. Dog Owners
People walking their dogs are like kings and queens of campus. If I see a dog, I will stare, and it will probably make my whole day, so thank you. Oh and yes, I'll probably ask to pet your dog (please say yes).
4. Party Goers
Some parties have a theme, so when you see a group of people in Hawaiian shirts, basketball jerseys, or button ups/short shorts/white crew socks, you can take a good guess at where they're going. If it's below 50 degrees and you see girls in crop tops, jeans, and carrying water bottles, they're probably going to a party. Around 1-2am, you can find Ian's Pizza packed with drunk college students, because who doesn't want late night pizza after a night out?
5. "The Hangover"
Sweatpants, sunglasses, messy hair, and smells slightly like alcohol from the night before. This wild specimen is typically seen in your Friday lectures, Saturday mornings literally everywhere, and Sunday mornings at brunch. They can probably be overheard saying "Guys! I totally blacked out last night. It was so much fun!" or "I do not remember that at all." The most affected often claim they will never drink again...until the next weekend.
6. Bikers
Students on bikes pretty much follow their own rules; they're like a hybrid mix of pedestrians and mopeds. Biking on the sidewalk? Yep. Biking with car traffic? Yep. Biking in the bike lane? Well, duh. Is that bike going to stop at the crosswalk for pedestrians? Honestly, who knows.
7. Students from Warm States
It's a nice 60 degree fall day in Wisconsin, yet there are people wearing parkas. For the students from warm states, this 60 degree weather is like their winter. Many of these students also don't buy winter boots or coats, so they end up scrambling to find some outerwear on campus. Meanwhile, Midwesterners are chilling in their t-shirts and shorts, talking about "what great weather we're having!"
8. Business Students
The School of Business at UW-Madison is very selective and respected. When walking around the Grainger Hall area, you will often see many people dressed up in suit and tie, or other formal apparel. I personally love seeing a man in a suit, so there's no complaints here.
9. "White Girls"
This is probably the majority of the girls on campus. North Face jacket, new iPhone, Patagonia, Birkenstocks, Lululemon... all decked out always. They most likely have a Hydro Flask bottle with stickers all over it, and stickers all over their Macbook as well. Coffee is always in hand in the morning, probably Starbucks. These girls are not dangerous, but you may catch a bitchy look every once in a while, but don't worry, most of these girls just have RBF.
The typical college student attire is a baseball cap, headphones, sweatshirt, tennis shoes, comfy pants, and a backpack. When you attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison, you will run into all these types of people on the daily, and you may even be a couple of these people. If you attend another university, you can definitely relate to seeing many of these types on your campus, as well. What's important is that we let everyone be who they are, and do what they want to do.
