Oles graduate with a diploma and a million different ways of saying “oh, I went to a little liberal arts school in rural Minnesota”. This “little liberal arts school” has a lot of fun quirks. Here on the Hill, we do a lot of things differently. Our student population is a little over 3,000 students, we don’t have Greek life, and we have a mascot that prompts a lot of questions for outsiders.
It is common knowledge that St. Olaf is not the classic “college experience” that is portrayed in the media: fraternities and sororities, Division 1 sports, and access to a large city bustling with restaurants and bars. While we certainly have some aspects of those things – sure, we can count Froggy’s – St. Olaf tends to prioritize artistic and academic endeavors. While we may not have a nationally renowned football team, we do boast an impressive choral music program. And though Northfield’s nightlife is rather lackluster, it’s filled with a variety of cute and quaint local businesses.
However, for every alternative that St. Olaf has to offer, it is true we will never size up to the extraordinary depictions of college life on social media. It is true that your friends at the U probably have more options for partying on a Friday night – evident from their never-ending Snapchat stories – and it is probably true that their “game day” is more exciting, showcased by the massive stadiums in their Instagram posts. But, as we all know, social media is notorious for making everything seem spectacular. This image of college life, however, is also limiting. The “college experience” that consists of wild parties and keg stands in the movies fails to represent a community learning the values of independence and networking. There is no better place than higher education to learn how to practice navigating the world and the workplace. St. Olaf’s small community size certainly serves to bolster this aspect of the college experience, providing closeness with professors and peers.
Thus, it is crucial to weigh what is important to you. Obviously, I’m a bit biased towards the small school
lifestyle, with its abundant opportunities in the classroom, though I’m
certainly sometimes envious of the social lives of my state school friends. In the end, I think it’s okay to be a little torn.
While at St. Olaf, our experience may be a little different, I think there’s a reason all of us ended up here. Something, whether it was the intimate class size or the quietude of a small town, brought us to St. Olaf, and provided us with the opportunity to learn in a very unique environment and community. Regardless of whether you feel enthusiastic or regretful about missing out on quintessential “college experiences,” it is important to remember this ideal is nothing more than a performance on social media, and a product sold to incoming freshmen students.
And at the end of the day, your college experience belongs to you, and that experience can be whatever you want it to be.
Kate Linggi is from San Diego, Calif.
Her major is undeclared.
