Prior to starting college, there are always stereotypes drifting through the air and certain “norms” accompanying said stereotypical behaviors and personalities. There is a reason why these norms gradually become clichés and there are several clichés predominant across campuses and the University of Wisconsin is not an exception to this tendency. Below are a couple of common cliché groups that one will encounter on campus as a Badger.
1.) The Person Who’s Always at the Library
Let’s be real for a second. Everyone has those days where they cram for midterms or hurriedly write papers with midnight deadlines in the library. However, there are those people who seem to live in the library. It leads you to wonder if they actually have secret chambers in either College or Memorial Library that they sleep in when their noses are not engulfed in their biology or sociology textbooks. The “Person Who’s Always at the Library” seemingly does not have much of a life outside of the library and tends to stick with his or her “library gang” in the group study areas when feeling social. Expect an abundance of snapchat stories with captions such as “4:30 AM and still going strong” and “I should really go to bed”.
2.) The Classic Frat Guy/Sorority Girl
There is a plethora of colleges with Greek life, but UW-Madison has a Greek community that becomes more than a mere student organization, but a lifestyle for many individuals. For the Classic Frat Guy, it is embodied in his “brotherhood”. Said brotherhood is made up of drunken slurs of “you’re my brothers”, alcohol bottles with apparent sentimentality, bro tanks, slacks, and being obnoxiously loud at random time intervals. On the flip side, the sorority girl can be found with her sorority sisters decked head to toe in Badger gear with her sorority’s Greek insignia engraved on the back of her sweatshirt, a venti Starbucks caramel macchiato, and an Urban Outfitters shopping bag in hand. You can certainly admire her dedication to her sisterhood, as well as her dedication to being properly caffeinated and stylish. Also, the Formals at UW-Madison are almost movie-like and accurately portray exactly what you would expect from a prevalent Greek community with high, sparkly heels, form-fitting dresses, tuxedos, loafers, and other elegant attire.
3.) The Jesus Freaks
The “Jesus Freaks” cliché does not encompass the religious student organizations that meet peacefully with one another and discuss their faith. Not at all. The “Jesus Freaks” are the people on campus who will harass you in the middle of State Street, East Campus Mall, or near Memorial Library and all-but attempt to force a bible, Torah, or the Book of Mormon into your hands when all you want to do is keep walking to your class without interruption. While these people’s dedication to their religion is impressive, their harassment is not.
4.) The Ravers
This is the cliché most associated with Hollywood’s representation of the college nightlife atmosphere- overflowing liquor, dancing on tables, a haze of hookah or marijuana smoke, drunk giggling, and all-night partying. Though heavily exaggerated, there are definitely ravers on campus who fit under this college cliché. They are the people who travel in packs and are frequently mistaken for freshmen because of this. They spend at least two hours before the actual party or event preparing their outfit and makeup and another hour and a half pregaming to achieve an optimum buzz. The ravers are different from the standard partyers. A party-goer does not go nearly as hard as a raver. While a partyer is content to call it a night at midnight or one o’clock the raver is not satisfied until it is at least three in the morning, there is lots of dancing and beats, and multiple new connections are made.
5.) The Health/Workout Nuts
The “Health/Workout Nut” is the person who is constantly at the SERF and boasting about being the person to lose fifteen pounds rather than gain the freshman fifteen. It is admirable, sure, but it also gets irritating to listen to after a while. This cliché also entails going on multiple cleanses and having a diet consisting largely of salads, green juice, and avoiding anything fried or overly creamy. The health/workout nut may also spend a great deal of their time partaking in Zen rituals, such as yoga, pilates, or simply meditation. They are not simply concerned with physical health, but with mental and spiritual health as well. They also find it imperative to have balanced emotions and to strive for psychological tranquility and wellbeing.
Each college has a set of norms and typical behaviors and, frequently, these norms and behaviors can create college clichés. That being said, cliché does not necessarily imply a lack of originality. There is a reason why certain aspects are clichés and one should not feel bad in the slightest for falling under a popular spectrum or lifestyle. The moral is to stay true to you and the rest will follow. Cheers!