Bucknell vs. The Real World

Bucknell is a unique place. Only so many of us are fortunate enough to attend college in this beautiful rural bubble in which students work hard and play hard (even when temperatures drop below freezing.)  When fully engaged in your studies, relationships, social life (and social media), it’s easy to forget that there is in fact a much larger world outside of Lewisburg. And if you’ve ever gone home and struggled to describe to your high school friends just how magical your college experience has been thus far without realizing words like “Flyson” are not necessarily in everyone’s vocabulary…well, you’re not alone. 

Sadly, as seniors prepare to graduate, they will inevitably experience culture shock when returning to seemingly “normal” and most likely urban environments. So what is and is not to be expected once you’ve left this bubble for good?  The list below gives you an idea of what you will (unfortunately) have to say goodbye to:

Starting your Sunday mornings by eating corn bread for breakfast and feeding goats.While we Bucknellians would never think twice about going to a farm for breakfast, the chances that this habit will continue after you’ve entered the real world are slim. Needless to say, we will miss devouring the endless baskets of freshly baked corn bread for breakfast at Ard’s, followed by the chance to pretend you’re at a lower school petting zoo birthday party and play with some of the farm animals. Furthermore, you can stock up on your favorite homemade apple butter and freshly made peanut butter for the week! After all, before locking yourself in the library, there really isn’t a much better way to start a Sunday morning than with a nice country road drive and some quality home cookin’.

Knowing you will run into all of your friends at one of two bars. (Both of which are within walking distance of wherever you are.)One of the hardest realizations that took some getting used to when living in New York City this summer was the fact that all of my friends were not within walking distance of my apartment.  Additionally, when it came time to go out, there were hundreds of fun places to potentially meet up with people, all of which are spread out over the entire island of Manhattan. One of the best aspects of Bucknell is in fact its small size. Seniors who live downtown can be at any one of their buddy’s houses within 2 minutes. If there aren’t any major parties going on that night, you can find anyone you would want to see out at either Bull Run or Townie T.  In Lewisburg, you’ll never have to take a subway or taxi ride to reach your final destination, and if you choose to switch locations over the course of the night, all you need to do is literally walk across the street.

Getting your new weekend party outfit from the thrift store.Themed parties are fun – really fun if you find the perfect sequined-spandex jumper, oversized 70s sunglasses, and white platform boots for the disco-themed register. We all know that the more absurd an outfit is, the more compliments you will inevitably receive, a fact which is not necessarily true when it comes to dressing up in the city. In the real world, such oversized, gaudy, and/or spandex items will need to retire in a box on top of the closet. However, if you do happen to find the perfect new appropriate grown-up weekend outfit for under $10, please tell us your shopping secret ASAP.

Having a BUID that gets you everything from a free gym membership to Pizza at 2am.The BUID is more powerful than you may realize.  During freshman year, this card was not only your key to your dorm, but the magical pass into the Caf (with unlimited swipes!)  Throughout all years here, the card essentially hands over a free gym membership, as well as student discounts at stores like J.Crew.  It is your ticket to picking up care packages from your mom and all of your online shopping orders at the mail center. Campus dollars (although they are in fact real dollars) seem like Monopoly money as you can use them to order late night Domino’s or buy a fun new phone case at Dwellings.  Once you receive that diploma though, the ID is rendered a useless piece of plastic and you’ll realize it’s time to obtain a legit Master Card (and gym membership for that matter.)

Having dance parties Saturday morning.The weekend is only so long, and Bucknellians more often than not take advantage of beautiful Saturday afternoons as a chance to continue the fun from last night. If you wake up Saturday morning blasting some jams and feel ready to push through your grogginess for the fun day ahead, then you’re doing it right. By 1pm you’ll be having a blast swing dancing in a backyard to oldies. Super Saturdays have personally been some of my most memorable and fun days here at Bucknell, and it breaks my heart to know that whatever city I end up in, the closest thing I’ll probably get to one is some bottomless brunch which, let’s face it, will never even remotely live up to a spring super Saturday. 

Being surrounded by familiar and friendly faces 24/7.We are a part of an awfully tight knit community. It’s hard to walk to the library and not exchange at least one smile with a fellow peer, or have a meal on campus and not overhear laughter. For the most part, our professors are there to help us as students and the CDC to help us take our education and prepare for our actual careers. We are blessed to live with whomever we choose go to sleep most nights having been able to say goodnight to our best friends face-to-face. This campus is comforting, even when times get hard and I believe the saddest (and scariest) part about leaving Bucknell is knowing that out in the real world, there may be people who won’t necessarily have the best intentions in mind. However, we can take comfort in the fact that the bonds we’ve formed over the course of these 4 years are strong ones, ones that can withstand the struggles that come with physical separation. Additionally, the vast and spread-out alumni network is filled with like-minded, spirited, and wise Bucknellians who will no doubt lend an off-campus hand as you too enter this expansive new Bucknell community.