The capital of Florida is classified as a college town. A college town, as defined by most students, is “a small town centered on collegiate activity.”
Florida A&M University, Florida State University and Tallahassee Community College are the schools that make up the trio of higher-learning institutions in Tallahassee.
When thinking about Tallahassee in terms of its collegiate appeal, this question comes to mind: “How is life in a college town?”
Although there is a stereotype that college students like to party, club and hang out at odd hours of the night, some students believe that Tallahassee is equipped with an ample amount of activities to entertain the collegiate population.
“On a scale of one to 10, socially, I would give Tallahassee an 8.5,” said Bianca Smith, a second year pharmacy student from Oakland, Calif. “It is a college town, and without the college students, Tallahassee wouldn’t be what it is. They try to keep us active.”
Though not thought of by many students as the place to be, after being here for a while, some began to compare life in Tallahassee to their hometowns.
“Back home, I get bored sometimes. Out here if you’re bored, you have more people your age that you are surrounded by to kick it with,” said Kamelah Muhammad a 19-year-old business administration student from Chicago. “When I go home, everyone is on different pages and ways of life. Out here, everyone is here to go to college. It’s easier socially.”
Though known for its social aspect, many students came to Tallahassee because of its educational appeal.
“My first choice was FSU. I came here for the School of Engineering,” said Troy Sneed, a second year civil engineering student at FSU. “It was either FSU, FAMU or UCF. I came here for a change in atmosphere. I wanted to meet new people and experience new things.”
The adventure of going away to a college town is also an experience that some students think is important when it comes to realizing what they really want from life.
“Here, you can experience aspects of life that you want and learn from the whole college experience in general because you are surrounded by people who are experiencing the same things you are,” Muhammad said.
Along with academics and society, many people who moved to Tallahassee came with ulterior motives.
“I expected to meet many different people from all around the nation,” said Sneed, 19. “I thought there would always be something to do. I wouldn’t say that [Tallahassee] let me down all the way but it wasn’t everything I thought it would be.”
Though a small city, Tallahassee boasts some interesting aspects that attending a university in a bigger city could not give.
“I think that it is better to live in a college town when going to school,” said Smith. “Here the students make the town what it is, and I think that attending school here in Tallahassee is a good thing.”
Filled with a variety of people in college, most of whom are here with a similar purpose, living in Tallahassee does have its downfalls.
“A disadvantage to a small college town like Tallahassee is the fact that, if you go out, you tend to see the same crowd of people. In a bigger city there are other things to do,” Sneed said.
With all of its ups and downs, Tallahassee, like any other city, is what the individual makes of it.’
Contact Katrelle Simmons at famuanlifestyles@hotmail.com