<p>We live in VA and son has been pursuing New England schools due to his desire for winter and lots of hockey (probably intramurals although he dreams higher). However, an opportunity to possibly pursure hockey has come up at, of all places, Ole Miss! Husband and I are northerners (attended UConn) and picture S up in NE. I never say never so can anyone tell me anything (good/bad/indifferent) about Ole Miss? S would like to study Marketing. A real fish out of water? Too much of a culture shock? Any input appreciated!</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/808445-ole-miss.html?highlight=ole+miss[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/808445-ole-miss.html?highlight=ole+miss</a></p>
<p>This is a pretty informative thread.</p>
<p>If you haven’t seen it already, there is a very good, albeit very long thread about Ole Miss here: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/808445-ole-miss.html?[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/808445-ole-miss.html?</a> . I’m going to school one state over (AL) and do not feel very much culture shock even though I am from another part of the country (WA). There are quite a few Virginians down here and at least at my school, hockey has a dedicated following despite the rink being about an hour away from campus. I don’t know specifics about the hockey program at Ole Miss, but I bet that it would be a good experience.</p>
<p>I love these questions. How come we don’t get questions like…will my southern child get culture shock going to school in the NE? Or…will my east coast child get culture shock going to school in the west or midwest? I haven’t even seen any questions like…will my NE kid get culture shock going to school in Europe or Canada.</p>
<p>News Flash ~ The south is not some third world country. It’s actually part of the United States.</p>
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<p>I’ve seen plenty of discussion along those lines. Admittedly, no one ever seems to ask if kids from other regions will like California!
But people are always wondering how their southern Cal or Dixie kid will fare in the wilds of northern New England or Minnesota. </p>
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<p>True. I can’t recall any either. I don’t know why–possibly because people think that a student who opts to go to school in another country is really eager to experience another culture, whereas the kid who goes to another region of the US might not be expecting it?</p>
<p>mom2collegekids- I hear you! What is really scary is the fact that CC People, in general, are the more educated, and yet they can’t let go of that southern bias. My son, who had a most amazing Language Arts teacher, lost some respect for her when she shared her views about “the south” with the class. She is a Swarthmore graduate, very worldly, but stunted in a very sad way. I think it is most damaging when teachers carry these prejudices, for they can influence a whole generation that might not be taught otherwise at home. Lucky for my son, we have always taught him there is good and bad everywhere; most importantly try to find the good! I noticed that you have sons in Alabama, when I was visiting my son at Wake Forest in NC a few weeks ago, we had lunch with his very eclectic group of friends. One of them is a very nice boy from Birmingham, and I told him I heard it is a great school, all because of your very positive posts! He was beaming that I knew so much, and said "it seems alot of people don’t know how nice the University of Alabama is, and how progressive Birmingham is. Thanks for the info, i felt quite worldly myself! :)</p>
<p>I thought this was a website for folks to hear from other folks about their experiences. My intent was not to pass off the south as some sort of foreign county. I was simply asking for others’ experience with a school. I have made the same inquiry concerning some schools in NE as well and would ask the same questions of Canada and California. You decided that my phrasing was not worthy of your constructive input. How disappointing and unhelpful.</p>
<p>Momrules- the Ole Miss link above is very informative. The only experience I have with Ole Miss is second hand through a nice real-estate appraiser I met a few weeks ago. His daughter graduated about five years ago, and loved it so much, she decided to stay. He visits her often, and says that if you forget you are in Mississippi, you would think you were in any nice place in the country. I think if your son is easygoing, and adapts well, he would be fine. There is no substitute for visiting, and talking to students and professors. I can tell you, in my small NJ town, everyone goes local. I know I have mentioned this before, but people still ask me about my son in college “out in the boondocks!” Just be prepared for the comments! Best of luck to you, I wish I knew more. If you have any questions about NC schools, I could help! It is great that you are thinking outside the box!</p>
<p>*A real fish out of water? Too much of a culture shock? *</p>
<p>For me, it was those words that suggested that you might think that the South might be too different (shocking!) for your child. We are from Southern California. My H was transferred to Alabama. It wasn’t a culture shock at all…although we found it amusing that there seems to be an animal hospital every block or so (people must really take their pets to the vet a lot here).</p>
<p>People do have some regional differences and food & beverage preferences…but people are people. And southerners are very friendly.</p>
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<p>First of all, I’ve seen plenty of questions like the ones you referenced above. Secondly, you are fooling yourself if you think that every part of the United States is the same and that everyone would feel comfortable everywhere else. I am a Jewish person who has traveled extensively in the south, and some of the things that people have said about Jews in certain states would not be believed, and these were in business situations! (Oftentimes, the folks did not know I was Jewish but sometimes they did.) Thus, I would never send my children to college in those areas of the country. Similarly, I had a co-worker from the south who had never met a Jew before come up on a business trip, and while walking downtown in Westport, CT could not understand why everyone was wishing each other “Happy New Year” in September. When I explained to her that it was Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, she wrinkled her nose up and actually said to me, “Well aren’t they worried that people will know they’re Jewish?” </p>
<p>I have also been to areas of the country where I have heard incredibly bigoted remarks about African Americans. Yes, bigots are everywhere, but there are certain places where these attitudes are unfortunately more prevalent, and more accepted. </p>
<p>No, I am NOT saying that every single state in the south is like this, nor every city in a certain state. (And some of the cities where I have heard the worst remarks were not in the south.) But the OP is asking about a particular school in a particular city and I see no problem with her being concerned or having questions.</p>
<p>hey - culture shock is not limited to kids from the north going to college in the south. I live in Eastern PA and I have had plenty of parents tell me their kids got culture shock when they went to college “out west”. i.e. Western PA.</p>
<p>momrules - sounds like a good opportunity for your son! I have heard that ice hockey is increasingly popular in the south.</p>
<p>JustAMomOf4- Thanks, your post made me laugh! So true!</p>
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<p>Exactly what I was about to say. Anyone who’s incredulous at the idea that, say, someone Jewish who grew up in the New York metropolitan area might experience culture shock in Mississippi – or anyplace else where they’re not used to being in a tiny minority surrounded by an overwhelmingly Christian-centric culture – is not thinking very hard about the subject.</p>
<p>I would never under any circumstances live in a place where that’s the case, and my son feels equally strongly about it.</p>
<p>And this is all wholly apart from the additional issues raised by moving to a place that isn’t LGBT-friendly. Put those two together, and the culture shock would become overwhelming. This isn’t bias, it’s just the way things are.</p>
<p>Which isn’t to say that I haven’t had wonderful friends who were Southerners, or that my son hasn’t made friends from the South. But that’s different from actually going to college or living there, in my opinion.</p>
<p>Secondly, you are fooling yourself if you think that every part of the United States is the same and that everyone would feel comfortable everywhere else.</p>
<p>no, I don’t think every area is the same or that everyone would feel comfortable everywhere else. I stated that every region has its preferences and such. A “warm weather” person may not like living in Buffalo. A cold weather person may not like living in Arizona. A quiet student may not like living in NYC. A surfer from Southern Cal may not like living in Lincoln, Nebraska. A liberal from Boston may not like living in Utah. Those are specific individuals with specific differences and preferences. They aren’t people from a region who therefore won’t like another region. </p>
<p>If the question is whether a Jewish person would feel comfortable, or a Catholic person would feel comfortable, or whatever…that is a different question.</p>
<p>Thanks to all…it opens the mind to think about this stuff. I guess there is alot behind wondering if one will experience “culture shock” whether it’s based on religion, weather, food, whatever. I guess I thought I was asking more about the school itself…did people love, hate it, why etc…In the end, we will plan a visit and see for ourselves.</p>
<p>I have pointed out the difficulty some Souherners and Texans have adjusting to the northeast. The OP’s question was valid. There ARE adjustment issues! I know of several posters here who have reported on their NE kids bail g out of their Southern schools. My own Texas kid almost left his Ivy school. Regional differences-good and bad-are very real.</p>
<p>Culture shock does not mean better or worse; to me it means “different.” Different is good and many people want to go to another part of the country for college. It’s a great experience (I’m a NYer who went to college in the midwest). However, I can see how it could be so different that you would be uncomfortable. I don’t think anyone should take offense to the culture shock question. Perhaps the OP can be more specific about what the concern is – whether it is weather, pace, diversity, etc.</p>
<p>OP, my daughters are out-of-state freshman at Ole Miss. Please feel free to PM me with any questions!</p>
<p>If I’m a gay person or a Jew, the culture shock of moving from Chicago/New York/Boston/LA to Ole Miss is about ten times what I’d have moving from those places to London or Amsterdam, or to small towns like Oberlin, OH. I’ve been to all these places – culturally, Oxford is the stand-alone in that group.</p>
<p>I love Oxford…it’s just different. It’s different from all the non-south urban areas – it’s even different from Atlanta and Houston. That’s what makes it special. That’s great if you’re the right kid, but the OP is smart to put some effort into figuring whether she’s got the right kid.</p>
<p>I was looking at Oxford as a possible retirement spot. The campus is very nice–rolling and green with red brick buildings. Greeks tend to dominate the campus but there is an alternative funky arty vibe too. Lots of writers seem to gather there to enjoy the slow pace and low COL. The town is smallish but nice enough. A good education can be had and for lower cost than most OOS schools. Business is probably one of the best schools.
We ended up buying in Lynchburg, VA but liked Oxford. We are originally from NJ and not religious at all.</p>