College is an eclectic place, inhabited by people from all different walks of life but we all know that every so often we bump into ‘that guy’ who seems to be a cliché straight from a movie. I must stress that the majority of boys I have met here have been lovely young gentlemen but I have found it amusing to see the different tribes that inhabit the American college campus. Of course they are all far more varied and dynamic than the stereotypes suggest but this tongue-in-cheek article will give you the lowdown on what sort of guys you can expect to bump into on an average day at Southern Miss.
Frat Boys
Where You’ll Find Them: Their Frat House.
What They Wear: Polo shirts, baseball caps and tan shorts.
Positives: Super fun to be around and always up for a laugh; these boys tend to be ambitious and involved in college life.
Negatives: There’s a lot of pressure for them to live up to the party-hard image of frat boys, and along with that comes a tendency towards arrogance and obnoxiousness.
Jocks
Where You’ll Find Them: On the field/in the gym.
What They Wear: Workout gear.
Positives: Super fit and dedicated whether it’s Football, Basketball or Baseball sport here is a religion and these guys are treated like celebrities.
Negatives: With schedules almost as intense as the major league players they have little time for anything else.
Artsy Guys
Where You’ll Find Them: Playing their acoustic guitar on campus or at a coffee shop.
What They Wear: Skinny jeans, white t-shirts, beanies.
Positives: Whether it’s music, theatre or painting artists are passionate, they also tend to be a bit mellower than some of the other ‘types’.
Negatives: Self-involved and needy, often come with an addiction of some sort.
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The Nerds
Where You’ll Find Them: The library
What They Wear: T-shirts with ‘funny but clever’ slogans on them, or for some strange reason sporting some sort of communist paraphernalia.
Positives: Intelligent and high-achieving.
Negatives: Can sometimes come across as snarky and haughty, thinking anyone not interested in reading Aristotle in their free time is beneath them.
The Southerner Born ‘n’ Raised
Where You’ll Find Them: Huntin’, Shootin’ or Fishin’
What They Wear: Jeans and a T-Shirt or flannel shirt, nothing fancy for these boys.
Positives: Hard working, honest guys who don’t beat around the bush. If they possess that Southern Charm drilled into them by their Mommas even better.
Negatives: Sometimes lacking in ambition and drive, very conservative and traditional.
Hopefully this brief excursion into the world of American college boys has been informative and enlightening, though you’ll be hard pressed to find any guy who exactly fits one of these moulds it should give some idea of some of the qualities and attitudes prevalent here. I’ve found America to be quite different to England in this respect, and sometimes quite different attributes are valued in a person than myself and my friends would usually look for. It has definitely been an interesting adjustment.
Photo Credits: kittysconfessionstamu.blogspot.com, snorgtees.com, projectqatlanta.com, explo.org, metrolyrics.com