As a student from a rural area, my experience at Swarthmore is pretty unique. Coming from such a remote area to a college just 30 minutes away from one of the largest cities in the country was definitely quite a shift, but there were many things that helped make the transition easier. One of these things was finding other people who shared the same experience as me. My friend, Audrey, also grew up in rural Appalachia, about 4 hours away from where I am from, so we had many of the same experiences coming to Swarthmore. In our conversations about our experiences on campus, I have found that we shared both struggles and joys from this unique perspective.
One thing that both of us found to be great about Swarthmore is that some aspects of it still feel like home. Even though we are so close to such a large city, the neighborhood of Swarthmore does not feel like a city, and having an abundance of natural spaces like the Crum Woods so close by helps us escape back into nature whenever we want. Being so close to the city does have its advantages though, as both of us had never been to cities as large as Philadelphia before coming here, and having such a large city so close by affords us the opportunity to see and do things we never have before. Swarthmore was also a place that exposed both of us to a vast array of new perspectives and experiences. We both noted how although rural communities have their good aspects, they do often form a very homogenous lived experience where everyone has similar perspectives. Coming to a campus with students from all across the globe allowed us to interact face-to-face with people who had wildly different lived experiences than ours.
A challenge that both of us faced was the transition from a rural area and from our high schools into Swarthmore. Both of us initially faced some struggles in adapting to the level of work we were doing here at Swat, but we both were able to find support to overcome these obstacles. For example, Audrey mentioned that when she had her first writing assignment here at Swat, she was able to get lots of support from both her professor and the Writing Center to help her succeed. I also have leaned on the support Swat provides in my times of need, such as going to the Alchemist sessions (study sessions taught by students with a strong understanding of the material) for my chemistry class and to professors’ office hours.
Lastly, we both have found spaces on and off campus we always find ourselves returning to. Audrey stated that her personal favorite location on campus is the amphitheater, since it provides a quiet, secluded space to unwind, relax, and connect with nature. Off campus, she enjoys shopping at Trader Joe’s (which neither of us can believe we had gone our entire lives without), visiting museums in Philly, and going to Longwood Gardens.
Talking with Audrey about the rural experience here at Swarthmore has helped me realize that we share a lot more in common with this experience than I realized. Though we are from areas that are geographically somewhat far apart, the rural experience has brought us together and given us a uniquely Swarthmorean profile. So wherever rural Swatties come from, we all can come together and form a vibrant community here on campus.
