Myths about Vanderbilt
First off, congratulations to the incoming Class of 2022 on recently being accepted to Vanderbilt! At this point, you are probably trying to make your final decision on where to attend college. So, to help make your decision a little easier, I have written this post debunking various myths about Vanderbilt that my own classmates believed until actually attending Vandy.
Note: These are responses that I received from my classmates within the past week when asked: “What assumptions did you have about Vanderbilt before attending?”
“Everyone is extremely Southern, into country music, and even say ‘Howdy.’”
While some students at Vanderbilt do have Southern accents, students who attend Vanderbilt are from various parts of the United States and even the world which makes the campus very diverse. Even though Vanderbilt is located in the home of country music, I rarely ever hear it played. Occasionally, country music does make it onto playlists at different outdoor events or even in Rand, but it is not overwhelming. However, if you do love country music, you can take the course Country Music which is literally about the history of Country Music! It’s offered almost every semester and a major perk of attending a school only 7 minutes away from the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum!
“College food is gross.”
Vanderbilt actually has really good food in its dining halls. In fact, I had shrimp and grits in the dining hall in Kissam a few days ago. It was delicious! There are many different options such as a Tex Mex section in Rand, Rocket Subs in Towers which allows you to customize a sub sandwich, and Bamboo Bistro if you like pho. According to the Princeton Review, Vanderbilt is ranked #14 in the country for Best Campus Food, so you’ll be in great hands here!
“The South is warm all year long.”
You will experience all four seasons in Nashville throughout the year, which I think is a bonus. Although Nashville is located in the South, it does, in fact, get cold during the winter months. From about late November and into April, it’s cold in Nashville, so definitely don’t forget your coat. Most years, Nashville does experience some snow, but not more than a few inches. I was appalled when it snowed here three days in a row in January. We even had classes canceled for one day!
“I will be bombarded by squirrels on campus every day.”
Even though there are a plethora of squirrels on Vanderbilt’s campus, you will not be attacked by them. Most of the squirrels on campus are used to being around people. They will frequently scamper across your path and run up the many trees on campus. But, there are definitely not more squirrels than students at Vanderbilt.
I hope this post gives you a better sense of Vanderbilt and helps you in making your final decision. As always, if you have any questions about Vanderbilt or want to know more about why I chose Vanderbilt, feel free to email me ashli.alexander@vanderbilt.edu!