This will be a two-part post.
The first post, by Christi Fraiser, is about her experience in Morgantown, coming from a bigger city. Up next will be a perspective of a student coming from a small city.
Enjoy!
Pleasantly Surprised by a Small Town Experience
After growing up in Charleston, SC (pop. ~ 400,000) and spending a year in Los Angeles (~3,800,000), I didn’t know what to expect when I came to Morgantown, WV (~30,000-50,000). I have never lived in such a small city, but now that I’ve lived here close to 2 years, I can say that it grows on you.
I do feel so much safer in Morgantown than I did in bigger cities. That’s not to say that I plan on wandering down dark alleys or streets, but even in the middle of downtown Morgantown in the middle of the night, I never feel as though I’m going to be randomly stabbed. I don’t mean to make light of the safety of large cities, but the safety I’ve found here lets me worry about having fun with my friends instead of worrying whether or not we’re safe.
The smaller population also makes it incredibly easy to get around. Even the worst traffic still moves pretty quickly, and sometimes there is no one on the road at all. Especially after my time in LA, I appreciate how amazing it is to not be stuck in traffic two hours out of every day.
Lastly, the smaller number of people in both the city and WVU College of Law has made a huge difference in my experience here. I always thought the whole “close-knit” community thing was just a marketing ploy by smaller schools to attract students, but I can honestly say that you get to know so many people so quickly because everyone works together and around each other every day. Along those lines, it’s also much easier to work with professors and in research positions at the school. At my undergrad I was one of hundreds of students and working with any professor was impractical due in part to the number of students, but that is not the case here. Almost everyone I know who wants to get involved working for a professor or for a clinic has that opportunity.
Living in Morgantown has definitely been an adjustment for me, but there are so many aspects I didn’t know I would like until I got here. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by the small town experience.
