I am sure that most can agree, that a college is much more than a place of education, a place to earn a degree. Especially at Penn State, we can see that this university is a community- within itself and within State College, Pennsylvania.
A college town should not be underrated by prospective students, because it will become your home away from home. College students need more than books and classes to dictate their lives. Honestly, I think we would all go psychotic if that were the case. A person needs free time, relaxation, and friends to hang out with- all to keep our heads on straight. Think about what your life would look like if you only went to class, and then went to the library to study? Despair.
I feel there are a few ways that a college and its town can interact. One being perfectly represented by Penn State- the town and the college are virtually one in the same. Everyone in town knows, loves, and supports Penn State University day in and day out. On the other hand, a college can simply just exist in its town, not really having any special kind of bond with the people of the town.
It seems hard to measure this relationship between colleges and their towns, but each year, The Princeton Review attempts to do just this. First, they release a list of 382 Best Colleges. From this, they ask students from the ranked schools to answer a few questions about their experiences. The questions include the following.
1. “How do you rate the city or town where your school is located?”
2. “How well do students at your college get along with members of the local community?”
After compiling the responses to the questions, they create many other lists to further rank schools by things like social scene, academics, extracurricular activities, demographics, politics, and college towns. Sure these lists may be useful to students who have no idea on how to narrow down their choices, but the list of best college towns does not even rank State College and I think that is a mistake. And I probably have around 46,000 people behind me on that one.
Boulder, CO
I can remember before I chose to attend Penn State. In my case, I fell in love with the notoriety of the school, and its academic balance with athletics. Those things all appealed to me, but it was not until I visited that I could picture myself being here. Before experiencing the school and town, Penn State was just a school. Just like West Chester was just a school. And how Villanova and Temple and St. Joe’s were just schools. Like I said above, college needs to be more than that, since a majority of college students live at the school rather than at home. When you transport your entire life to another place, it should be based on quite a few factors, not just one (the school itself).
State College, PA
A college town and its relationship with the college is not just important for the students at the institution, but is usually important for the residents of the town as well. Many college towns grow with the universities they foster. State College for example went from a village to a town many years ago, in order to meet the needs of a growing Pennsylvania State University. Many businesses operate due to the presence of almost 50,000 college students, and the university itself is the largest employer of town residents. Penn State employs 26,353 people, while the next largest employer (Mount Nittany Medical Center) employs only 2,289.
Speaking of the economy, college towns generally have stable- or even growing- economies, due to the constant flow of young people. In late 2016, the Wall Street Journal published a report that discussed how college towns may be the solution to a faltering American economy. The article argues that many businesses across the nation are gravitating toward these towns, because of the abundance of newly educated young adults searching for work.
On the other end of the lifespan, many people are retiring in college towns, which may seem ironic. But The New York Times wrote an article about the attractive qualities of college towns to older people, and it makes many good points. I think the following quote sums up the advantages and attractions of college towns to these retirees:
“College-bound students aren’t the only ones comparing university communities, which have a lot of advantages for older Americans who are seeking intellectual stimulation, cultural amenities and sports offerings without high urban price tags, not to mention a generally healthy economic base.”
Overall, I support a strong relationship between colleges and college towns. Though some may not enjoy the influx of kids hovering around the age of 20, the benefits are far greater. And a strong relationship supports both the school and the town in more ways than one.