The Real World: Vermont

Published April 29, 2008

By Bridget Treco

One of my wisest roommates once said something along the lines of, “I feel like I’m living in an alternate reality because college is not the real world. Dorm life is not reality.” When I think about it, she’s exactly right. We come to college hearing that these are going to be the best four years of our lives, and although they probably will be, they’re also kind of misleading— real life is nothing like college.

This past year I’ve been a member of a residential liberal arts community (not naming names for good reason). It was a great decision to apply and become a part of it, but the whole experience has been the farthest thing from reality I could have possibly chosen. Living with thirty other kids whom I also take the majority of my classes with is not the norm, especially not in college.

Dorm life is already strange enough— sharing a room with someone you don’t even know, eating and showering with the people who live in some random giant building with you— it’s completely bizarre.

The main reason it’s bizarre is because it’s a major culture shock. You didn’t have to live with all the kids you went to high school with, thank God. But most of you who don’t live in the Living/Learning center, specifically in my program, would never dream of living with all the kids in your English class. We all live in suites in the same column, which is essentially like a very big house. Which got me to thinking…what if my L/L program was a reality show?

We all know that reality shows are often scripted and are also the farthest thing from reality. But I have to admit— disregarding the fact that it would eventually ruin my life— I think it would be kind of cool to be a star on a reality TV show. Not something like Flavor of Love, duh, but something like The Real World. So if we had The Real World: Vermont, I think my program would be the ideal subject.

But real life just isn’t as dramatic as reality television. Sure, in my program there were some hook-ups, belligerent drunks, and beer tears, and getting in trouble with the cops. However, the essential element to The Real World is drama. We didn’t have intense roommate fights or any kind of violence whatsoever really…I mean we’re not all best friends, but we all get along. And we certainly don’t live in Key West or Las Vegas.

Real life is way better than reality TV. I didn’t become friends with every single person in my program, but I still found my own set of best friends. All of my suitemates have their own groups of friends, but we’re all part of a unique family. We don’t have to be BFFL to bond in some way. While my program will feel like an alternate reality come next year when I live with new people, I’m really proud of my experience and the things that happened this year between all of us.

College is a weird time, but also a liberating experience— while it teaches you about being independent, it also teaches you to bond with your peers and fit into a specific community. It’s a positive experience that is hard to describe unless you’ve also been through it.

When I think about it, there aren’t any reality shows about the college experience. And any scripted shows about it just aren’t accurate. It’s something you have to feel for yourself, and while dorm life and college are very different from life after college, it’s certainly better than The Real World.

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