As a kid, I was convinced all of New Jersey was the same. In my tiny mind, there was no North or South line. I mean, I didn't spend much time in North Jersey, so I had nothing to dispute my thoughts. However, I applied and was accepted to a university so far north I could see New York City's skyline from my dorm window. This further proved to me just how different my small South Jersey town was in comparison to this bustling place where it seemed like no one knew how to merge lanes. Since I've been living up here, I've learned quite a few key differences in my old way of life and my new one. Here are some quotes from fellow classmates that call North Jersey home:

1.) "I don't get why we're called the 'Garden State'. There aren't any gardens anywhere here."

Let's take a minute to bask in the stupidity of this statement. I can't make this kind of stuff up. I was perplexed that someone in my college class, who was supposed to be educated enough to know simple things, did not know how vast our crops and farmlands are in this small state. To give her credit, she seems to have never left North Jersey in her life, so she probably hasn't seen a farm up close, but c'mon. It's just a shame that South Jersey gets all the beauty of the tall crops of corn, red ripening tomatoes, and sweet blueberries while the top of the state gets the view of stretches of highways. I'd take a backroad with a 30 mph speed limit over a Nascar race on the Parkway any day.

2.) "I don't care what any South Jersey person says, it is Taylor Ham. It's not pork roll."

This debate comes up at least twice a semester in class or at the diner on campus. This will not be the last time I defend the correct term but I will say it again just to try to get it through some of your heads: TAYLOR HAM IS THE NAME OF THE BRAND, NOT THE NAME OF THE ACTUAL FOOD. You don't go around saying, "Wow, I really enjoy this Oscar Meyer" when you really mean a hot dog, do you? It's a bogus argument that should have been ended a long time ago.

3.) "Do you say Jimmies or Sprinkles?"

If I'm from the South, what do you think?

4.) "You have how many Wawa's by your house???"

To be honest, there are so many I really don't know the exact number. I just know that I can usually get to one in about 5 minutes in almost every direction from my house. Up here, the closest one to me is 20 minutes away. Even though it's a huge difference from my old routine of stopping at my usual Wawa to get coffee every morning, I've learned to appreciate it more when I make the effort to get it while I'm up at school. It's a nice treat when I'm feeling down and miss home. It's one of the only agreed best places in North and South Jersey, according to my personal study here.

5.) "So do you, like, live in the woods? It's probably really slow down where you live."

Just to clarify: South Jersey is not the same as the south of the United States. Living by the Pine Barrens doesn't make the whole region Hickville. So no, uneducated classmate, the town and surrounding areas are not all located in the woods. We're actually pretty civilized down here, if you can believe it. Even if South Jersey was completely woodlands, I wouldn't mind. The woods and wildlife are beautiful down here. I will admit it's a bit slower-paced down here than up north, but I don't consider that an insult. I'd rather drive calmly than be stressed that someone is going to rear-end me every 5 seconds.

6.) "Did you just call a sub a 'hoagie'?"

.......... Sometimes I don't have the energy to deal with this nonsense. Of course I called it a hoagie because that's what it's called!! We have Hoagie Fest in the summer for a reason. It becomes apparent who was raised where when the validity of the sandwich is brought into question. I have never ordered a "sub" in my life and that is not about to change since I've moved up here.

And the most important quote goes to:

8.) "New York City is so much better than Philly, especially when it comes to sports teams."

I may or may not have a biased opinion because I grew up going to Philly for multiple school and family trips, but I can assure you: Philly is way better than NYC. All of the sports teams actually play in the city they represent, the Philadelphia Zoo is one of the best places to go to explore, and the city itself has so much history behind it, there is so much to discover. Back to the topic of Philly sports, I have to point out that Philly's fans of any sport have proven time and again that we are a force to be reckoned with. Whenever this statement is brought up, I just laugh because the people who say it don't realize how much love Philadelphia fans have for their teams. That love can't be found anywhere else but the City of Brotherly Love.

Living in the seemingly foreign place called North Jersey has taught me a lot of things this past year. I love my slow-paced town and going down the shore and eating hoagies. I've also learned that no matter which region of the state you belong to, there is an incredible amount of pride to be a citizen of New Jersey. I mean, how can you not?