If you’re from Jersey— or as out-of-state people like to formally refer to it as, New Jersey— you find out that you’re not really from “Jersey.” You’re either from Northern Jersey, like me, or you can be from South Jersey, which includes the shore, Cape May and Wildwood area.
Being from Northern Jersey and going to college out-of-state can be hard at times. Not only are you traveling south, but people like to assume that if you’re from Jersey, you automatically are from the shore or near the ocean. But not everyone is from the shore. For instance, I am about two and a half hours from the shore.
Being at Cabrini, surrounded by people from South Jersey and the Philly area, you tend to start defending where you’re from. So here it goes: a little lesson on the difference between North and South Jersey.
First, North and South Jersey are two different places. North Jersey is by the city. When I say city, I mean New York City, not Philadelphia. When a Jersey student goes, “Hey, I’m 30 minutes from the city,” you will now know they mean New York City, not Philly.
Second, a bagel sandwich is taylor ham and cheese, salt, pepper and ketchup. It is NOT pork roll. You will come to realize people from Northern Jersey tend to call it taylor ham and those from Southern Jersey will call it pork roll.
Third, North Jersey people tend to be very passionate about certain topics and we tend to get loud. And that’s okay. Unlike South Jersey residents, we tend to express ourselves through a lot of words. Just know that we will fight for what’s right.
Knowing these three things about Jersey people will help in the long run. It will keep us North Jersey gals from wanting to scream and bang our heads against the wall when asked if we’re from the shore. Just also remember, just because North Jersey and South Jersey don’t always get along, it doesn’t mean we won’t come together and defend our state if we must.
