Small Town Carleton

Carleton College, with a student population of a mere 2,000, has your typical small liberal arts college location. 

In Northfield, Minnesota, with a population of 21,000, the town feels small if you’re from a larger city like Boston, Massachusetts (which is where I am from). However, I’ve found my own lifestyle in this small town community through a variety of ways: involving leaning into the small community but also leaving when needed. Here are three quick tips on “surviving” boredom in a small town.

1. Cafés 

Try and explore different study spots around town. There are a plethora of cute cafes and places to study in Northfield. You’ll find healthy debate amongst students on whether one coffee shop is better than the other (mainly Little Joy Coffee vs. Goodbye Blue Monday Coffeehouse). I personally think they’re both great, and that it really comes down to personal preference. I’ve found Little Joy to be a little cheaper with drink prices than Blue Monday, but the former’s vibe is more modern and less “cozy” than the latter’s. With Little Joy’s outdoor patio, however, it definitely strikes me as not a bad place to be when the weather is nice. 

Blue Monday, on the other hand, is incredibly warm and cozy. There’s something about it that makes me happy while locking in on my work. Nothing really beats studying at Blue Monday with a hot chocolate on a cold winter Sunday afternoon. I highly recommend it!

Despite both these coffee shops being in the center of Northfield, they are somewhat far from campus, and can be a nice break from the usual Gould, Anderson, or other various study spots. 

2. Side Quests 

Things can get old sometimes, so it’s important to keep your life fresh! Do side quests. Go on spontaneous adventures. Something my friends and I like to do is play a game we call “Arb Tag”. We all go into the Arboretum and play tag with our FindMy trackers. However, it’s important to stick in groups of two, and to stay safe! Don’t run around too much and do anything stupid, please. Thanks. 

Speaking of the Arb, I highly recommend you spend more time there. Some of the greatest memories I have at Carleton were made there: watching the Northern lights with my friends last Fall term, going for late-night walks, wrestling in the dark in the fields by the Hill of Three Oaks. In general, I think it’s good to go on spontaneous little adventures with your friends.

Most of my greatest memories were spontaneous: going on a midnight 6-mile run with my best friend, going to the Weitz to explore random rooms late at night, and trash-bagging down Bell Hill. All it takes is a great group of friends and a crazy suggestion that’s responded to by “lowkeyyyy… I’m down”. And that’s that. 

3. Concerts!! 

Now this one is a little more difficult. Concerts can cost so much money, and getting up to the cities may be difficult. But if you can do it and figure it out. You absolutely need to. 

I’ve gone to two concerts in my time at Carleton, both this Fall term. 

On Tuesday, right after getting back from summer break, my friend and I went to Mt. Joy. I’ve already seen them once beforehand, so I kind of knew what to expect. Just as I remembered, they were absolutely incredible. Then this past weekend, I went to Lorde, and it was possibly the best night of my life. It was life-changing stuff. 

I think the great part of the concert tickets for Minneapolis is that the prices were better than my hometown (Boston), especially for floor tickets. Both concerts were at the Armory, which was a nice venue from my perspective. The floor space is large and easily navigable, and the sound system is great. 

There’s something truly special about being in a giant concert hall with a bunch of strangers, all with the shared love of one specific artist. It reminds you that the world is much bigger than your small liberal arts school. But as a result, it makes you appreciate the school for what it is. A small space where there’s a unique opportunity to develop strong connections with the people you are surrounded by. 

The bottom line is that concerts in the Twin Cities are cathartic, and if you have the funds to do so, you need to do it!

All in all, living on a campus and town as small as Carleton can be difficult. However, there are many unique ways to make it as enjoyable as a big city!

Leo Wang (he/him/his) is a prospective Political Science (International Relations) and Geology Major from Newton, Massachusetts. You can typically find him in the Carleton College Climbing Gym, where he works as a staff member, setter, and class TA. When he’s not climbing, he typically plays one of his instruments: guitar, Violin, Viola, or Erhu (a traditional Chinese instrument). Speaking of the Erhu, Leo is also involved with Carleton’s Chinese Ensemble. There, he is a musician and also works in a staff role, transcribing scores. Another hobby of his is the outdoors. He loves running in the Arb and disconnecting from technology by going on long walks. Lastly, Leo loves being social. He can often be found waving to others from across the bald spot, talking to strangers at various events, and trash-bagging with his friends down the Bell Field Hill. He’s always open to chatting and feel free to contact him for any questions about anything.