College provides students with a unique opportunity that is not always available during high school; to meet new people from different backgrounds and different beliefs. In high school a majority of the students share the same zip code and may not experience much diversity in their social life. In college each student had a reason for picking a university, like Arkansas Tech, to spend the next four years of their life in advancing their education and future careers. I have noticed that as college students we do have more of an opportunity to meet people that might come from a different state or practice a different religion, but at the same time we still tend to gravitate towards people that look similar to us, share the same interests, and come from a similar social economic background. I would not say college has "cliques" like in high school, but there are some shared similarities. From my sociological perspective I think people do tend to socialize with people that are like themselves because it is easier to relate to each other.
I have noticed patterns in our cafeteria that certain groups tend to eat at the same tables each day. I know the table at the front of the picture is usually occupied by the students who are studying music or are in band. (I know this because that is where I usually sit) The next several tables look like that they are used by the many fraternities and sororities on campus. I notice a lot of students that sit there wear formal shirts, letter shirts and more name brand clothing. I have also noticed that a large part of our African American population like to sit together near the entrance of the cafeteria and by the sandwich line. These are just a few examples of what I have observed in the cafeteria and how we tend to surround ourselves with people that share our interests.
In the photo above you can notice the similarities at each table as well.
Birds of the same feather flock together.
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