The 10 commandments of being a TWAMP

It’s more than just being a nerd

We have all heard about TWAMPs (Typical William and Mary People if you’ve been living under a rock). In Williamsburg being a TWAMP is like a second religion.

If it was, here’d be the 10 commandments:

Thou shall always be busy

A typical W&M student constantly has too much to do. We all embody that friend you rarely see because they’re running from one activity to the next, with a schedule that always seems to have a hundred unfinished items on it.

It’s not uncommon to see William & Mary students running around between their three leadership roles, six clubs, and five classes, eager to cram as much as possible into their few 24 hours a day.

Thou shall study, study, and study some more

Plenty of TWAMPs live in Swem, making it through the papers and study sessions with Swemromas coffee in hand. To embody a true W&M student, you have to really care about your classes and grades. This means late nights up studying and struggling to find an open study space during finals.

Thou shall know how to have fun

Between the study sessions, you have to have some fun. Whether it’s going to the latest AMP event or watching a football game, W&M students know how to take a break.

Part of being a TWAMP is being a part of the campus community, hanging out with your friends, and finding fun things to do around the school or in CW. Even with our rigorous classes, we find the time to relax – even if we find fun in our nerdy events, like the annual raft debate.

Thou shall dislike UVA (but don’t hate, we’re too nice for that)

Chances are, if you go to William & Mary, you’re from Nova. And chances are if you’re from Nova, you also applied to UVA. But the second you step onto campus, you’re encompassed by a shared disdain for UVA, solely based on the fact that it’s not William & Mary. It’s all a part of our Tribe pride, and every true W&M student joins in on the UVA aversion.

Thou shall only own items that are green or gold

At W&M, we take our Tribe pride seriously. Our students are walking advertisements for the bookstore’s newest Tribe merchandise.

Every notebook has a picture of the Griffin on it, and you’ll never see a student wearing anything but school colors when there’s a football game. We love our school, and are not shy about letting everyone – especially UVA – know it.

Thou shall take the Honor Code seriously

We all joke about the Honor Code, but true TWAMPs recognize its importance to our school. We all work to respect each other, and you have to appreciate the Honor Code during the lunch rush, when you’re able to leave all of your belongings to save a table, without worrying your phone or laptop will disappear.

Thou shall feel the need to know a lot about history

When your relatives visit, they’ll expect you to know every detail of the Civil War and to have the answer to their constant questions about colonial Williamsburg. If history is your passion, it works out great.

But for the many of us on the pre-med or business track, it will feel like we’re required to know about every detail of American history – especially every fact about the life of Thomas Jefferson.

Thou shall have shared grievances and favorite things on campus

Every TWAMP feels a shared hatred for Morton, and can bond over complaints of the food in our dining halls. We connect in the difficulties of 90-degree humidity and no air conditioner.

But every student also loves the same things in our school, even with the flaws. We all love the Sunken Gardens, and all can appreciate the sense of community on campus. Every TWAMP loves being one Tribe, one family, making the minor nuisances of campus life worthwhile.

Thou shall be passionate about a lot of things

The students here come from all different backgrounds, political views, areas of the country, and academic fields. One of the few things we can say we all have in common is passion.

William & Mary students can talk endlessly about the things they’re interested in, and show a true love and enthusiasm for everything they get involved in on campus.

Thou shall be anything but typical

A “typical” William & Mary person is unique in so many ways. The quirky spirit of our students can only be found here – never will you find a group with such passion, school pride, and drive to accomplish their goals. Being a TWAMP is so much more than constant study sessions, it’s a love for our school unrivaled by any other college (take that, UVA!).

More
William & Mary: College of William and Mary