The population of Castlewood, South Dakota? 666. The population of Tempe, Arizona? 160,000. Besides being the fifth largest city in Arizona and home of the fifth largest university in the nation, Arizona State University, the city itself has eight distinct zip codes.

So how does a girl from Castlewood find comfort at a university where her class sizes are larger than the population of her high school?

Lindsy Bleeker, freshman clinical lab sciences major at Arizona State University, takes it all in.

“I like being in the city,� said Bleeker. “I find people are more open-minded. And just for simple things – there’s just more for you to do.�

Though Castlewood isn’t a town without culture – one local legend claims that Castlewood was named after a place in a William Makepeace Thackeray novel, and each August the town holds a festival aptly titled “Castlewood Days� – the drive to the nearest movie theater is 15 miles. The most popular movie theater at ASU, Harkins Center Point, is just a few minutes off campus.

A second-year pharmaceutical marketing and management major at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, Paul Zawislak had the same problems back in his hometown of Clarks Summit, PA. If residents are under 21, they have to travel to nearby towns, where “you’ll probably be eating at Perkins or drinking at a coffee shop ‘til 3:30 in the morning.�

Just north of Scranton, Clarks Summit has its share of stores and restaurants, including a Pizza Hut and a Blockbuster, and is home to the Baptist Bible College and Seminary. In the 5,126-person Lackawanna County borough, it took just 5-10 minutes to visit friends in the area.

Now living in the Manayunk neighborhood of Philadelphia, a city with a population of 1.5 million, it can take Zawislak anywhere from 30-45 minutes to drive to visit friends or get to the school’s campus, depending on traffic.

Despite the time constraint, public transportation is one of the benefits to living in the city. Tegan Williams, a junior at the University of Pittsburgh’s Pharmacy School, said she appreciates the different options she has to get around.

Back home in Bernville, PA, about half an hour outside of Reading, she has a car. She doesn’t need one in the 335,000 person city of Pittsburgh, where she takes the bus or the light rail, or simply walks to school or around town.

Williams can feel the city life just by walking to the Pharmacy School. Located on top of a hill, she cuts through three hospitals to get to classes.

“At home, where are there just public buildings you walk through to go to school?� she said.

That ability to interact with many different people does not occur as frequently in many rural towns.

“People keep more to the town itself [in Clarks Summit],� Zawislak said. “Philadelphia feels a whole lot more diverse. There’s a little bit of everything, and because of that, you have a whole array of different activities you can do, like going into Chinatown or into Old City for clubs.�

Those same opportunities are why Bleeker opted to go to school in a city.

Bleeker graduated from Watertown High School in Watertown, South Dakota, in 2004. From her freshman to junior years, Bleeker attended school in her hometown, where her entire grade had only 24 kids. She finished her senior year at Watertown. The school, with 350 students per grade, simply offered more.

“I didn’t really like the small town,� she said. “It’s everybody’s life, like nothing else is out there. Some people think there’s nothing outside of our town. And there are no secrets. If one person knows, everyone is gong to know.�

That ‘one big family’ atmosphere could also be felt by Williams, whose Berks County town is home to 865 residents. In Pittsburgh it’s different, she said.

“People don’t know who you are, but you can get to know a lot more people and get involved with a lot more.�

But try explaining where you’re from to lifelong city dwellers.

“Some people don’t know where [South Dakota’s] at,� Bleeker said. “Someone asked if we have indoor plumbing.�

Big city doesn’t necessarily mean big school. After going to Bishop O’Hara High School, a small private school in Dunmore, PA, Zawislak decided he wanted to go to a small college, starting at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, PA. When that school didn’t fit him well, he decided he wanted a school with a similar population, just in a larger city.

The University of the Sciences is located just outside of the downtown region near University City. The campus, described by Zawislak as a few common areas surrounded by a few buildings, is no more than three blocks in any direction. Like many other schools in Philadelphia, it borders some dangerous neighborhoods.

“Not so much for guys, you don’t have to worry about things,� he said. “But if you’re a female, you really have to think smart, especially when walking at night.�

Rural females feel that previously uncommon pressure.

“At home, people leave their doors unlocked,� Williams said. “Out here, you gotta lock your doors, you gotta watch out. There’s been a lot of robbers lately.�

Between public transportation, grocery stores and rent, city life isn’t cheap. But according to Zawislak, the experience is like no other.

“The amount of diversity and opportunity that comes to you with living in the city is worth the trade off.�

Despite the diverse class offerings and vibrant night life, Bleeker also sees some downfalls to city living.

“I don’t like the noise all of the time,� Bleeker said. “All night long there is noise. At home, I lived on a farm.�

With 10 other Castlewood locals in Tempe, including her sister who moved to the city about two years ago, Bleeker found that it was nice to have people she knew close by when she made the transition to the city.

Not that it was a difficult transition. Bleeker doesn’t find Tempe to be that big.

“It just feels natural to be here,� she said.

Zawislak couldn’t agree more, especially when it’s time to eat and he’s not on campus.

“I like the lunch carts,� he said. “They kick ass.�