wedgedrive

How strong is Bates in chemistry & physics?

janetlover

how are the work-study jobs on campus? is it hard to earn the amount in your package? can you stay on campus and work over the breaks?

poetrygirl

What is it that makes Bates special to you? (In other words: Why did you choose to go there and do you think you made the right choice?)

Also: What's the drinking/drug culture on campus? For someone who is not planning on drinking or doing drugs--are there other activities that one can do on campus instead? Is it a campus where "everybody" drinks, or is it easy to find friends who prefer not to imbibe? (I'm not saying that I don't want to be friends with people who drink...more that I don't want to be the only one not going to a party because I don't like being around alcohol.)

espressoroast

Hi everyone...it's finals week and I haven't really slept for days. I'll be sure to answer your questions as soon as this is all over...sorry about the delay!

cancercrab

no problem! :-)

in fact, in out acceptance package, there is a Bates' April Calendar - so we've already known that Batesies are having final exams! :-D

looking forward to your replies!

wedgedrive

Poetrygirl, I saw your post on Colby's page as well. Our D is trying to decide the same thing about these two schools!

poetrygirl

wedgedrive--Thanks. I'm glad I'm not the only one!

espressoroast--good luck with finals! I hope all goes well!

yepunsarang

Poetrygirl, I certainly am also very worried about the alcohol thing. I do write poetry (hahaha) and I don't drink. I'm rather a very peaceful, literary bookwork, who likes nature. So, I think i'm pretty harmless. If I end up going to Bates, you'll have some company!

AlanArch

FWIW, my son just finished his freshman year and he says that some kids do drink, but it is never an issue for those who don't drink. There is always something to do that does not involve alchohol.

artschoolmom

My son is trying to decide between Conn College and Bates. Bates seems to be a better fit in many ways EXCEPT it does not offer Italian Lanquage. He is thinking about a major in Classics with a Latin concentration and was really hoping to branch out into Italian. Is it possible to take Italian at Bowdoin ?

espressoroast

wedgedriver,

I wish could have a more definitive answer but I’m more of a humanities/social sciences person so I don’t really have a sense of the chemistry and physics departments. All I can offer are observations. I know a senior chemistry major who has been very happy with the department, although the requirements made it impossible for him to study abroad (I don’t know if this is specific to him or if it’s true for all chem majors).

For physics majors interested in engineering, Bates is dual-degree program with Dartmouth, Rensselaer, Columbia, Washington University in St. Louis, or Case Western Reserve. http://abacus.bates.edu/Faculty/Physics/engineer.html

If you’re trying to decide between different colleges based on these departments, I would definitely recommend looking at each school’s website to see the specifics of the course requirements and descriptions.

espressoroast

janetlover, the work-study jobs are similar to any on-campus college jobs everywhere. Most are low-key and you can do your homework while "working." However, I don't think the pay is very good (the lowest out of the NESCAC, actually, according to a recent student newspaper article), and I'm not sure about working over breaks. I think most jobs are designed for an active campus (like serving coffee at the Ronj or working the library desk) so I imagine that's not a possibility, but I'm sure there are exceptions.

cancercrab

how's bates economics department? i heard that it is quite strong in economics reserach...

yepunsarang

Sorry that we're bombarding you with questions. But how is the music program at Bates?

espressoroast

Oooh I'm so behind! Sorry everyone, I'm working on it.

poetry girl,
The things that originally attracted me to Bates are different than what I have come to love most about it. I was drawn to the campus, the academic reputation, and the “feeling” when I visited. The students seemed to have a lot of energy and I was really impressed with the student panel on accepted students day (sorry about all the “students” in this sentence!). These things are all still important, but another thing that makes Bates special for me is the academic atmosphere. This is probably pretty personal, but it might help some of you understand what its like to be a student here. I have a tendency to be extremely stressed out and get really worked up about homework and tests. In the first few months of Bates, I started to realize that this just isn’t the way people cope with their schoolwork here. There is not a competitive atmosphere. Everyone works hard, but they are working for themselves, and not to compete against their classmates. I’ve found that I’ve gotten much better at handling stress over the course of the year.

I love that Bates fosters a close-knit community. Before coming, I was worried that it would feel to small and claustrophobic, but that isn’t the case at all. I want to meet as many of these amazing personalities that make up the student body as possible! Most people are connected through friends of friends, and by the end of the year you can usually tell if a non-Batesie is on campus. It’s great to walk through the quad and say “hi” to nearly every person you pass by. But at the same time, there are always students studying abroad or returning from studying abroad, the campus dynamic is always changing, and there are always plenty of people you don’t know (yet).

To touch upon the drinking/drugs culture, it is definitely a part of campus life, but I have plenty of friends who don’t drink and friends who live in chem-free dorms. I feel like the majority of people drink on some level and on certain occasions. There are certain dorms with a higher concentration of partiers, and we have designated low-chem and chem-free dorms. During the week, (when, of course, there is very little/no drinking going on) there are tons of nightly activities and things to keep you busy. However, on a Saturday night, unless you want to be cooped up studying in Pettengill, there really aren’t a lot of great alternatives. This doesn’t mean you can’t create your own. People who don’t want to drink can watch movies or just socialize without alcohol. I think this is the nature of almost every college campus. College kids drink, and you may even find yourself adopting this habit and enjoying it in moderation. Most Batesies are pretty smart about their drinking, and I think that’s the most important thing.