lollypop39

Hey I'm a junior at Beloit College and an International Relations Major. I will be more than willing to answer any questions you have about Beloit College or College in general. So…ask away!

More Cowbell

This isn't particularly a question that a student needs to answer, but the Beloit website hasn't been working for me for a few days (my niece is trying to find out more information about the school). Is it just me? Thanks.

lollypop39

I don't know what could be wrong. It has it's good days and it's bad. If you have any questions about Beloit you could just ask me. I know that our admissions office can also answer questions. Hope it works soon!!!

jyi90

how is the weather (I'm also a fellow Californian) and is the town a dud?

What do you do in your free time (general question that varies from person to person but I'll ask anyway)?

and what do you like about this school? Do you feel it's too small at times?

Thank you!

lollypop39

Hello Fellow Californian! Your questions require a long answers. I have a really funny fact for you, did you know that California is actually a “feeder” state for Beloit College. If you look at the geographic profile, I think like 42 people are here from California. So it’s nice to have that. But anyway,
The weather, I can’t lie, is cold. I mean it snows here from like Jan-April. It’s fun in the first few months (and esp. the first time you’re in snow), but gosh it’s cold! But it’s WI, so it’s only to be expected. What I like best about the weather are the seasons, right now everything is an array of beautiful colors. I mean it’s like out of a calendar, the campus is so beautiful throughout the seasons. In the spring this one tree blossoms some of the most beautiful flowers I’ve ever seen. To be honest, when I came to visit that one tree sealed the deal for me to come to Beloit College. But yeah, Beloit is cold but beautiful.
Now the City of Beloit: Ok, so the town is small, like 36,000 people small. But it has this small town charm that you don’t find at home, you know? It’s not like a Berkeley or Hercules (are you from north or south?) but it has something to offer. I wouldn’t come here if you’re looking for a metropolitan city with strip malls and clubs…its’ not here at Beloit. But if you’re looking for really nice people, who remember you when you cash a check at the bank, and actually give you rides back to campus when they see you carrying too much, or that store with that cute couple who always has your favorite drink ready for you when you come and holds karaoke contest for food money, than Beloit is the spot. I’ve come to really love this little city, even though there isn’t a wealth of things to do. It took some getting use to when I first came though.
Free Time: I’ve made amazing friends here so we’re always together (we just spent all last night hanging out till the wee morning, dancing to music, and talking basketball for the boys who are like my brothers). I usually go to club meetings during the weekdays, and different events and lectures the clubs on campus hosts, I hang out a lot, go to parties on the weekends and the C-Haus on Wednesdays. It’s kinda hard to be bored here all the time. I’ve spent the last two weekends at research conferences and club conferences. Anyway, not being in a bigger city helps the campus create more events for ourselves.
What I like: The opportunities to network and get involved on campus or off campus with internships and research. Study Abroad: going to Turkey next semester, Variety of people from all over the world, the ease in which you can slide into a conversation with anyone, the professor are the best, my major international relations, dorm room size where I live, my friends of course, the classes taught here and the flexibility to choose what you want to take. Activism spirit.
Is it too small sometimes: I mean yes, b/c gossip spreads pretty fast on campus (any small campus for that fact) and no b/c although you think you’ll know everybody after one semester, you never really do. So it seems big and small at times. I like how the small atmosphere benefits my education and relationship with my professors.

jyi90

thank you very much!
i'm from norcal btw.

i was wondering.. is the town racist? i know beloit students aren't.

thanks

lollypop39

The town...nope. I've heard about racism in Janesville (which is a town north) and I've experienced it there, but not in Beloit, WI. It’s like one of the most diverse small cities in WI. There’s about 15% black, 9% Latino, and I don’t know the stats for other races, but I’ve seen Asians and Indians (from India) here. It’s pretty cool. I’m black, and they have some places where I can get hair supplies, get my hair done, and they have this semi-soul food place on Park. It’s not open all the time, but it’s open it’s really good. If you’re Latino, they have a huge support system in the town and lots of places to eat and a hair shop run by Latinos. I think the town is really good for multicultural resources…to be a small city in the Midwest.

jyi90

thank you very much!

envirogirl

I have applied EA and am very interested in Beloit but would love to know some more about environmentalism at Beloit both in the classroom (I plan to focus more on the policy side of Environmental studies) and on campus.
THANKS!

lollypop39

We have an environmental studies major at Beloit. Environmental studies started out from student initiatives and interests. First it was a minor and later grew from popularity into a major. That’s what I find great about Beloit. You design how Beloit College presents itself. Like I am currently working with professors to form an African American studies minor and there is a lot of student interest behind that. I don't know much about the classroom when it comes to environmental studies but I do have a friends who’s an environmental studies major and he loves it. He spent a semester in the Galapagos islands and a semester in Washington DC all pertaining to his environmental studies minor. I miss him a lot! Anyway, he’s taken classes in all disciplines for his major. Like I’m really interested in a class he took focusing on environmental economics and I may take it when I get back from turkey. There is a big environmental activism spirit on campus. You can see it in students dress down to the events that are sponsored. But there is a big activism spirit in general on campus. We tackle all issues that are important to us and at times you may see the whole campus up in arms about an issue we feel we have the power to influence. There are a lot of environmentally aware people on campus and we are forever having speeches by environmental activism. Like last month we had two major speakers who were animal rights activist. I think there is an environmental club on campus also. We’re also building a new science building. It’s certified green by the government and it will have a green house and a green roof. I’m in no way a science person, but I am looking forward to taking advantage of the green roof and the green house during the warmer months.

envirogirl

Thank You!
Beloit looks like the perfect college for me... I am so glad I applied EA

Cardinal Fang

Hey Lollypop, Parent of an '09 here, another Californian.

Do a lot of kids at Beloit go home on weekends? Fang Jr. obviously wouldn't be in a position to fly back to the Bay Area on Friday afternoons, and I don't think he'd be happy at a school that emptied out on weekends.

carolyn

Not Lollypop, but I am a fellow parent. My daughter, also a California native, is a Beloit sophomoe. Not to worry. Beloit is definitely not a suitcase school that empties out on the weekends!

Keep in mind that Beloit has students from every state and around the world, so going home on the weekends isn't an option for the majority of students to begin with.

Additionally, there's usually a lot going on during any given weekend, so even my daughter's friends who live within an hour or two seldom go home. Once in a while, my daughter and her friends will head up to Madison for the day on a Saturday or Sunday just for a change of scene, but the campus is almost always hopping on the weekends. My daughter usually has to budget her time carefully on the weekends because it's easy to get distracted and behind on studying with everything going on.

Feel free to PM me if you want to ask another parent some questions privately. But, really, my daughter has been thrilled with her experience at Beloit and we feel we are getting our money's worth in every way. In fact, her younger brother is applying this year!

lollypop39

Most of the students stay at Beloit during the weekends. I mean, if you think about it, most of our student body comes from outside of Wisconsin, so it'd be hard for them to go home too.
But with the relationships you form at Beloit and the events we have planned for the weekend, few people want to go home. Beloit really is a home away from home. It's funny, but when I go home for breaks, I find myself referring to Beloit as home (my mom use to correct me, but now she accepts it).
Before I go study abroad for the semester, I'm coming back to Beloit for a week and a half, b/c I will deeply miss my friends at college. So no, he doesn’t have anything to worry about. There will be plenty of people there on the weekends, and even during Fall and spring break…as well as thanksgiving break. I’ve stayed on campus at least once for each of these.

tetrishead

Do you have any experience with CELEB? If so, any thoughts on it?