Phoebster128

Do you find the trimester system frustrating because all of Kalamazoo's breaks don't line up with other colleges'?

magneticpoet

There are definitely benefits and drawbacks to the quarter system. There's an awkward few weeks at the end of summer, but other than that I haven't found it to be a huge deal. Having the whole month of December off is definitely a plus, too.

However, right now the President is reviewing three proposed calendars, and it will be modified in some way. We'll still be on quarters, but will hopefully line up more with other colleges' calendars. I can try and find a link to the pdf detailing the three calendars if you're really interested.

HTH!

Phoebster128

thanks that does help a lot. (=

what's the average social life like, at kalamazoo?

does it mostly revolve around the dorms or more around clubs and sports?

magneticpoet

During the week people do a lot of things with clubs, sports, study groups, etc - we're only taking 3 classes, but it's in 10 weeks so the workload picks up quickly and so the weeks are generally more focused on on-campus activities. There's clubs and whatnot, and the college brings in a lot of interesting speakers and presentations as well (like yesterday we had a reading by the beat poet Hettie Jones).

There's a good amount of partying on the weekends, probably because we work so hard during the week. Friday and Saturday nights there are off-campus parties that people go to -- there's stuff to do if you don't drink, but the students who do are more visible than their non-drinking counterparts, so to speak.

One thing I've noticed about K is that, though there are cliques to an extent, people are very friendly and they're very open cliques. It's really easy to find something to do and someone to do it with

berryberry61

I am curious - how prevalent is the partying? Does the weekend begin with Thursday night parties or is it really limited to Fri / Sat? And is it all off campus (ie dry dorms) or in the dorms as well. Finally, what percent of students fall into the non-drinking camp?

Thanks

magneticpoet

Most kids stick to weekends. A lot of people party, but a lot of people don't as well - and those who do don't do it every night/even every weekend. I can't give exact percentages but it seems to be split fairly evenly.

auntcc

I am wondering if the students at Kalamazoo tend to be conservative or liberal, granola or preppy? And what type of person would really like it at your school?

magneticpoet

Students definitely tend to be more liberal but it's harder to put them in labels like "granola" and "preppy" - it's really quite the mix. You've got your athletes, you've got your "typical kids" (most K students actually look pretty typical, probably), you've got your nerds, you've got a small contingent of hipsters and hippies. The one unifying thing would probably be that most students care about their academics and education, and that's what brought them to K.

Someone who would fit really well at K would be open minded and open to the challenging quarter system and K plan. You can't be judgmental at K - it just doesn't work. And the K Plan is AWESOME but probably not for everyone, in all honesty. In case you're unfamiliar, the K Plan consists of a liberal arts education, optional study abroad (but most people do), optional externships and internships (but most people do), and the Senior Individualized Project, or SIP - graduate level work in your major.

We've also just adopted the new Kalamazoo Curriculum. Graduation requirements are as follows:
- a major
- proficiency in a second language through the intermediate level
- a unit of PE credit (5 activities, including classes, LandSea, and athletics)
- 3 seminars: first-year, sophomore, and senior

momofthreeboys

Magneticpoet, I think your definition is pretty spot on. It's always been that way (a mix of people with a unified endeavor of academics) and sounds like it continues.