What concerned me, not my DS20, are two things. 1) traveling to and from Williams, the nearest airport, Albany, 50+mins drive away, the scenery could be nice, the road itself is pretty poorly maintained in the NY state side, and there is no direct flight from our city to Albany; and 2) the frigid long winter.
I might have been spoiled by beautiful campuses in many other places, I am not extremely impressed with that of Williams.
But you do have the opportunity to get first-class education, from what we have learned, which is why it is still on DSâ list and he would be happily going if he gets in.
What is a DS20
@moonquism â DS and DD means âdear sonâ and âdear daughterâ in College Confidential slang. Itâs a parent writing about their child. The number is the graduating class. So DS20 is their son who will graduate in 2020. In this case, it appears itâs the high school graduating date. Most parents use it to denote their childâs college graduating date.
Okay, well⊠there is this:
In this major northeastern snowstorm today, a lot of people have not yet made it back to Williams from Thanksgiving break.
We just got a message from a dean that the road from Albany is closed. The college is offering to arrange with Albany hotels to put up students for the night, and also offering to arrange a rescue if there is anyone stranded in a car. Credit to the college, though, for taking good care of the kids!
I heard 3 of the motor coaches bringing kids back to campus from major transportation hubs got stuck on the way to campus and had to be rescued. Everyone is okay, though.
Some classes are missing a lot of students who did not make it back to campus yet.
The deanâs email reassured kids not to worry about missing class if they are not on campus yet and that all professors will understand.
This storm is affecting a lot of travel, not just travel to Williamstown. But certainly being in a more isolated rural location adds to the challenge! Iâm sure there are a few people stuck in an airport wondering why they did not choose somewhere warm like Pomona or Stanford!
Of course, a day like this is rare. And when the sun comes out, I am sure the glistening snow will be gorgeous!
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@TheGreyKing , this post is why our family is a little freaked out by our sonâs extreme interest in Williams! We are from the deep south and my only worry about his school choices are the weather. I know that might sound like a silly worry to some, but the cold and dark winters can put a whammy on a personâs head.
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@luckymama64
I know there are some people greatly affected by winter but I also think that winter in NE is somewhat exaggerated. It is not dark and gloomy for months and months. Yes, itâs cold. But take this winter as an example. So far my kid has zipped her coat all of one time to my knowledge.
Itâs likely there will be a few delays from winter storms but maybe one a year at most. In the grand scheme of things itâs not that big a deal. When I was there I took friends home (I was driving distance) or picked them up in Albany when necessary.
The quality of education there is truly outstanding as is the alumni network.
While weather is certainly a consideration when making an initial college list, I donât think you need to worry if williams is already a school your kid is really into or been accepted to. The weather just isnât so extreme as to cause a hardship for kids.
@luckymama64 â
I hear you about your worries about cold weather at Williams! But travel woes like in the bad storm this past Thanksgiving are rare, since they require a big snowfall on a travel date. It does not always snow, just sometimes. When it snows when you already are on campus, you do not need to drive anywhereâ you just walk across campus, on the shoveled sidewalks.
As long as your kid does not particularly hate the cold, he will be okay. But I guess the cold can be an adjustment for people from warmer areas. I remember that, on our tour of Amherst, when the tour guide was telling the group how many clubs there are, he said, âThereâs even a Cold Club for kids from warm places adjusting to winter in New England!â
The kids at Williams enjoy being there for the first time going out into the snow for their friends from warmer climates! Snow can be so magical!
Cold is manageable with warm attire, and dorms are cozy enough. Just put on a Christmas carol like âWinter Wonderlandâ or âSleigh Rideâ or âJingle Bellsâ or âIâm Dreaming of a White Christmasâ to remind yourself that people can even grow to love winter!
I donât love the longer nights/dark and the bundling up during winter, even though I have lived in the northeastern USA all my life. But I would totally miss the beauty of the winter snow and the autumn leaves and the new bloom of spring if I ever moved to a place without those seasons. Every place has its charms and its drawbacks.
And, after freshman year at Williams, you can even escape to study abroad in a warmer location during Winter Study, through a travel course, internship, or independent study, thus missing January, the coldest month in Williamstown.
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