<p>I’ve never really been the “typical” student so I thought it wouldn’t, but now i’m not so sure. I and currently a rising sophomore who spent last year at Smith College (Northampton, MA, all-female). And while they’re were a lot of cool things about the school, just by talking to other friends in school, i quickly learned I was not having the same, or even a similar experience as they were. The all-female thing of course adds a unique element to the school, but more than that, I feel like, socially, it is just very bizarre and closed off. Smith “house parties” aren’t really my thing. I am admitted at Macalester College in Minneapolis (where i’m from), a school I applied to, because i thought it would be more “normal”. It is co-ed, and in a bigger city than northampton (which in itself is a weird area). Anyway, i like what the east coast has to offer, but it’s hard to utilize most of it being in central/western mass. But I can’t figure out if it’s important to have a “normal” college experience- Smith is VERY unique and right now i can’t tell if i would regret not having the life of a normal undergrad, especially since I didn’t immediately take a shine to being a Smithie. Even though I fit the traditional demographics for a Mac student (white, middle class, suburbanite), it’s not really what i would choose as ideal classmates (too homogeneous). So, i guess i was just wondering how important people think it is to get the college experience, including the social scene…?
Thanks!</p>
<p>no its not important. dont feel you have to conform because “everybody else” is doing it.</p>
<p>is there even a “typical” college experience anymore, from what i hear, and hope to find out when i gt to UW Madison this fall is that college truly is the time to find urself, and explore what u really enjoy.</p>
<p>from reading your post, i think that part of any college experience has an intensely sexual component. sexual exploration, and liberation is a part of a lot of people’s college experience…and can be rewarding if you do it safely, and intelligently. I think going to a single sex college has to be such a tough gig, even if next to or surrounded by coed/opposite sex colleges. that’s my opinion, maybe that’s y u don’t dig the clam bake thing</p>
<p>PUnkdudeus you crack me up man.</p>
<p>Unless you’re me, who will be a virgin until he marries. Not only am I following the Word of God here, but it also makes me infinitely cooler than 99% of college students because I am daring to be different.</p>
<p>punkdudeus: your absolutely right. i don’t dig the all-female thing. not being a lesbian myself, it seriously hampers romantic relationships- especially cause i’m not very outgoing/particularly attract attention from people i don’t know. but i’m not going to college to get a boyfriend, so i’m not sure if that should be that important. </p>
<p>also: does anyone have any thoughts on going to school in the midwest versus the east? i really like the east, and even though i’m from MN, travel isn’t really an issue/problem but will i miss out on anything important by staying in Minneapolis?</p>
<p>tahiti,</p>
<p>i am from the midwest and i now i go to school on the east coast. all i can say is that all my friends from highschool went to the same state universities and i am the only one that even left ohio. whenever i come home to visit, i find myself realizing just how much i’ve changed. being away from the midwest and everyone i went to high school with has made me grow as a person, and it seems that everything here has just stayed exactly the same. i used to be envious of my friends that were going to school together, now i’m not because i see how they have remained exactly the same.</p>
<p>the flip side of this is, that all of us are having very different college experiences. my friends who went to the large state university can go to crazy parties and experience crazy college sports but they do it with the same people we went to high school with. i, on the other hand, can go to sorta crazy parties and not really experience the whole spors thing (i go to harvard, outside of crew, we’re not a big sports school) but i have completely new and different friends. so, it’s interesting. i feel like i am getting everything i can out of my college experience (because meeting new people- the midwest is sorta homogenous- is an integral part of what i want to take from college), but it doesn’t even come close to what they are experiencing (which is probably more akin to high school part 2 than actual college). and, at the end of the day, i am completely okay with this.</p>
<p>the question you need to ask yourself is would you be okay with that.</p>
<p>AFPrep, I completely respect your view on college life and the decisions you have made, but you should know that you come off as extremely self-righteous. Maybe you’re cool with that, maybe not.</p>
<p>On topic: I’m not sure that the “typical” college experience is something you should really concern yourself with. I think the most important thing is to do what you think will make you happy. If you don’t enjoy yourself at Smith, and don’t see this situation changing over the next few years, you may want to transfer elsewhere. As to whether Macalester will offer you something that Smith has not, I think you’re the only one who can make a good judgment on that matter.</p>
<p>actually AFPrep, u come off as a total ■■■■■■, cause yes u will be different because u choose not to have sex, but u are also different cause u judge people so harshly</p>
<p>your beliefs are fine and even respectable, afprep, but it doesnt make you better than anybody else.</p>
<p>Typical college experience? Never heard.</p>
<p>The stereotypical “typical college experience” has never appealed to me in the least. I can think of nothing less desirable than going to a school where going to parties is the “cool” thing to do. I go to a school where there are parties for those that want them (and many people do), but it’s not a huge draw of campus. A lot of people don’t even look at Brandeis because of it’s “lame” social scene- but I think it’s anything but! Most schools with the “good” social scenes I would find beyond lame. </p>
<p>People seem to associate social scene to hook ups, drinking, partying, and general Animal Houseness. Everyone has their own social scene if they join clubs and get out there and do stuff, regardless of whether you’re going to parties or spending every weekend at an art exhibit or foreign movie fests with your friends. It’s up to you to decide what your social scene is and if you feel that you have to move to another school to get it, then that’s up to you.</p>