Uuh... Just Bowdoin

Geniusriki
Fri, 02 Sep 2005 13:22:21 +0000

I just started here, and so far, it’s been great. Brunswick is actually a cute little town. I’ve been out to Brunswick to pick up groceries, music, ice cream, and movies so far and nothing has been more than a 10 minute walk off campus. I’ve also gone running off campus, and the surrounding areas and roads seem very safe. The culture here is definitely a mix of preppy and outdoorsy. I went on a pre-orientation trip canoeing and hiking (as did 76% of my classmates), and the Bowdoin Outing Club is really popular. Being active (not necessarily athletic) is a big part of the way of life up here, it seems. I’ve been to almost all of my classes, and the work load seems like it will be intense, but manageable. The campus is small and very pretty, and pretty much everything on campus is within a 5 minute walk. The food here, as I’m sure you’ve heard, is excellent. There are really a lot of options for healthy eating every day. The social house system (each first year is assigned a house based on which dorm they’re in) is set up to be very inclusive, and parties are open to everyone. So far, there has been a lot of support for freshmen–every floor has a proctor, who kind of oversees the dorm and is there to answer questions or talk to you and everyone is assigned an upperclass “buddy” from his/her social house to help introduce the social house. Everyone is also assigned a pre-major academic advisor who can help you pick out your courses and explain things to you. All in all, it has been a pretty smooth transition so far from high school to college and I’m really enjoying it up here.