A Couple Questions

Colleges and Universities A-Z Williams College
1

<p>Hi. I visited Williams a couple weeks ago and I was left with a couple questions. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!</p>

<p>1) I remember hearing something like 30% of students play two or more varsity sports. Can that be true? And can the athletic aspect of campus be overwhelming if one is not planning to play any varsity sports?</p>

<p>2) I do not really remember, but is there any town whatsoever around Williams? Or is there anything else to do? Movie theaters, festivals, concerts, restaurants, running trails, etc.?</p>

<p>3) I remember the "Freshman entries" seeming horrible to me. I remember a three story thing, two rooms on each floor, each with a tiny common room and tiny singles (or were they doubles?) Please tell me the housing system isn't that bad...(oh yea, are they all coed bathrooms also? I find that weird).</p>

<p>4) Is the January term fun? What is the break like before and after it? Can it be annoying not being home the same time as high-school friends?</p>

<p>5) Can anyone share a first-hand review of the "Tutorial" program. It sounds intriguing.</p>

<p>6) Are there any comfortable, plush, etc. parts of the library to work or "chill"? :)</p>

2

<p>1) I don’t know the exact percentage, but this is a <em>very</em> athletic campus. A majority of people, I dare say, play some kind of varsity or club sport. I sometimes felt a little out of place, being both a non-athlete and disinterested in anything athletic. But I know of plenty of non-athletes who’ve had a very positive experience here, especially because they’ve been involved in other ECs or clubs.</p>

<p>2) North Adams is the closest town; not an awful lot to do there, though. What kinds of concerts do you have in mind? We have great jazz and classical music here at Williams - the student ensembles are great, and we’ve had some pretty famous people perform here too. The Berkshire SYmphony performs here every week. The Clark also has programming. And the best thing is that it’s all free. We have a really great independent movie theater on Spring Street (Images). The Clark also has film screenings. You can always take the free college shuttle on weekends to the Berkshire Mall (which has a movie hall) or to the North Adams movie hall. </p>

<p>3) The housing here is great, in my opinion. As a senior, I have a huge room with a walk-in closet and a private bathroom. I’ve only ever had singles. The bathroom situation isn’t ideal - and some bathrooms are co-ed - but I doubt it’s better at any other college.</p>

<p>4) Winter Study - well, most people are mixed about this. I traveled away for two Januaries (you have a lot of flexibility here - the college has trips to places like Senegal and Morocco; you can also design your own independent travel course) and am not the biggest fan of January in Williamstown. But there are some really fun classes offered and it’s nice to have some time to chill with your friends without the crazy pressure of regular term time. It does suck to have your break cut short, though. </p>

<p>5) It’s absolutely <em>wonderful</em>. You learn to speak, to think, to think on your feet, and you get to interact really closely with a faculty member. All our classes are pretty small, but the tutorial system really helps you grow as a writer and thinker because of the individual attention.</p>

<p>6)The ground floor has an area with bean bags and all. And there are also comfy-ish chairs. Not the most comfortable place to ‘chill’ but it’s OK</p>

3

<p>1) 30% of students play a varsity sport (the portion who play two is much smaller). 10% of students play club sports, e.g. frisbee, rugby, etc. 60% of students don’t play any sport. So if you’re a non-athlete, you’re in the majority. </p>

<p>2) There’s an independent movie theater on Spring Street, a fair number of decent restaurants, and fantastic, beautiful running trails (Stone Hill, Hopkins Forest, Blair Rd, Northwest Hill Rd, etc. - see [Running</a> - Willipedia](<a href=“http://wso.williams.edu/wiki/index.php/Running]Running”>Running - Willipedia)). No real concerts though, outside of what goes on at the College (which is substantial, but you’re not gonna see most of your favorite bands coming through Williamstown). </p>

<p>3) Williams housing is great. Some of the freshman rooms in frosh quad entries are small, but the common-room atmosphere is really nice, and the housing gets much better over the course of four years. </p>

<p>4) Winter studies have been some of my favorite times at Williams. I can’t imagine what I would do if I had to stay at home for an entire six-week winter break; it’d be incredibly boring compared to being at Williams. It’s nice to see high-school friends, yes, but you can do that during the normal Christmas break. Winter Study is an opportunity to hang out with your college friends without the usual burden of constant classes and homework, to study something interesting, and to do all the things you wanted to do during the semester but never had time: watch a bunch of movies, explore Williamstown, learn to cook, start doing independent research with a prof, etc. People who really don’t like snow usually manage to spend a couple of their winter studies abroad, which can also be great, but personally I love New England winters - Williamstown is beautiful right after a fresh snowfall. </p>

<p>5) Tutorials are great. Not life-changing in my case (though I’ve only taken a couple), but you get to work very closely with a prof and you learn a lot.</p>

<p>6) Not so much, but there are lots of other spaces on campus to “chill” (e.g. the student center), and the libraries have plenty of quiet spaces to work.</p>

4

<p>[edit: I meant every month for the BSO]</p>

5

<p>for what it’s worth, the BSO actually performs four times a year - twice each semester. But between the BSO, student symphony, symphwinds, the various jazz and chamber groups, choirs, etc., the music department pretty much always has concerts going on every weekend.</p>

6

<p>Freshmen entries: There are two main areas, Frosh Quad (Sage and Williams) and Mission Park (Armstrong, Pratt, Mills, and Dennett).</p>

<p>In Frosh Quad, where you most likely were, the entries are vertical. There are (I think) three different layouts of the entries in Frosh Quad, but generally it’s small suites or a short hallway on each floor and the entry is the entire column. There is a mix of singles and doubles.</p>

<p>In Mission, the entries are horizontal. Each entry has a large common room in the middle with hallways radiating off of it. It’s all singles (except for maybe 3 large doubles).</p>

<p>If you come to visit, take a tour through both areas.</p>

<p>All freshman bathrooms are technically coed, but it’s not a big deal. There are toilet stalls and shower stalls for privacy if you are using the bathroom at the same time as someone else.</p>