<p>Hey guys,
I am considering Macalester, because I'm really interested in International Relations and they seem big on that. I'm a little bummed they don't offer Arabic, but oh well. So here they are:
1. Would you say there is a centralized social life there? Like, lots of people on campus are interacting with one another? Or is it just like you find a small group of friends the first month and then just head in to Minneapolis every weekend?
2. Is it REALLY that cold? My mom is from Wisconsin and she says the twin cities are extremely cold, but you know how parents are. I'm just so used to mild winters!
3. Does anyone know about Mac's assistance in finding a job/getting into graduate school, as far as resources?</p>
<p>Ok thanks!</p>
<p>I am a first year at Mac, and I'm very much interested in IR. For starters, my first year class is amazing. Its called "Foundations of International Politics" with Andrew Latham. He's definitely one of the smarter people i've ever met and is a great teacher. </p>
<p>About the Arabic situation, I am in Elementary Arabic I. I just walk over to St. Thomas for the class. From what I understand, Mac is working on building up Middle Eastern type of classes and maybe a language prof.</p>
<p>Moocow, you are def PV, Turck 3 (or Dupre 5 we dont even know anymore). Hi from 307. VH</p>
<p>The social scene can be anything you make of it. it depends on how you go about it.
So far the fall has been mild and we dont know about the winter yet, give us a few weeks, then well know a little more but everybody from around here just says dressing properly makes it all dealable. sophomores and such say just dress for it and youll make it okay. its really more of a conversation topic than a problem.
i dont know about specific resources for grad school / jobs, but i do know that grad school, especially for IR, poli sci and Econ, is one of their main selling points, so i think the situation is good there. </p>
<p>taking arabic is no problem. like moocow said, its at St Thomas, about a mile away. there are buses if you arent into walking, but really the walk isnt so bad, we walk down there all the time.</p>
<p>thanks for the info you guys! makes me want to go to mac even more.</p>
<p>I'm a soph. I'll second what they said, and add a little about jobs/grad programs. The advising is really good, and while the cdc (career development center) requires a little bit of effort, everyone I know has ended up with all the resources they want or need. Also, they're talking about bringing an arabic prof, and st thomas really is only a couple blocks away (less than you might have to walk at a large school!)</p>
<p>I, while not actually attending Macalester, have lived in the twin cities area all my life, and can give you the following advice about weather:</p>
<p>Winters...are pretty cold. Teens to Mid-20's (F) are the norm during the middle of winter. Also, expect snow from around Thanksgiving to April. (March is actually the snowiest month of the year)</p>
<p>However, falls and springs are do-able, and summers can actually get up into the 90's (although that is rare). Generally summer temps are mid 70's to 80's.</p>
<p>Finally, the actual weather. Minnesota recieves a rather high amount of sunny days compared to the rest of the US. However, when something falls from the sky, it could be anything. Snow, sleet, hail, rain, tornadoes, etc. all occur here. Tornadoes are very rare, but you will probably get one in your area, sometime during four years of college here.</p>
<p>Hope my rather long-winded account of Minnesota weather helps you!</p>
<p>Hey, thanks!
And I also appreciate the weather report because that is one of the things I don't really like about Mac, so it is good to learn more about it.</p>
<p>I'd agree with all of that, except about the summers. I was there this summer, and temperatures over 90 were not unusual, even for a week or two at a time. When it finally rained and the temperature dropped, everyone on campus was out dancing in the rain....mostly because it was the first comfortable day in a week. Other than that...yea, its cold. Our largest international group is Jamaicans, so I figure if they can handle it, anyone can :)</p>