<p>Whitman is a special place. It has only been three weeks, but I've already developed a sense of Whitman pride. Orientation was pretty exhausting and registration was kind of hellish, but I had so much fun meeting new people and learning about the dynamic atmosphere here at Whitman.</p>
<p>I ED'ed into Whitman, so I ended up only applying to one college. I did feel a little left out when my friends were complaining/boasting about the 17+ schools they applied to (almost all of them Ivies, of course), but I don't regret my decision. I honestly can't imagine myself at another school and certainly not at a flagship like UW.</p>
<p>All my professors know my name and they're super enthusiastic about what they do. That makes it a little easier to wake up at 7:30 am and drag myself to the Science building for my 8 am class. I'll see my professors on the street and they'll greet me. Heck, I see my Astro professor every Monday at the rock climbing wall (which is awesome, by the way... take beginning rock climbing). </p>
<p>There are so many things to do, places to be, friends to chat to. The people here are incredibly nice and smart. They aren't pretentious or arrogant, and a huge plus for me is that it's not a cutthroat environment. Whitman is also doing its best to help you succeed-- they offer so many useful resources. Each hall has an RA, RD, and SA that is willing to listen to your problems, academic or not. I'm making lots of interesting memories, like having a Lord of the Rings marathon, falling off my bike into bird poop, being in the shower during a fire alarm drill, climbing Styx in the dead of night (Styx is our beautiful [driftwood] horse sculpture).</p>
<p>Almost everyone I've met is happy to be here. Well, except when it's raining, though some people like it. Bring waterproof clothes and don't ride your bike on the cobblestones when it's wet. It's a trap. Also, Encounters can be pretty terrible, but at least all the Freshmen are suffering together. :) Whitman is a college that will help you learn how to make good, responsible decisions. Like, salad with low-fat ranch vs regular ranch. Or chocolate vs watermelon soft serve. Party on Friday vs watch movies with friends. There is drinking here, but it usually doesn't get out of control and there's definitely choices you can make to avoid interacting with alcohol. Granted, it's easier if you live at an awesome place like North Hall. But anyways, there's always a way to have fun and not get drunk.</p>
<p>Please don't write Whitman off because it's in Walla Walla. Whitman creates a fun community to make up for the lack of night life or whatever in Walla Walla. There's capture the flag on some nights, an epic battle of Humans vs. Zombies is going to break out next week, the sororities and frats do parties every weekend, and there's a Safeway, Goodwill, and K-mart in town. That's really all you need, and you'll be very busy anyways! Although Whitties have lots of fun, they study hard too. This is a very academically rigorous environment that really challenges you to manage time wisely and form good study habits. Fortunately, there's usually someone willing to study with me, and tons of resources like the Writing Center to help out. The library is also open 24/7.</p>
<p>If you have any questions, I can try to answer them. I haven't been here for very long so there's definitely a lot I don't know yet, but I'll do what I can. :)</p>