<p>I'm here to answer any questions you have during your decision process!</p>
<p>what was your best and worst experience so far?</p>
<p>whats a typical weekend for you and your friends?</p>
<p>how do you get around the area? aka shopping needs or entertainment</p>
<p>Alum and current parent - so I won’t tell you about weekends years ago. As for getting around the area, there is a mall within walking distance. It’s also very easy to take the train into Philadelphia for restaurants, shopping, museums,etc.</p>
<p>Giants: This is a really hard one. I’d say my best experience thus far is getting to take an education course with Diane Anderson - a leading scholar in literacies. I felt so lucky to be able to take a course with just ten other people and chat one on one with this famous scholar. And the personal relationship I’ve formed with her is amazing. I’ve been to her house for dinner and we chat ever week or so. </p>
<p>Worst experience, hmmm. Maybe today when I went to the pool to swim and there was this sign that said pool closed, thanks for understanding. No email no nothing. Totally bizarre. Otherwise I’d say the lack of resources for mental health issues on campus. Some people like counseling and psychological services but many people have had very negative experiences. </p>
<p>It’s really hard to sum up best and worst experiences. Feel free to prod me more if you want more specifics.</p>
<p>Drinksuited: I’d say one of my favorite things about Swarthmore is how honestly is there is a group of people for everyone. Everyone is accepted socially regardless of their likes, dislikes, beliefs, and interests. Weekends differ for me, I’d say I go to parties about half the time. If I do go to parties, about 3/4 of the time I drink. So if you want sort of an itinerary of what happens at parties, here’s mine:
10:30 - Go to a friend’s room and pre-game. There are maybe 5 or 6 people there. Half our drinking. We’re all just chilling, eating, drinking, and listening to music.
11:30 - Go to Paces or Olde Club. Just walk into the parties with an ID. No cost. Everyone’s invited to all parties. There’s an email every Thursday with all weekend events. At the party, get a drink or two. All drinks are free. Dance for a while with friends.
2:00 - Head back to the dorm. </p>
<p>If I don’t party, the weekend might be like this:
7:00 - Take the train into Philly
7:30 - Have dinner with a couple friends
9:00 - See a movie at the Ritz
12:00 - Head back on the train </p>
<p>Really there’s so much to do on the weekends. On campus performances. Dry parties. Frat parties. Themed parties. Study sessions. Sleeping. Everyone’s accepted and welcome. Half the campus drinks, half doesn’t. Like partying but not drinking, go to the party. Live and let live.</p>
<p>Bubmom: The ville (the town of Swarthmore) has a very convenient grocery store about 2 blocks from campus. There are a couple of really great cafes in town too. For clothes shopping, there’s a mall about a half mile from campus. To get further, there’s a train station on campus that’s really easy. Also there are shuttles to Media (the more bustling town next door) a couple of times a week. I’ve never had a problem meeting my needs.</p>
<p>can you explain the meal plans? how you find the three options to be When compared to one another, an how points work, and getting food at Essie mae’s, etc</p>
<p>In general, how large are the classes? How large are some of the BIGGEST classes? Also, do professors travel with student groups during study abroad programs?</p>
<p>Is it difficult to balance academics with social life and extracurriculars? I’m interested in pre-med, and I know that’s a rigorous track at any school, but it will be especially difficult at Swat. Do Swat pre-meds have lives beyond med-school preparation?</p>
<p>Not to step on Swattiechick’s toes, but my daughter is a graduating senior and pre-med. She had quite the workout at Swat in pre-med because she took all her pre-med classes at Swat. In order to not work quite as hard for the high grades needed to earn that pre-med gpa, some pre-med and pre-dental Swat students take some of the following during the summer at state universities near them: physics, chemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry. My daughter didn’t have that option (we don’t live near a university with summer classes) so she worked her tail off in those classes at Swat–the semesters she had physics and organic chemistry she had no social life whatsoever as she was in the science center classrooms until 1 am on Saturday nights studying and writing out equations on the board. She was a biology major and biology comes easily to her; however, physics and organic chemistry were always a challenge and taking them at Swarthmore upped the challenge. That said, the upside of premed at Swat is that students get a high quality foundation for med school and for the MCAT. The instruction in those required courses is in most cases phenomenal. There is strong support from professors (some of whom are in the science center evenings and weekends and can be consulted on an impromptu basis). Student study groups are available for all those courses and upper-class students in physics, chemistry, etc. run those. In the case of organic chemistry, the professor comes to the study sessions on Sunday evenings. The payoff of being a Swat pre-med is already visible. My daughter had a summer fellowship at Washington University doing research last summer (all expenses paid, a $4000 stipend, and free access (courtesy of Wash U) to Princeton Review’s online and print MCAT preparation materials. When it came time to find a bridge year research job (she is applying in June to enter med school a year from September–bridge years are standard for Swat pre-meds), she had four offers from four different NIH labs. The pre-med adviser at Swat is fantastic–really on the job and extremely hardworking and savvy. She gets you going as a first-year student and helps you successfully jump through all the hoops along the way. She scouts those fellowships, internships, etc. I cannot imagine a better pre-med adviser. She really knows her stuff. If you take to physics and chemistry like a duck to water or if you plan to major in one of those subjects, you will have an easier time of it than my daughter did. If you are more like her, you might want to discuss with the pre-med adviser taking some of the pre-med requirements at a different school. The key to ALL success is doing exactly what the pre-med adviser says. And once you are done with those pesky requirements and can focus on subjects for which you have a strong affinity, whether these be in the sciences or humanities, navigating Swat becomes much easier.</p>
<p>Good thread Swattiechick! My daughter is finishing junior year. There is a small mall nearby (Macy’s, Target, food court etc.) that Swat runs a van to. There are also usually shuttles to/from airport for breaks. They also are available for many off campus events (my daughter’s dance group has one to Philly once a week). The SEPTA (Philadelphia train system) is at the bottom of campus and you can take it into Philly, to the airport, Media (west) and even hook up with buses that take you into Manhattan for around $15 one way. Of course, most Swatties spend much of their time on campus where there are endless possibilities. Have fun!</p>
<p>If you reserve early you can get as cheap as a 1$ each way to New York (Bolt Bus, Megabus, Chinatown Bus)</p>
<p>Should my S buy winter clothes before he arrives there or is it better to wait and buy them at the nearby mall? In our country weather is never below 50º and winter clothes bought out of season is almost impossible.</p>
<p>It should be easy to get winter clothes near Swat with several options at the mall. Those items will be in stock well before it gets too cold, too.</p>
<p>Thank you very much bubmom, you know, just another nervous mother am I.</p>
<p>Overseasmom,
My son is a soph and H and I are alums. We live nearby and I am happy to answer questions. I understand your nervousness if you are sending a child into a new place.</p>
<p>can someone answer my previous meal plan question? thanks all :)</p>
<p>[Swarthmore</a> College :: Dining Services :: Meal Plans](<a href=“Meal Plans :: Swarthmore Dining :: Swarthmore College”>Meal Plans :: Swarthmore Dining :: Swarthmore College) I gave you this link in the other thread you posted in. 
Remember that freshman don’t have a choice of meal plan. You can follow all the links from that page I gave you to read about dining services. Not sure that you will get many answers this week as the students are in the middle of finals. When my kid is done with finals later this week, or early next week, I’ll ask him to answer.</p>