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@thatangryasian‌ Congratulations! Being accepted is a good feeling lol.

Stress culture at Stanford…I would say your stress level depends on what major you are lol. Naturally techies feel more pressure than fuzzies, but I’ve seen humanities majors having to shovel out essays at a fast-pace. It seems like you’re referring to the “duck syndrome” which, IMO, is here. Everyone here is just laidback. Chill. Maybe it’s just the California atmosphere and the weather, but there are the outside appearances of people just…being chill. But if you really get to know people, it’s then that you start to see the stress and wear and tear of classes here. Tbh though, it’s not as bad as it sounds. People get stressed. Classes here are hard. But tbh, if you don’t get to know someone, then how would you ever know their struggles? I don’t think anyone’s pressured to mask their concerns. People are open about their feelings and stress here. You see that at office hours. I’m pretty open with when I’m stressed out and worried. I voice my stress to my friends and they sympathize.

Trust me, as a freshman, you have PLENTY of resources to vent to if you need to talk to someone. Not just your friends, but your RAs, your RFs (if you’re close to them), the Academic Advisor in your dorm, your PMA, CAPS (which I hear they’ve been pushing for more funding for, but I don’t know anyone who goes to CAPS), etc. There’s a lot of resources. I actually failed a physics midterm last year and was in tears and legitimate depression for a few weeks, but my RA kept me up and pushed me to keep going and I ended up getting an A in the class (I nailed the second midterm and did well on the final exam). Your RAs and friends are your best support at Stanford.

Classes…It depends on what classes you’re talking about. It’s not impossible to get good grades. I have As in a majority of my classes. Could you specify what classes you’re wondering about? Econ classes (at least the intro ones I know of) are taught VERY well. Just put effort and time into your classes and I think you’ll be fine (at least, that’s what I’ve been doing and it hasn’t made me fail a class so far). One of my friends is planning to double major in Econ and CS (two very tough majors) and he’s staying afloat. He’s stressed sometimes, yes, but I know he’s determined to go through with it and he finds his own happiness when he needs to.

I believe students are legitimately happy. I am happy here. I think the type of student that would thrive here is someone who’s just willing to learn–not only the academics, but responsibility, managing your own time, knowing what’s good for you and what isn’t, what your limits are, etc. Someone who’s ready to learn more about themselves and Stanford itself will be fine here. Just keep an open mind, know what’s/who’s healthy for you and what/who isn’t.

@DominicBayer‌ I do not know of any history majors, but my friend’s taken a few history classes and he seems to enjoy them. Then again, he’s a film major, so I’d have to get back to you on that.

Depends on what dorms. All-frosh dorms have a reputation to be loud and party hard on weekends, but it varies from year to year. Four-class dorms are more quiet–naturally because upperclassmen spend their time studying and working.

@drblack‌ Well, it takes like half an hour by Marguerite to get to the Caltrain station since the Marguerite schedule goes every half hour. And then it takes like another 1 - 1.5 hour to get to SF? It’s been a long time since I’ve used Caltrain, lol sorry. I usually drive to the Millbrae BART station and then it takes me 20 minutes to get to SF by BART.

The others aren’t joking–it’s more of a plan thing if you want to go to SF, and not much of a “let’s just go to SF” kind of thing. If you want more of a momentary excursion, University Avenue has tons of shops and food places to hang and chill, and that’s where I usually see people casually hang. They opened a new T4 on Uni Ave and I’m so psyched about that lol. If I usually go to SF, I make it an all-day kind of thing with my friends from Berkeley. It does take a while to get to SF if you go full on public transport.

It seems like you’re getting close to the subject of the “Stanford bubble” which totally exists. Since freshmen aren’t allowed cars, I felt suffocated at having to use public transport everywhere because it’s…limited? You have to follow its schedule and times, etc. I’m more of a car person lol that just likes to hop in my car and go whenever I want. Some people I know of, were never interested leaving the campus, so I guess it just depends on who you are.

At the beginning of the year, in NSO, the dorm staff actually brings everyone out to a trip to SF and you’ll have time to explore the city before heading back. If you want to experience the unique cultural gems of SF though, that’s possible on weekend excursions. You’d just have to make it worth it lol (that’s why whenever I went to SF, I brought my Berkeley friends, since they were affiliated with the city better than me).

@Planner‌ Yes. IMO, you NEED a bike. Or a longboard. Or anything with wheels. You can walk everywhere, that’s totally possible, but it sucks since the campus is huge. One of your classes can be on the other side of campus and you have 5 minutes to get there–you wouldn’t get there in time by foot. Unless you run everywhere.

We actually have a “Circle of Death”, which is where, at peak points of the day, you see a TON of bikes just going around this roundabout. I would say a large majority of students have a bike and/or wheels. People walk to class if it’s close by, but…I know of few people who walk to class.

Ah, West Lag and Manz. I’ve seen the construction lol. Those are upperclassmen dorms (there are some freshmen in West Lag, but very few), so I suppose I’m not surprised that they’d try to facilitate an open and social environment. Upperclassmen dorms are usually quieter than all-frosh dorms (naturally). I know some of the upperclass dorms have difficulty facilitating community because upperclassmen just tend to…be more in their bubble? Have their own things they want to do?

If it’s West Lag though, from what I remember, a majority of the rooms there are singles, so upperclassmen usually just keep to themselves. Dorm staff in most dorms do their best to facilitate community and togetherness through dorm events but you can’t really force people out of their rooms if they don’t want to come out lol. Believe me though, as someone who will staff next year at a dorm, active attempts are made to bring people out of their rooms to hang out with other people in the dorm. But still, again, you can’t force people out of their bubble. Sorry for the long ramble, but I guess to answer your question, I think Stanford’s expansions on West Lag and Manz are a good idea to bring people out of their rooms.

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Sorry, double post.

@thatangryasian‌ I forgot to mention that FLIP is a really great place/group on campus that openly discusses class divisions. Their “Stanford Class Confessions” facebook page might give you a view on how people feel about trying to talk about class here, but please don’t interpret that as being the entirety of Stanford culture lol.

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@thehaakun Many thanks again—as usual, extremely helpful! Where do students store their bikes—in their rooms or outside? And do people tend to buy inexpensive ones so that if they get stolen, it’s not a huge loss?

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@Planner‌ There are bike racks usually outside any building on campus. I’d be surprised if a building didn’t have bike racks. Some students store their bikes inside, but most just leave them out.

Depends. The kids I know who store their bikes inside (ie. in their room) have expensive bikes, but most others just leave their bikes outside and I’ve seen my fair share of expensive bikes in bike racks. I’ve seen expensive and cheap bikes stolen, but I think as long as you lock up your bike properly, no one’s going to steal it. Bike thieves are looking for a quick steal–no one’s going to spend 20 minutes trying to saw through a U-lock to steal a bike.

And buying bikes is just a matter of preference, I guess? I’ve had a mountain bike for years, so I just brought that one with me. Some have cheap bikes, some have expensive bikes. I guess it just depends on how you want to get around. I don’t think many people consider buying a cheap bike in the event it gets stolen. Just have a nice lock and you should be fine.

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D has a bike but usually walks to class as her dorm is close to most of her classes. She uses her bike to get to farther away spots on campus or if all her friends are headed somewhere on bikes. She uses it about three times a week.

She has a mid priced bike and leaves it outside her dorm. She leaves it in her room during vacations.

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@thehaakun‌, thanks for the answer. Also, I have a few more questions. First, do you usually use the Green Library or other Stanford libraries? How good are they? Secondly, how popular are intrammural sports among Stanford students? Do you play any? Finally, how near is San Jose to Stanford? Nearer than San Francisco?

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Also, are the professors accessible and willing to help students out?

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@Planner‌ - there is actually a bike shop on campus. You can buy used bikes there. We pre-ordered one on-line during the summer and picked it up on move-in day. There are likely cheaper ways to get a bike, but this way was extremely convenient. I thought the price was pretty reasonable. They have maintenance and safety (u-lock, helmet, lights) packages you can purchase as well. I feel like if you have back-to-back classes on opposite ends of campus a bike is pretty necessary. We bought his bike as his high school graduation gift from us. There are bike racks everywhere. Ds keeps his outside. He did bring it into his room over Thanksgiving and Christmas but forgot to do so over spring break.

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Thanks very much, @thehaakun, @pacnwmomof2, and @Hoggirl! The bike shop on campus with the packages sounds very convenient, so if my son decides to attend, we’ll definitely check that out—thanks again!

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@Planner‌ Um, I’m a CS major so I don’t really use the library for books lol when most of the books for my classes they usually post PDFs online or offer free excerpts online. Or I just use the Free and For Sale and the Textbook Exchange facebook groups to find cheap textbooks. I highly recommend the Stanford facebook groups (there’s a ton lol) to connect with other students. You’ll need a Stanford .edu email obviously but it’s a good place to start.

From what I’m aware of (and the few interactions I’ve had with the libraries), they’re very well stocked. Clean, great places to study, always quiet, tons of resources–especially the media there. I check out video games from them every so often. I used to study at Green Library a lot last year, because that place has INCREDIBLE study spots (the quiet room on the highest floor is A+ for studying. Incredible view of Main Quad, especially at sunset). I study more often now at Lathrop Tech Lounge because that’s where most of the CS office hours are and I just find it to have a very techie environment, which I like. And I love to draw and paint on the Cintiqs there.

The libraries have a ton of tools and study areas. They’re great places.

IM sports are a thing here, but I haven’t been a part of any, no. I did cross country for 6 years, but had to end after my last season in my high school senior year because shin splints and bad knees and sprained ankles essentially destroyed me so my “hardcore athletic” times are over. Most dorms usually have IM teams, and there are sports clubs to join, like the Running Club, Archery Club, rugby, it goes on and on. If your kid’s interested in sports, they’ll find a place to belong, no worries.

San Jose, by car, is about 20-30 minutes depending on traffic and whether you want to stick yourself on the horrible 101. It’s closer to Stanford than SF.

Every professor for every class I’ve been in has offered office hours during the week, in which students can attend for help. Most are available after lecture and respond to emails and the Piazza forum, as well. But tbh, the first two years, your kid will be in intro classes, which are huge, so getting to know your professor will involve effort and time. Almost all of my professors for my intro classes recognize and know my name from the amount of times I visited their office hours and talked to them. For most classes though, you’ll be more well acquainted with the TAs than the professors.

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@thatangryasian‌ What you seem to be referring to is duck syndrome which TONS of people have questions about. To keep my answer short, yes it exists, I experienced it a lot particularly last quarter. But, it isn’t as bad as it seems. I think once you figure out a nice balance between school work, social life, clubs/activities, etc. you start to enjoy things more. I don’t know too much about the resources available to help, but they defintely exist. For example: http://web.stanford.edu/dept/CTL/cgi-bin/academicskillscoaching/why-does-the-duck-stop-here/
I also know there is a program that lets you schedule an anonymous appointment with a trained student who you can talk to about your struggles and problems. In short, duck syndrome is there but it’s manageable. Lots of people experience it, and they get through it together!

Just to help out:

@DominicBayer‌ Don’t know much about the history department, but I can tell you party dorms vary from dorm to dorm. All frosh dorms tend to be the party dorms. Upperclassmen housing and four class/theme houses are generally quieter but still have occasional parties. The rest of the partying is generally left to the row.

@drblack‌ Getting to SF is not hard at all by train or car, but not many people do it because there’s generally not much reason to. But if you want to, it’s completely possible on weekends.

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Thanks for your reply, @thehaakun‌. Your answers have really made my interest in Stanford increase. I just hope I’ll be able to get in later this year, but if the 5% admit rate continues I have almost no chances.

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Thanks for the answer, @guccigirl‌.

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@thehaakun‌ and @guccigirl‌
Deciding where to go to college can be just as stressful as actually applying! You guys have both been so helpful, so thanks a bunch :slight_smile:

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Thanks, @thehaakun—I think it was @drblack and @DominicBayer, though, who asked about the libraries and getting to San Francisco. Thanks again (and to everyone else) for taking the time to answer all of our questions!