Boredom at Clark and cars

<p>A friend whose S is a freshman at Clark told me that although he likes the school very much, he is bored; that there isn't much to do and because the neighborhood around the school isn't good, one can't just walk around at night. She says the problem is Worcester, and they are thinking of getting him a car. I have read other reports of boredom (and replies against it) on CC. </p>

<p>Are there any current students who can comment on this? How about having a car on campus: good or bad idea?</p>

<p>My daughter has a car there. Well, it’s actually in my driveway at the moment: she’s currently doing a semester abroad in Namibia.</p>

<p>It’s worth springing for the parking garage: it’s safer in there, plus it keeps the snow off.</p>

<p>The more fun parts of Worcester are more easily accessed by car, so it may well help.</p>

<p>I was a bit leery of other students wanting to borrow the car, so I bought her a 5-speed and taught her how to drive it. Solved that problem…</p>

<p>My daughter has never complained of boredom, though maybe that’s in part because of the car. But she’s very involved, has lots of friends.</p>

<p>I think this whole issue of boredom has a lot to do with the individual and would apply anywhere. Casual reading of CC will reveal kids who are bored unless they can find raging parties every weekend, while other kids hate that and want lots of performances, movies, game nights, etc. </p>

<p>A certain amount of boredom is, in my opinion, an essential part of learning to live on their own. They have to figure out how to amuse themselves. And besides, we’re not sending them to college so they never get bored.</p>

<p>I went to two colleges, one in a small town and one in a big city, and it still came down to the same thing-- the friends you hang out with. The kids at Colby have “nothing” to do, so they have snowball fights and make ice caves and drink beer and have fun. The kids at NYU have the city at their doorstep, but many can’t afford theatre tickets and restaurants and such, and spend lots of nights hanging out in dorm rooms with friends. </p>

<p>Seems to me the solution to boredom is not to buy the kid a car, but to suggest that he get involved in more activities/clubs. Play an intramural sport, volunteer, take a night class, join a film club and watch lots of movies… and so on and so on.</p>

<p>I do agree researching–about if a kid is bored in a place that has at least 100 clubs, there’s something going on with the kid, not the school. But I think the bigger question is what does this say about Worcester and what is has to offer, as well. One doesn’t want to go to college and feel isolated or trapped on a campus because the surrounding neighborhood is too “dangerous” to explore or even go for a walk in. I went to school in Rochester NY. During the winter on that isolated campus, life was pretty desolate.</p>

<p>I quite frankly wouldn’t want my D to take her car to college or be in a place that is dependent on one.</p>

<p>I went to USC in the '70s, and believe me, no one went walking around the adjacent neighborhoods at night alone. But it was still a very good school with lots of activities and involvement and campus life. It sounds like Clark has the same.</p>

<p>I agree that it would be preferable to be in a neighborhood where you could stroll around at night, but this is an issue at countless good schools, and for many people the tradeoff is worth it. For others, however, it is not. That’s partly what makes these decisions so hard to make!</p>