<p>Hey! Recently admitted to Colgate and I'm very seriously condsidering attending. Obviously the education is top-notch, but I'm wondering what the academic environment is like. Are the students very competitive or do they veer more towards a community/work-together type vibe? Are the workload and expectations manageable or stressful? I'm a very good student and a hard worker, but I'm currently at an intensely competitive high school, the stressful environment of which does not suit me. Thanks for any insight you can give me.</p>
<p>In my experience, Colgate was not competitive at all and people would definitely study together (there might be an exception in some intro econ courses that are on a curve, but I never took any so I couldn’t speak to that). There’s definitely a lot of work, but with good time management skills it’s not an issue. No one really talks about grades at all.</p>
<p>I also went to a really competitive high school and loved the academic atmosphere at Colgate. I think you’ll be just fine!</p>
<p>I didn’t see any kind of competition at Colgate. People are supportive of each other. Professors are demanding- only that you do your absolute best! If they think you can do better than the grade you earned on that paper/exam, they’ll push you.</p>
<p>No competition really! People want to do well for themselves at Colgate, not better than their friends. It can be stressful at times, but it is never not manageable! A lot of students who get too stressed out at gate just aren’t managing their time. Professors will always help you if you need extra time, also.</p>
<p>With the viewpoint of a student who took classes to become a chem major, you will not find cut throat competition between students. More often, it seemed like students have to band together to get the workloads done. I do not study in groups but the fun assignments were usually group projects. From your self-description, you should be able to succeed here while also enjoying yourself.</p>
<p>My daughter is a rising Senior and she loves Colgate. She works very hard, does well (not as well as she did in high school when A’s were pretty common for her), and doesn’t feel stressed. The “stress” she feels is her own determination to do well. As for competiveness and ruthlessness, she doesn’t see any. There used to be a syndrome of trying to drive other students’ grades down to raise your ranking in the class. Does anyone do that anymore? She gets help from her friends and from professors all the time. Hard work, but not stressful work.</p>