<p>dartmouth was at the top of my list, but it is extremely isolated and gets extremely cold. neither of which i can deal with for prolonged periods of time.</p>
<p>The cold, in my mind, would be a big fat con. It gets to the point where by finals of your winter term everyone you know is just in a grumpy, miserable mood.</p>
<p>"Also, my brother says that people often have to (meaning they don't have a choice) switch rooms during the year, which is a huge hassle."</p>
<p>Absolutely untrue. I have never heard of this happening</p>
<p>"The cold, in my mind, would be a big fat con. It gets to the point where by finals of your winter term everyone you know is just in a grumpy, miserable mood."</p>
<p>I also disagree with this point for the reason stated. People might be grumpy, but finals don't have the tendency of making people agreeable. Really, the winters have molded Dartmouth into what it is today. The very reason for the creation of the Dartmouth Outing Club was the harshness of winter and the need to take advantage of it. As a result, we now have an incredibly active campus with a huge focus on the outdoors, and there is always something to do outside with any of the organizations in the DOC. Dartmouth does a fantastic job of taking advantage of what it has. </p>
<p>In any case, yes, it gets very cold here, but think of it as a positive. I went skiing upwards of seven days this year, and I don't think I'm done yet (though I'm at home at the moment). I'm hoping to get out to Sunday River in Maine the day I get back from spring break, and I'll probably get a few more days in at Killington.</p>
<p>Although most students enjoy sophomore summer (New Hampshire weather is magnificent that time of the year), the D plan is a problem for many. The administration paints it as a plus, but it is actually a necessary evil because of a severe housing shortage. Your choice of when you can leave during your quarter away is limited by the administration (housing concerns again), and although you are not kicked out of your room during the year, if your roommate leaves for a term you are generally assigned a roommate and if your prior roommate returns, he/she is not likely to get back into the same rooming situation until the next year.</p>
<p>While having only 3 classes per quarter may seem like an advantage (as opposed to 5 per semester), the amount of material covered in this 10 week period is the same as is covered in a semester at another school. There are no breaks or slow times during the term.</p>
<p>The weather is oppresive during the winter. </p>
<p>The administration and its view of the college becoming a major research institution (Harvard lite) are at odds with the tradition of a strong undergraduate emphasis that is the historical backbone of the college. The position of sustainabilty director is a pc joke on campus. Getting into capped classes by the best professors is often a lesson in futility. Some professors get their kicks by turning in students for honor violations b/c of innocent mistakes.</p>
<p>Nonethelss my D loves it. College, like life, is what you make it.</p>
<p>One big advanyage of only taking 3 classes at a time is that you spend so much less time actually sitting in classrooms! You have so much more time to schedule your own day/week the way you'd like to. It's very common to have weekdays with just one or even no classes. Many kids have 3 classes on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays and no classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Another very common schedule is two classes on Monday Wednesday and Friday and one class on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Compare this to schools where you spend the bulk of everyday in class.</p>
<p>The D plan originated as a response to a housing shortage (stemming to the time when D first went coed ). It does disrupt the social bonds students make and forces students to plan carefully, and initially it seemed to me nothing more than a practical fix painted to appear appealing. BUT....it really does provide the flexibility that provides for unique opportunities and students do take good advantage of it. As Gudoc observes with respect to college at large, the D plan can be what you make of it. While Dartmouth has added many new rooms in the last year, it appears a conscious decision, not motivated soley by financial considerations, to have added only enough to guarantee housing for all with the D plan still in place. Dartmouth appears to view Sophomore summer and the flexible leave term schedule a positive element of the 4-year experience.</p>
<p>No school is perfect and it is highly unlikely that anyone is going to find uptopia at any college. Those who think that uptopia does exist at a college or area looking for it will be setting themselves up for a let down. </p>
<p>The weather can be oppressive if you live any wear in the north east or the north west and you are experiencing 4 seasons. </p>
<p>Denver and up state NY caught a lot of snow this winter. We've definitely had some miserable days here in NYC.</p>
<p>Right now there is flooding in texas. People who don't tolerate heat well may find the hot humid weather in some parts of the south oppresesive. It becomes all relative.</p>
<p>Not sure that I would refer to NE winters as "oppressive..." To use that term more properly, one needs to hang out in the Windy City for a few years. :D</p>
<p>SoCal son had a blast in Hanover this past winter term. (Where we live, kids never wear long pants in the winter - shorts and flip flops even in the rain.) So, seasons are what you make of them.</p>