<p>My d is going to Smith next year and just had a friend pass due to stories that social life is very restricted by house system. Now she seems more concerned with where she ends up - only wants to be in quad - and whether social life will be very clicky - can any current students comment?</p>
<p>Not a current student but the notion that the social life is restricted due to the House system is, to use the technical term, nutso.</p>
<p>Students are usually members of several communities at once, of which the House is only one. Classes, athletics, recreational or service organizations, performing arts groups, religious groups…sheesh. You can avoid it all if you choose to stay buried in your room but that’s your active choice.</p>
<p>When I visited, I got the impression that pretty much everyone was very friendly and open. And most Smithies seem to keep very busy! Another point–with the Five College community nearby, there is never any need to feel limited socially. I chose Smith BECAUSE of the social atmosphere; I sensed that people there really cared for one another, and I didn’t hear any of the meanspirited gossip that I did at another school which shall remain nameless.</p>
<p>Yes, many people are good friends with other members of their house, BUT there are so many other ways to meet people that most students have a social network that extends beyond their houses.</p>
<p>Cygne, about keeping busy, it’s easier if you simply dispense with sleeping.</p>
<p>^^Eating, too. That’ll gain you about 3 hours.</p>
<p>Too bad I’m gluttonous AND slothful. ;)</p>
<p>Hey-- don’t let them get you down.
I live in the quad, and I love it. At least I did for the first two years. It’s not hard to get housing you want, and it’s not hard to change. I told my friend when she was choosing housing “pretty much any house is great, except for Washburn.” Where do you think she ended up? Washburn. But she went straight to the housing coordinator and said absolutely not and now she’s in the quad too. Smith is wonderful at catering to demanding student’s needs, but don’t let that get out.
I say the first two years because I went abroad for junior year (which was the greatest experience I could ever have gotten, and smith does a GREAT job with study abroad-- ranked number One I think?) and when I came back, I really should have tried for senor housing (which is offered). You have the option to change houses every year. But for underclasswomen, it’s easy to make friends and be very active if you interact with your housemates. Also, join a sports team or a club.
Don’t worry! Smith takes better care of its ladies than any other school I know.</p>
<p>For prospective students coming to this thread from last summer my D ended up in the Quad and is very happy there. Her house is very social and has a lot of first years an seems to be very friendly and has a lot of community (sometimes more than we would like :)) She has met people from other parts of campus mainly through classes but does primarily spend time with her house friends so far. The quad has a lot of althletes of which she is not one and that hasn’t been an issue. Her one complaint is the long and soon to be cold walk to classes. On the other hand she has avoided the freshman 15 from all the walking despite feeling pretty positive about the food.
I also have to say that the mix of classes has been great for her - she gets a lot of support from the upper class women in the house and her senior buddies but still has a lot of friends in her class - also partially die to needing to take a lot of intro classes in science which are mostly first year.</p>
<p>Thanks for the update, overwhelmedma. I’m so glad your daughter is having a good experience.</p>
<p>My daughter has lots of friends from her house but met her closer Smithie friends at extracurriculars. She even has friends from other schools she met singing in a 5-college ensemble. </p>
<p>I can’t say enough good about Smith and all it’s done for my daughter. Year two, and I’m still pinching myself. It hasn’t been perfect (no place is), but it exceeded my wildest and most hopeful expectations.</p>
<p>My D is a senior at Smith and lives in the same house in the quad now for four years. She has many friends from all over campus, and this has never been restricting to her. Granted, her BEST friends are living in the same house, but that is to be expected since they see each other every day. Don’t let those rumors bother you. TheDad is absolutely correct; if you CHOOSE to be in your room and not socialize, then your experiences at Smith will be quite different from the vast majority who attend this wonderful school.</p>
<p>BJM! I’ve been waiting for you to surface! Senior already…four years has flown by, eh. Any thoughts to share as a re-cap? Maybe even start a thread?</p>
<p>Welcome back, BJM! </p>
<p>I heartily agree with everyone that the housing system in NO WAY stunts the students’ socializing, no matter where they end up living. My daughter lives on Green Street, one of the quieter areas on campus, and she has friends in other houses. I will say that her closest friendships are still the ones she formed during pre-orientation and the first few weeks of her first year; however, activities, classes, (which none of her closest friends share), and new move-ins into the house have led to later friendships. </p>
<p>But Smith is not a huge party school, even though the students do party. If a student is looking for a raucous social scene, she won’t find it at Smith.</p>
<p>My D picked up close friends every year, including her junior year away. Oddly enough, the first-year group in her House never jelled. But several people in her House first year told her, “Oh, you’ll just love so-and-so, who’s abroad right now” and so it came to pass. But House/Classes/Activities all contributed to her friendships. I think she lucked out in that she’s close to both her Little Sisters.</p>
<p>I feel obliged to protest the “pretty much any house is great, except for Washburn” comment 
My first year D is at Washburn and it is a great fit for her…she is studious, serious, doesn’t care for parties and loves being near lab. Aren’t all Smithies like that?</p>
<p>Upbeat- No they aren’t, but I’m glad it’s a good fit for your D. There is a house out there for everyone and hopefully everyone finds the fit that let’s them be themselves</p>
<p>Ha ha, I was kidding, S&P 
I wish my D would get out more…if only to wind down once in a while. Her last exam was on Sunday…we drove her back home and she picked up a text book pre-ordered for next term and starts reading it (I ‘confiscated’ it from her). Hope all Smithies, past and present, have a great holiday and recharge for next year!</p>
<p>I can concur with S&P - My daughter finished her exams Tues - after working really hard I will say - but when I asked her if she needed any of her work stuff for vacation she looked at me with horror
Also going back to an earlier topic my D - who is not in a non academic activity - did say it makes it a bit harder to meet people outside of the houses - she makes friends in classes but not as quickly as some kids on spots teams and in theater etc. She is doing a lot of science and just doesn’t feel like she has the time for another major activity,
BTW I also wanted to say I have been impressed with a lot of the non house social stuff the school does - my D went to midnight madness ( an activity sponsored by the athletic assoc on the last day of classes) and loved it.</p>
<p>I’m a current first year student living on Lower Elm, and I think that the spirit of house community I’ve been in the middle of since September has been one of my favorite things at Smith so far. My housemates have really provided a solid base of support during my first semester–whatever else I did socially/academically outside of the house, I could always come back to that community and have a place there.</p>
<p>That said, it’s true that the Smith social scene is definitely heavily influenced by the house system–especially, I’d say, for first years, because you’re very much around your housemates during Orientation, so friendships get formed there pretty fast, but it definitely doesn’t feel “limited” or whatever the OP was concerned about…rather, I think it has given me the confidence to branch out a little more, because I don’t have to worry about forming a cohesive group of friends, so I’ve been using the energy that I might be expending on that to do other things on campus (e.g. chorus, other social events). </p>
<p>Like I said, I LOVE the Smith housing system! PM me if you have any other questions about it/first semester at Smith. :)</p>
<p>My D was extremely unhappy in her first-year assigned house, although it was primarily because of roommate problems. She spent all her free time at another house where most of the women she had met during pre-orientation lived, just so she didn’t have to deal with an antagonistic roommate. As a result, she never made friends in her original house and instead managed to move into her current house halfway through her first semester. You CAN change where you live and can usually find a way to be in the same house as your friends, even if you didn’t start out there. One of my D’s friends has lived in three different houses, just because she wanted to experience more than one.</p>
<p>The housing system is definitely one of Smith’s strengths. I can’t tell you how many times my D has met Smith alumnae and been asked, right off the bat, which house she lives in. That is immediately followed with some story about house rivalry or friends or friendly jokes. She even met one Smithie who lived in her house for a semester and immediately gave her a big hug of sisterhood, even though they were strangers.</p>