Five College Issue: Are There Any Negatives to Taking So Many Off-Campus Courses?

<p>I'll be attending Amherst College next year and want to pursue two of the Five College Study Programs, International Relations and Swahilli. The Five College System is an immense resource, but I'm just wondering if taking classes at the other four schools (Smith, UMASS, Hampshire, & Holyoke) will have draw backs...</p>

<p>I could really use any other commentary, feedback, and advice from anyone who has taken off-campus courses, particularly if you've taken multiple.</p>

<p>For students that have taken courses off-campus, what do you typically do when you need to speak with a professor or go to office hours? On-campus help, commute back to the school?</p>

<p>Do any of you find it a hastle having to routinely leave campus or do you think the classes are worth the hastle?</p>

<p>How many is too many? If you take 4 classes a quarter, is more than one pushing it?</p>

<p>If you post your question on the parents forum there are a number of parents who have kids at smith and amherst whose kids I think took courses through the 5 colleges. Maybe they can give you some insight</p>

<p>I went to Smith last year. I met a number of Smithies who truly enjoyed their off-campus courses in the five college area. Maybe more so than at Smith! No really, they just really enjoy the break. I had a senior friend who took a class off-campus every single semester since her sophomore year!</p>

<p>I considered taking a class at Amherst but found the commute to be troublesome since I didn't have a car and didn't know anyone who would be likely to drive over there. For most, commuting and that class can generally take up the entire part of the day (for me, the entire afteroon from 1-5), especially if you use the PVTA.</p>

<p>I'm sure that professors are extremely accommodating your needs as a commuter. We had a girl from Mount Holyoke in one of my classes last spring and she usually got the first choice of signing up for anything that required her time so we could work things around her travelling schedule.</p>

<p>As for how many classes to take off-campus, you will need to check with the registrar on the policies. At Smith, you couldn't take more than 2 off campus.</p>

<p>You'll find that Hampshire kids will be more likely than any other colleges to take classes off campus because of their extremely loose curriculum. Amherst tend to stay in because generally, they find that they have everything that they need right at their fingertips- excellent education, high quality professors, smaller CO-ED classes.... most people go to UMASS for greater options of courses to take.</p>

<p>When I was a Mount Holyoke student, it was before Hampshire existed and we had the Four College exchange. My roommate majored in anthropology, which wasn't offered at MHC--so she did her entire major at Amherst ( and that may have been a large part of the motivation for that major!)</p>