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Colleges and Universities A-Z Bowdoin College
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<p>(Title ripped off from the Vassar forum LOL)</p>

<p>So I’m a current freshman, soon to be sophomore, willing and open to answer any questions. I notice that early writes were sent out and that normal acceptances will be arriving this week. I’m more than happy to give back and answer any questions one may have. Last year I was on top of asking current students questions, so I feel it’s only fair and right for me to return the favor to those of you who are seriously considering Bowdoin. I’m going to give you answers in my honest opinion. I’m not going to sugarcoat it and if I say something you don’t want to hear, I’m sorry. I rather you know the truth than come here thinking it’s a fantasy land. </p>

<p>Also, I don’t mind getting a bit personal (i.e. asking questions about my financial aid situation, etc). I’ll let you know if a question is too personal or not.</p>

<p>With that being said, fire away!</p>

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<p>What are your feelings about the small size of the student body? Is this a plus or a minus? Do you pretty much know everyone in your class? Does gossip run rampant?</p>

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<p>Hi! Thank you for taking the time to do this :)</p>

<p>I got an early write last week and really loved Bowdoin when I visited. </p>

<p>The only downside for me was the partying scene. I’m not a drinker, but it seemed that the social life revolves around partying, and that’s what a lot of Bowdoin students do on the weekend. I guess that’s okay, but I am worried there is not much to do at Bowdoin if you don’t party/drink. Also, is there actually a stigma surrounding the chem-free students? I got the (maybe wrong) impression that they were viewed as socially strange by other students. </p>

<p>This really worries me. What can you say about life at Bowdoin if you’re a non-partier, non-drinker? Is there less opportunity to socialize? Do people who drink at Bowdoin think you’re weird if you don’t partake? Would you recommend signing up for chem-free housing or not?</p>

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<p>@momdoc: Honestly, last year when I was deciding to come to Bowdoin, I was 100% sure that the small student body was what I wanted. Now that I’m about to complete my first year, it’s not all that great (having a small student body). After a few months, it’s like you’ve seen everyone there is to see. I know that doesn’t sound right considering that Bowdoin has ~1700 students, but it’s the truth. There are days where I feel it’s very routine; I wake up and see the same people everyday. However, you should know that I come from a big city, and I’m used to seeing new people and being surrounded by so many people all the time. </p>

<p>I wouldn’t say that I know everyone in my class, but I know, by face, a decent amount of my class. </p>

<p>Gossip is prevalent. It’s not like everyday someone is gossiping, but given that the school is small, gossip is pretty prevalent here.</p>

<p>@blarghh: I am a non-drinker so we already relate! Haha. I’m not going to sit here and lie to you, one of the reasons my first semester was hell because of the fact that I didn’t drink. I don’t live in chem-free housing (to my knowledge and based off my observations, chem-free housing kids are pretty tight), my roommates drink and I don’t, and drinking is pretty dominant force here on campus. I had a hard time finding a “group” because people tend to clique up here and plus I was going through the general college problems (homesickness, missing my best friends back home, missing the city, etc). I can’t really speak on what non-drinkers in general do on weekends even though I’m a non-drinker myself. I know that I occasionally have my in-nights in the dorm where I just chill on my laptop/watch a movie/etc and the few times that I have been in the chem-free dorms, I’ve seen students just chill in their room, talk/converse, play board games, do random things, and even go to parties (it’s not just about drinking, you could have a good time dancing with friends). </p>

<p>But by no way, shape, or form do people judge you or think you’re weird for not drinking. Everyone, even my roommates, have respected my decision to not drink. You’ll here people say “it’s cool” if you don’t drink. I haven’t come across someone who made fun of me, or anyone else for that matter, for not deciding to drink. </p>

<p>I don’t have regrets, but looking back at it now, I would have signed up for chem-free housing. I think it would’ve made my transition way smoother and easier. The reason I didn’t sign up for chem-free was because I wanted to be “open to anything.” </p>

<p>Oh, and to add to the stigma thing, I don’t think there is a stigma around the students. I mean I’ve heard chem-free and non chem-free students make sly comments towards each other (sometimes jokingly) like “Thank God I don’t have to come back to a bathroom that has throw up in the toilet.”</p>

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<p>Thank you, S! I really appreciated both answers, as I was wondering about possible chem-free prejudice also. Glad to hear there doesn’t seem to be any.</p>

<p>Thanks for taking the time to run this thread. You’ll probably get lots of questions once letter go out at the end of the week.</p>

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<p>Have you been involved in the Bowdoin Outing Club at all? If yes, how is it? It’s one of the main reasons that Bowdoin’s at the top of my list at the moment. The Maine coast is so enticing.</p>

<p>How are the winters? I’m mostly worried about slipping and falling on the ice.</p>

<p>Is it a competitive environment? (Is the emphasis more on making the grade, or learning for the sake of learning?)</p>

<p>Thank you for taking the time to answer all these questions. I really appreciate it. (:</p>

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<p>Can you talk about the housing situation a bit? My D is very concerned about being stuck in a quad, and it seems like there are lots of quads especially for freshmen?</p>

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<p>is the average student very competitive about grades or more laid back about it? solid academic environment? thanks, stratus!</p>

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<p>Is it “okay” to be a non-athlete at Bowdoin?</p>

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<p>@ForeverMine: Bowdoin Outing Club is amazing. You’ll love it. I came into Bowdoin not giving BOC a second thought, but recently I went on a ski trip in conjuction with the Bowdoin Outing Club and I had a blast. It made me realize how I should maybe seriously consider joining BOC. The thing with BOC is that some of the schedules can be a bit daunting. For instance, some Saturday trips leave really early (like 5:00 in the morning). However, you do get back early and if you don’t mind the early trips I’m sure it won’t be a problem. And yes, the Maine coast is beautiful. Bowdoin definitely attracts people with the BOC and Maine coast.</p>

<p>Winters annoy the hell out of me, but that’s because I hate winters period. No matter if I’m here or in the city, I can’t stand winters. Bowdoin winters aren’t THAT bad. I feel it could be worse. I can’t give you the full breakdown as Bowdoin is still finishing up its last days of winter, but I’ll tell you this: The worst part of Winter at Bowdoin is during Winter break, so you don’t really feel the full force of the snow. When you return from winter break you get bipolar weather. One day it’s snows, the next day it’s sunny and nice out, the next day it’s freezing as hell, the next day it’s windy as hell, the next day it’s raining, so it’s like you never know what to expect once you return from break. However, before I left for spring break (we’re on spring break now and return to school next monday), I saw big patches of green all over campus, so hopefully when we return next Monday the Quad will be alive again lol. </p>

<p>Bowdoin is not competitive in the least bit. To be blunt, no one gives a flying you-know-what about what grades you get. It’s kind of you do your own thing. Generally, You won’t find people gloating about getting straight A’s and you won’t find people making fun of others for not doing so well. Don’t get this confused with us not caring about our Academics because we do. I’ve seen hardcore party animals get sentimental about their academics. Bowdoin is just one of those environments where you just do your own thing. I would say that Bowdoin is a mix of just getting the grade and learning for the sake of learning. I’ve a seen a decent mix of both so far. For instance, last semester I took all of my classes just to get the grade and knock out some gen-ed reqs, this semester I’m taking classes that all interest me. </p>

<p>@Mannix: I think your daughter may have it better this year. As you may probably aready know, Class of 2014 was the largest class in the history of Bowdoin. This led to more dorms that were formerly known as quads being transformed into quints. Unfortunately, I got stuck in a quint. But I think your daughter will have more luck than I did because I believe her class is less than 490 students, so there may be a bit more space to not have to cram 4 or 5 students in one room. Even though your D class is much smaller than our class, the chance of her being placed in a quad is still pretty likely. You just never know with Bowdoin housing. It really is a hit or miss.</p>

<p>@polka2015: See my response to “@ForeverMine”</p>

<p>@Suitcases: Yup. You’ll be fine. There are plenty of non-athletes here who are socially adept. Being an athlete doesn’t make you or break you here. This was one of my concerns last year too and I found that the advice I’m giving you now proves to be true.</p>

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<p>does life in Brunswick get boring compared to city life ? (and Stratus, are you from NYC?)</p>

<p>would you recommend going on a pre-orientation trip (i think you didnt but from what youve heard?)</p>

<p>thanks!!!</p>

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<p>how do you compare a coastal town in Maine to new york city …?</p>

<p>are there any places to go shopping? not just for dorm stuff but clothes, etc?</p>

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<p>ps- polka 2015, are you polish? lol.</p>

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<p>I know those past two questions were directed at Stratus, but, as a Bowdoin student, I will give them a shot.</p>

<p>In terms of a great place to do shopping, Brunswick will not be your best bet. From what I can tell, Stratus isn’t the biggest fan of Brunswick, so you’ll probably hear the same thing there. While that is the case, I will say this:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Freeport is only 15 minutes away. It has an outlet or store of most of the major clothing companies (LL Bean of course, J. Crew, Brooks Brothers, etc.). Bowdoin runs shuttles there on the weekends. I’ve never taken the shuttle, but I’m sure it works great. Plus, it won’t be long until you meet someone with a car, and a lot of people are very willing to let you borrow theirs.</p></li>
<li><p>While Brunswick doesn’t have shopping, it has a great selection of restaurants. A lot of these are within walking distance on Maine Street. Stratus will point out Maine Street is only about 7 blocks, and that is true. But on these 7 blocks, off of the top of my head, I can think of 39 places to get food that are either on Maine Street or just off of it. Fortunately, Brunswick isn’t just Maine Street. There are more great restaurants and shops scattered all around, not to mention three movie theaters. Of course, all of the typical big-box stores are within a 5 minute drive.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>I’m not a New Yorker like Stratus, but I feel comfortable saying (at least from the many New Yorkers I know at Bowdoin) that, at least for the first few months to a year, it can be a bit of a culture shock. However, all of them that I know have said that, after a while, you start to appreciate the different style of life.</p>

<p>My biggest piece of advice to new students - get off of the campus for a few hours every weekend. I love Bowdoin, and I would be perfectly content never having to leave its confines, but Brunswick is a great place to wander around, grab a bite to eat, and see a movie.</p>

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<p>Also, @ForeverMine, don’t worry about the winters. As a Southerner, that was the first question that I asked everyone at Bowdoin. I always was skeptical when they said that they weren’t that bad. Turns out they were right. As long as you dress warmly, you will get by just fine. They make sure that the paths are always clear and salted, so don’t worry about slipping. Or well, don’t worry too much. It might happen. I’m proud to say, though, that I am three years in, and have yet to fall.</p>

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<p>yup! i am. really want to go to Bowdoin</p>

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<p>thanks for the info Bowd89!!
:slight_smile:
now im just praying everyday that i get in! :D</p>

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<p>so am i!
yay polish people at bowdoinnnnn
<3</p>

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<p>@Kazala: To be blunt once again yes. Life in Brunswick does get very boring very quick compared to a city. I come from NYC where it’s so big and so much to do. When I got here, I was like ‘eh…’. I mean Brunswick is a nice little town but there’s not much to do there unless you want to pig out. They do have some great multi-ethnic restaurants and Gelato Fiasco. People also like to say that there is Portland, but unless you have 60$ per cab ride or you have a car (which Freshman aren’t allowed to have), I don’t see how one could frequently go to Portland to have fun. I’ve been to Portland once and I will say it’s a nice attempt of trying to give the city feel. My main issue with Bowdoin (I’m pretty sure this is a small liberal arts college specific issue, not just Bowdoin) is that I feel very bubbled. It’s VERY routine. Once you’ve been to the library, the dining rooms, the study halls, the town, it gets very mundane and boring. That’s my main problem here. </p>

<p>I didn’t go to a Pre-O trip but I feel it’s a hit or miss. You could have fun on one of the trips or you could not. I’ve heard experiences where people said they’re glad they did the Pre-O and others who said they could’ve done without. </p>

<p>@Polka2015: Honestly, it’s not fair to compare a town like Brunswick to a city like New York. Any way you look at it, living in a city you’re going to have more options. Personally, I couldn’t see myself living in a town like Brunswick but to each his own. I mean one thing a person may like that Brunswick has that a city like NY doesn’t have is the nice coast and quiet. </p>

<p>I don’t think I’ve seen places to go shopping for clothes in Brunswick. I know they have a “mall” in Brunswick but I haven’t been inside. If you want to go shopping for clothes, I would say go to Portland. They have a variety of stores and a real mall.</p>

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<p>@Kazala - If you have the chance, I would definitely recommend doing a pre-o. I did one, and I met people that have remained some of my best friends at Bowdoin. This won’t be the case for everyone, but, at the very least, it will give you an opportunity to meet some people outside of your floor when you first get there. This can give you a great sense of community before classes even start. Of course, that doesn’t even take into account how much fun the pre-os are. There are tons of different options, and I don’t remember seeing one that I wasn’t interested in (though I did wonder how the surfing on the Maine coast would be…).</p>

<p>That being said, it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. If you really don’t like the outdoors, it might not be for you. But if you are willing to give it a shot, odds are you won’t regret it.</p>