<p>Are Swarthmore students happy? Though negative rumors seem to proliferate much faster than positive ones, time and time again, I hear negative stereotypes about students: 1) All they do is study, 2) no one is happy, 3) High stress causes many students to transfer out, 4) Swarthmore's small size is unbearable. Are any of these true, and if they are, to what extent are they true?</p>
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1) All they do is study,
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<p>They study a lot. And, watch 24. And go to movies. And have sushi parties. And go to pub night. And go to Washington to lobby their Congressmen about Darfur. And work at campus jobs. And do community service. And, have super soaker fights.</p>
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2) no one is happy
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<p>Could have fooled me. That is certainly not my daughter's view. Completely the opposite in fact (except during exam week).</p>
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3) High stress causes many students to transfer out
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<p>3.8% of Swarthmore's freshman don't enroll the following fall. Some of those are transfers. Some are taking time off for various reasons. Of the transfers I've heard about, the stress may or may not be academic. For example, I know of one case that was the "stress" of a rather ugly love triangle.</p>
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4) Swarthmore's small size is unbearable.
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<p>See #2 above.</p>
<p>I doubt you are hearing this stuff from Swarthmore students, unless you are hanging out with the Daily Jolt crowd.</p>
<p>1) Not true. Also not possible. Yes, there is more emphasis on (and respect for) working hard on academics, but almost everyone manages to balance that with a variety of activities/parties/relaxation and the like. Of course there are people who make it sound like all they do is study, but they would behave the same way at any college. And I'm here to tell you that you can make it through Swat in very good shape and <em>not</em> study all the time.</p>
<p>2) Not at all true. The vast majority of the campus is happy and friendly (almost overwhelmingly so, as becomes apparent during freshman orientation). There's a slump sophomore year, which I expect is common at most schools (as it is in high school). There are people who are depressed - some of them were depressed before they got to Swarthmore, some of them find that Swat's intensity exacerbates difficulties they had before, and some, as ID points out, get in unhappy social situations that are possible anywhere. There's also tons of support for people going through a rough time.</p>
<p>3) People transfer or take time off for all sorts of reasons. Two of my friends from freshman year didn't come back sophomore year - both of them were looking for a different environment from the one Swat offered, but neither of them transferred because they were unable to handle the work or were over-stressed. </p>
<p>4) This one will depend on the person. "Unbearable" is a little much, IMO. Some days I loved the small size, other days I wished we had more than one dining hall. How you feel on any given day probably has a lot to do with how much you want to see/avoid a certain person. If you want a college where you don't have to run into that guy you hooked up with on Friday night, then Swarthmore will present a bit of a challenge. If, on the other hand, the idea of being able to find close friends to eat with at any time of day appeals to you, then you're set. </p>
<p>All of these rumors (except for 3) will be true for most Swatties at certain points in their four years. There will be a time when you feel like all you're doing is studying (say, the two weeks around final exams or the last two weeks of senior spring if you're honors). There will be a time when you're unhappy, and I guarantee that there will be a time when Swarthmore feels too small. </p>
<p>But it would be a mistake to think that these factors will define your Swarthmore experience.</p>
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There's a slump sophomore year
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<p>Second semester sophmore year. I think it's nearly universal. The newness of college has worn off. The freshman circle of friends is probably starting to splinter. It's decision time on declaring a major. And, the work is starting to get hard.</p>
<p>That's why God made study abroad fall of junior year!</p>
<p>Okay guys... that makes me feel better. Thanks for spending some of your time debunking these stereotypes. And Gilead, just out of curiosity, to what school(s) did your friends transfer?</p>
<p>I guess my daughter and her roommate avoided the sophomore slump because they transferred into Swarthmore after their freshman year, so the novelty had not yet worn off when they were sophomores this year. They had a great year academically !</p>
<p>EDIT to above - I meant to say "academically and socially" but somehow it got cut off! The typo is relevant to this thread, because, although they studied hard, they definitely did a LOT more than just studying!!!</p>
<p>"That's why God made study abroad fall of junior year!"</p>
<p>^I chuckled when I read that! Nice post interesteddad!</p>
<p>fhimas88888888: One took a semester off, then went abroad for a while, then eventually settled at a big state school close to home. The other transferred to Naropa.</p>
<p>My son finished his freshman year. He really loves Swarthmore. He had a very heavy load because he intends to double major in engineering and political science AND he participates in several musical groups. In spite of this, he found that he managed just fine, while still having a very busy social life and being very active with campus Democrats. </p>
<p>I think he likes the small size. Of course, he does wish there were more dining alternatives. I can see how the friendship situation could become sticky at times, but there are many benefits to a small campus and student body.</p>
<p>Agree about the happiness factor. And the sophomore slump at precisely the time Interesteddad mentions. My son is now going to be a senior in the fall, and he is a happy lad now, happier than he was sophomore year. He seems to have found his groove in college life and he thinks in life after college (gasp, there is one, trust me) and so he is a lot more at peace with himself and with us, his parents. I just had dinner with him last night and he was talking enthusiastically about his summer internship and living arrangements in the summer and fall and other stuff. Sounded like a typical college student to me.</p>
<p>I am entering my junior year. So I just finished my sophomore year and the dreaded time where some folks get the slump. I didn't.</p>
<p>1) All they do is study</p>
<p>There are a few people. The VAST majority do a hell of a lot more than study. For example, I get decent (though not amazing) grades, and I'm managing editor of the Daily Gazette, president of Psi Phi (formerly known as SWIL) + Photo Club, sysadmin for SCCS, treasurer for Anime club, and a member of the debate team. And I still have some time to socialize.</p>
<p>2) no one is happy</p>
<p>There are a few unhappy people. Most people at Swarthmore love it, just not at exam time. :P</p>
<p>3) High stress causes many students to transfer out</p>
<p>Swarthmore has very few people drop out.</p>
<p>4) Swarthmore's small size is unbearable</p>
<p>Swarthmore is smaller than my high school. I don't notice it.</p>