<p>ceruleanne - I know you are hoping to transfer from Kenyon, and I wish you luck. Can I ask you - just what is it that you believe there is to DO at other campuses that is not available at Kenyon? Were you involved with any clubs, groups, or activities at Kenyon besides your coursework?</p>
<p>mm, well I'd like to be in a city where people are more independent and don't need to stick together in tiny little groups in order to survive. But if it helps you feel better, I wasn't involved in any clubs or greek life. But none of that appealed to me.</p>
<p>Thanks. I didn't necessarily mean social or Greek groups. I meant things like musical, athletic, volunteer, literary groups, etc. What types of activities do you hope to be part of in a city type college or university? </p>
<p>(I am not asking these questions to "help myself feel better". I am trying to better understand the atmosphere at Kenyon, from your point of view. I truly hope you are able to find a different environment where you are happy and can flourish.)</p>
<p>hmm true--it's really what you make of it. WHen it comes right down to it, I just did not like the student body and they don't offer an archaeology program big enough for me. Actually, they only have two classes--which is a problem with a few smaller programs, I might add.
Nevertheless, in the city, I'm not sure--as to clubs. I like art, so maybe that. Maybe theatre.<br>
At kenyon, there are a lot of kids involved with theatre actually. But as for art, there is no current club.</p>
<p>Also, clubs is more of a small town thing. It reminds me of high school. I'll have the city at my fingertips--plus the program I'm involved in will provide me with internships. I won't be dallying in silly clubs.</p>
<p>I wanna be sincere with you.
Don't u think you are being kinda arrogant?</p>
<p>If you don't like something and it doesn't appeal to you, that doesn't mean it is stupid and silly.</p>
<p>So, basically, Ceruleanne, I guess you would agree that it's not true that there is nothing to do at Kenyon (as you stated above), but, rather, that you chose not to take part in the available activities because they didn't appeal to you.</p>
<p>Ceruleanne, I don't think I know you, but I'm not suprised you are unhappy at Kenyon. It seems that you didn't try to make yourself happy there. You say that everyone you talked to is going abroad and not working... how many people did you talk to?! I know a few that are doing that, but everyone else, including me, is staying at home working. I am involved in a lot of things on campus, and I'm perfectly happy with the organizations. At Kenyon it is very easy to start your own org if you can't find one that suits your interest. </p>
<p>Freshman year I found myself very unhappy at Kenyon, and I even went home for a semester. I very seriously considered transferring, but I came back and put a little bit of effort into my college experience, and now I can't imagine being anywhere else, and on the board I'm like the international spokesperson for Kenyon. You will never get happiness by sitting back and waiting for it to hit you. </p>
<p>Please be aware that most of the people on this board/thread are people who are enthusiastic about Kenyon, either as students, parents or future students. While you may be trying to bring truth to the board, it is just YOUR truth, not that of everyone. For example, I don't find the atmosphere at Kenyon to be like that of a rich, preppy boarding school at all.</p>
<p>hm I don't remember saying everyone I talked to was going abroad and not working.
How would you know what my intentions were anyway? I tried to make myself happy there for a long time before transferring ever came up. The atmosphere is just very coddling and very isolated. Every day incidents get blown up to such proportion and fill people's lives to the brim when it's just not necessary. People graduate with the maturity they entered with and I have very few senior friends who know what they want to do with their lives. However you are right. I don't mean to deter people from Kenyon--of course some people like it and some people don't, like ANY college. However, every opinion on this board was one track, positive and it shouldn't be like that. So, I thought i'd add some negatives for the hell of it. If my posts really make people not want to go to kenyon than I suppose they were unsure in the first place. I'm just one person after all.</p>
<p>My S has a friend at NYU who said the students are completely stuck-up as well as rich. You're right that NYC has tons of stuff going on, unfortunately a lot of it costs money. NYC prices are not very comfortable for most studnet budgets.</p>
<p>It is true - a teacher who is friendly with my daughter and me has a son who is also a senior this year, and he was considering urban schools. My D told me that it dawned on them during the application process that all of the things to do in cities would be costly, while more rural schools often provide entertainment. By chance, he will be attending another small LAC in Ohio.</p>
<p>Yes, the city is more costly. But all those "things" you say you're doing out in a field in Ohio can't be done in the city as well? I doubt it. It's a more fast paced life with a greater variety of people and more professional oppurtunities than any tiny bubble in the middle of Ohio can provide. NYU prepares you for life, rural Lacs perpetuate childhood another 4 years.</p>
<p>ceruleanne, I don't know what you're problem with Kenyon or Ohio is but don't blame the school/area because you didn't like it. I live very close to Kenyon and have my entire life. I do not feel sheltered from the real world in the slightest. Most of the world isn't large cities. </p>
<p>As for it perpetuating childhood another four years, maybe that's what you got out of it. Not all graduating seniors know what they want to do with thier lives. As for them being as mature when they left as they were when they arrived, that's the individual. Some people never grow up. </p>
<p>"well I'd like to be in a city where people are more independent and don't need to stick together in tiny little groups in order to survive"</p>
<p>Why do you think cities evolved? People NEED to work together to survive. We can't provide ourselves with everything we need. Living in the city is being very dependent on others. Living in a rural enviroment, out in the country, is much more independent than living in the city.</p>
<p>i have a question that is off the current topic, but something i've been wondering about. can anyone that goes to kenyon tell me what sororities are like on campus, their reputation, size of involved group, etc.?</p>
<p>well one opinion for another. yknow, all different.
anyway, I pledged a sorority for about a week and was the sole quitter. hah. Just wasn't for me... however, I do know a bit about the program. There are three. The Nias (basically the black girls), the Epsi Mus (something like that) and the Zetas. Stereotypically, the epsis are a bit dorky but all the girls are nice. I never really saw them out except at some sparsely attended sorority events of their own. the zetas are pretty cliquey...ok, very cliquey. But individually, the girls are cool. Overall, the sorority scene is very small--they occasionally add an open to all formal or just regular party to the campus, just like the frats. They do charity work, but not a lot of it. The girls in the sorority typically meet up about once a week and since they're not that big, all the girls are very good friends.</p>
<p>ceruleanne - As of now, do you know what your plans for next year are? Will you be returning to Kenyon or have you decided to transfer to another school?</p>
<p>shopgirl- there is information on sororities elsewhere on this thread that I posted a few months ago. Search the thread if you want some more info.</p>
<p>kc_lady--
I have a very open-ended question: is there anything that we should bring with us to Kenyon that we might not expect to need? Also, is it worthwhile to bring a TV (someone told me that the signal is horrible in Gambier). And can we bring a cooking device such as a George Foreman grill? Thank you so much. All of your posts have been so helpful!</p>
<p>TVs are only useful for watching movies with a VCR or DVD player. There is no cable unless you're in an upperclass apartment, and then you have to get it from outside the school. Dishes cannot extend outside of your window. So it's really worthless. Every dorm has a lounge with cable.</p>
<p>George Foreman grills, toasters and other cooking devices with open hot plates/wires are not allowed. Microwaves with 800 or fewer watts are allowed-- I have one and use it all the time. There is usually also a kitchen in each door, which has all the basics (fridge, stove, oven, etc) and usually has a toaster and microwave for public use.</p>
<p>As for things to bring... I was glad I had warm clothes and good boots for the winter, as I think I've mentioned before. It's also nice to have dressy clothes as frats and sororities have a lot of semiformals. I was glad to have some fun, silly, dress up type clothes-- also a lot of themed parties, though the Goodwill in Mount Vernon is a cheap and easy fix. You can get quarters for laundry at the bookstore, but that's a pain, and it's much easier to have them in your room at all times... bring a whole jar. </p>
<p>That's what I can think of for now... I'll keep thinking about it, as I know you 09ers are getting psyched up for school!</p>
<p>yeah I never watched tv at kenyon. one nice thing is that if you're addicted to something like that, you'll learn to appreciate other things in life. Now, I prefer hanging out outside rather than staring at a screen.
by the way, motheroftwo, I am not returning. I will be transferring to NYU. woohoo!</p>