<p>William & Mary is currently my top choice of college, but I wanted to get the chance to ask some current W & M students a few questions I have about the college--how happy are you at William & Mary? How much of an impact does the college's history have on the community? Can you walk around in colonial Williamsburg whenever you want (does it ever get boring, or is it always enjoyable and a unique experience)? Even though the campus is located near Busch Gardens and Water Country USA, do students ever really get to visit these parks? What kind of a feeling does the campus give you? And most importantly--what are the people like? How happy are you that you selected this college from your other choices?</p>
<p>If you could answer as many of these questions as you have time for, I would truly appreciate it. Thanks. :)</p>
<p>I am a senior at the College and I thought I would give you my abbreviated opinion on your questions, I hope you find them helpful!</p>
<p>Through ups and downs, I’ve been very happy here at the College, most people make wonderful friends in their first weeks here because of the intensive orientation program we have.</p>
<p>The College’s history very much influences everything here- the traditions are very sacred, the tourists will get annoying, and late at night wondering the grounds can be pretty amazing. This is the best college campus in the country, period.</p>
<p>Yes, you can always walk around Colonial Williamsburg (CW or DOG street, as we call it), and it is quite often the only thing to do on any given night. You can get into all the exhibits for free with your student ID. Grand illumination is an AMAZING experience every year and so while sometimes it might get boring, I am constantly thinking how amazing it is that I get to walk around such a beautiful place all the time.</p>
<p>We have a student day at Busch Gardens every year where you get tickets for 10$, and yes, everyone goes. I skip classes all day, but most kids catch buses from campus in the afternoon. As a student they also consider you a VA resident so you can get a season pass for 50$.</p>
<p>The people are the best part about the College. Southern charm but northern sensibility. There are plenty of out of state kids, which you don’t get at most state schools, and that helps to make it more interesting and diverse. Everyone is incredibly talented and interesting, though admittedly a bit quirky. There’s the occasional dumb kid that will grate on your nerves for going to your prestigious school. But mostly its the kind of people who study really hard and hang out, instead of “party”, on the weekends.</p>
<p>Good luck with your decision!</p>
<p>I’m a freshman and in my semester and a half I’ve had a great time! The history plays into everything, from respecting the honor code (inked by TJ) and the buildings to the feeling you have when you wander around campus with friends. I was walking back from an intermural soccer game at midnight tonight (funnest thing ever! But I should have brought cleats, the grass gets dewy and slippery) and we saw a dollar bill stuck into a broken parking meter in an empty parking lot.
That means:
- Someone bothered paying for the time even though it was broken.
- No one had taken it all day, including us as we walked by. That kind of thing just amazes me!
The history and setting of everything just inspires in me, at least, a passion to do the best that I can, just as those that came before did. Sometime’s I’ll get writers block on an essay late at night and just go for a stroll around the Wren Building and back to help clear my head.
As wildflower said, your student ID is basically a 4 year season pass to Colonial Williamsburg. At any time on any given night there are usually a few students (or couples) strolling, biking, or jogging in CW.
And wildflower basically covered Busch Gardens. I think Water Country USA opens up very late in the semester, if at all, which is a bit disappointing. But I have an internship here this summer so I’ll still get to go!
The people, from the students to the professors to the staff, are just delightful human beings. Seniors have been very helpful trying to help this freshman learn the ropes of how the school operates, and the professors are always helpful. I’ll be going to one’s home on Thursday for a barbecue!</p>
<p>I will pretend to be a current student and still answer… it will make me feel younger.</p>
<p>I really liked W&M. My first year was ok, but sophomore-senior year were really good. I just didn’t get enough out of my first year, and I wasn’t satisfied with what I was doing. My dorm was small and I didn’t feel like I knew enough people / enough of “my type” of people. I joined an additional organization that I became really active in, and the other activities I was doing got better.</p>
<p>Walking around W&M you can feel the history. It’s really cool to be able to go to school in a place like that.</p>
<p>You can walk around CW whenever you want. Well… not through the colonial reenactments. You can watch them, but it is poor form to go on jogs through them, haha. You get into stuff for free with your ID. There’s a lot of unique shops and places to eat (some of them are not in a student price range though).</p>
<p>Water Country is not open much during school, but Busch Gardens day is a big hit. Lots of people go. The school runs buses for people who don’t have cars.</p>
<p>The campus feels… hmm. I dunno. I would say it feels like a private school in the Northeast, aside from the temperatures. There is no “State U” feel.</p>
<p>W&M students study hard. The third floor of the main library is really intense. You don’t have to frequent the library though, and a lot of people do their studying elsewhere (dorms/outside/other buildings, etc). The students are really involved in whatever they have a passion for (club sports, student government, political campaigns, community service, whatever). You can go out Thursday - Sunday if you want. The over 21 crowd frequents Mug Night at one of the delis right next to campus on Sundays. There are not huge college parties that go crazy like at some [mainly, big state] schools. W&M will never be confused with Arizona State or Penn State or Florida (etc) for the parties. There are sometimes parties like that on a smaller scale though. I prefer smaller parties where I know 90% of the people, and there was plenty of that for me. W&M students are very humble. You might know someone for a long time, and then suddenly find out that they are really involved in something that you had no idea about.</p>
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<p>haha this made me laugh / think of one kid from my freshman dorm.</p>
<p>most people are very happy at W&M</p>