<p>We don’t have the best international relations program - IR isn’t a major, although there is a five college certificate program and you can concentrate on it if you’re majoring in Gov. You might want to keep that in mind. </p>
<p>Other than that:
Yes, it’s a very gay school. If that weirds you out, I really wouldn’t worry about it because if you come here you’re guaranteed to find it completely natural in a couple of weeks. It’s not an ‘issue’, other than the fact that sexuality/discrimination based on sexuality is given a lot more importance than other issues in the world here. </p>
<p>The fact that everything closes super early can be annoying. But there’s always something to do around campus, even if it’s just sitting around dancing to 80s music with your friend or decorating your friend’s room, pillows and underwear drawer with pictures of Keanu Reeves because she loathes him. It’s an interesting town, and you can always take the bus to Amherst if you want something else to do on weekends.</p>
<p>I don’t know too much about internships and study abroad because I’m a first year, but it seems like a lot of people go abroad junior year. A LOT.</p>
<p>I’m overall very very happy, and don’t think I’d want to be anywhere else. It can be stressful, but also quirky and interesting and fun, and it’s so great to live in houses. It’s a much more sheltered life and you feel more cared-about than at other schools. And the people can be very interesting and much more creative than I’ve seen at most other places.</p>
<p>Downs - I miss guys a fair bit. It can be hard to be a straight girl at Smith. Also, you have to work a lot harder for good parties - Smith parties can get old. The opportunities are there - you can join sororities at UMass and take the bus out every weekend, the debate team goes to other schools every weekend, there are concerts and electronic parties at Diva’s (this nightclub) some Fridays - but if you’re lazy and don’t feel like putting in the effort, you end up watching 90210 in the laundry room in your pyjamas some Friday nights. Some of the extracurriculars aren’t as good as other schools of Smith’s caliber, which is both a pro and a con: they’re easier to participate in because anyone can participate, but we don’t win too many competitions because it’s not terribly intensive (for example, we rarely break at debate tournaments, the paper isn’t wonderful). BUT the more-opportunities thing is great - one of the editors on the paper is a first year. The student government association is, in my biased opinion, a lot better than ones at other schools. Much more involved, much more opinionated.</p>