<p>I am curious about students whose political/religious/theological/social views are diametrically opposed to the majority of students who traditionally attend their college.</p>
<p>If example, what is it like to be a liberal Democrat at Brigham Young University? Or a conservative Republican at Smith College? Are there liberal Democrats at BYU? Conservatives at Smith?</p>
<p>I would like to hear from anyone who has had such an experience. No particular reason, just being nosy...</p>
<p>I was a conservative when I was at Yale. Found it very difficult. Seemed as though conservative voices weren't taken seriously... sometimes even that they were squelched. </p>
<p>Now I'm this flaming liberal, wouldn't you know :)</p>
<p>I'm still in highschool, but most of my friends and classmates are very, very liberal. I'm really conservative (not socially...so I suppose I would technically be more libertarian) and enjoy being the outcast. I never felt like I wasn't taken seriously, because they verged on brainwashed, and I can actually make a logical argument. I think at Yale, though, even the flaming, brainwashed liberals could scrape together a decent platform.</p>
<p>i live in an ultra conservative part of Oklahoma and i'm dying to get out. It's prison here</p>
<p>It depends on the person. Some people don't want to be around others who disagree with them, and find it difficult to make friends and get along in a culture like that. For others, it's water off a duck's back. Ask yourself who you are and how you operate.</p>
<p>I partially agree with groovinhard. Personally, I have no trouble getting along with anyone who understands the rules of logic and the effect of underlying assumptions on logic. I especially get along with those who know that some things can't be known. It makes them open. The problem with most radicals and reactionaries, though, is that they are completely unable to grasp one or more of the three: logic, the effect of assumptions, and underlying uncertainty.</p>
<p>Where I disagree with groovinhard is his characterization of his classmates as "brainwashed." The implication, of course, is that he is the only Vulcan in the group, operating on pure logic with absolutely correct assumptions and no uncertainty whatsoever. I doubt this. But it's a good example of what most reasonable people want to avoid.</p>
<p>So, if you don't want to be around screaming radicals, you might want to avoid schools that attract and breed them. Same goes for reactionaries.</p>
<p>By brainwashed, I just meant radical.</p>
<p>Because to me, if you're radically conservative/liberal, there is definitely some element of brainwashing there...either peer pressure, parents, or you are just fooling yourself...</p>
<p>And I think that although not /all/ of my classmates are "brainwashed", those that aren't politically apathetic tend to just want to go to one extreme or to another...usually to the liberal end, and yes I do blame this on "group think" which can be considered a type of brainwashing ^^. Seriously, you'd think conservatism is like a bastion of evil or something...</p>
<p>But yeah, doesn't bother me. It might be more fun around people who are more logical, though :).</p>
<p>I'm definitley a fiscal conservative, social darwinist type w/ a bit libertarian and I don't think i could stomach being around radical social conservatives just as much as I can't stand radical liberals. With that being said i visited wesleyan and know some kids that attend there and unless your purely a social conservative, i don't see how you can't eventually assimilate.</p>
<p>I'm an independent as far as voting...conservative on some issues, liberal on others. I've had one professor who was a flaming liberal and directly stated that he would grade conservative papers harder than liberal themed papers. Couldn't stand that prof. Had another who was ultra conservative and graded liberal papers harder (directly stated). Just my luck that my paper for the liberal prof, I had a conservative view and my paper for the conservative prof, I had a liberal view. I'm not going to change my view just to fit somebody's else policies or ideals. I'm at a fairly conservative school, in comparison to most other public state schools anyway. Alot of people I've met here are like me--"moderate," if judging by facebook's "Political Views" question ;)</p>
<p>If you are truly conservative, you will be in a wobbly minority at most universities.</p>
<p>If you are a liberal, you will fit right into the crowd; perhaps even lost in the crowd if you are not a leader--but perhaps you are.</p>
<p>I myself am of an off-persuasion at a very liberal New England school…and I love it.</p>
<p>I'm a moderate to very slightly conservative Democrat. I dislike the idea of a flaming liberal school. I want to go to a college where both the reasonable conservative and liberal spectrums are represented, with few extremists.</p>