<p>When talking to D the other day, she came up with what I thought was an interesting observation: one thing that stood out about students who were unhappy at Smith, except for one SoCal girl she knows of, is that they're all local to Smith, mainly from Massachuesetts/Connecticut. It's almost as if they haven't cut the tether and but "home" is still too close for them to center their energies and resources on being at Smith, even if all their friends are no longer there at home. </p>
<p>Interesting hypothesis.</p>
<p>Herself, she's still enjoying it very much despite getting over the flu and having a b!tch of a take-home mid-term in Number Theory.</p>
<p>I have known situations where being near to home meant going home once or twice a month for birthdays, ect. and that pulled the students away from enough social things that they didn't make the connect. Things happen when you are waiting for the washing machine to spin dry, or for the copying machine to function....things that build commaradrie (we are in this together, spirit.)</p>
<p>Ironically enough, one of my reasons for choosing Smith was its proximity to everywhere I want to be. It's an hour and a half drive from my home, so it's just far enough to go away but be able to visit home easily. It's also only an hour and a half to Dartmouth where I can visit my twin. I don't know exactly how I will feel about being so close to home until I am actually at Smith, but I like it at the moment. I drive up that way frequently, so I visit Smith a lot!</p>
<p>TheDad, I think TheD is onto something. I have observed the very same thing here on the west coast. The only time I haven't known it to be true is when kids grow up in a ivy college town, hoping and praying they could attend that college, and they get in. Those kids tend to love it. </p>
<p>It is not, however, true at state Us. But I do agree that it happens at small privates.</p>
<p>I don't know if my sister is another outlier to your observation or not ....but my sister, also from So. Cal, went to Smith several years ago and she absolutely hated it. =/</p>
<p>Hm. In some cases that is true. I know one girl in your D's house who's annoyed about the distance. My friend at UMass is also feeling a little trapped since her home is only 25 minutes away from UMass.</p>
<p>However, I've seen ladies whose families live in-state or CT... they're very happy here just because most realize that for many, it's a bit difficult to get out of Smith on weekends, particularly when the campus is dead for the time. They're always smiling when they telling me they're going home for the weekend while I pretend to smile and wish that I was in their shoes!</p>
<p>There just needs to be a balancing distance that's all.</p>
<p>Also, TheDad, it's mid-terms time so not everyone's happy!!!</p>