<p>So I'm a freshman at Salve, and after I was accepted I decided to do a little research on collegeconfidential to see if I could get any firsthand stories of what it would be like to live there or whatever--and basically all I got was either people ****ing on the school or people who so obviously worked for the school it was hilarious. It made me really nervous about going because the only reviews were either terrible or total BS</p>
<p>I'm going to try and be as even-handed as possible, because this place definitely has its downsides, but overall I'm enjoying myself so I want students like me who were looking into it not to freak out like I did over all the reviews in that other thread. </p>
<p>To be honest, I think the school does misrepresent itself. People need to be more aware that this is a small Catholic university with low diversity and a dry campus. I think if Salve was more honest and up-front about this, students would be able to make a more informed choice as to whether or not they could be happy living that way. There are a lot of people in my dorm who are ****ed that they can't drink whenever they want. If Salve had made sure these people actually understood this, maybe they wouldn't be here wasting their time and money when they could be at URI or Roger Williams or something. </p>
<p>That said, I actually went to school to LEARN, and I don't see how going to a school where I can party 24/7 would make my money better spent. I agree with what some of the other people were saying about the non-transferrable classes and lower academic expectations. Everyone resents NSS (New Student Seminar) which is once a week for one hour but generates enough bitterness that you'd think it was daily. You basically talk about how your week went and are forced to do lame high school DARE activities like watch movies about hazing and alcoholism, which supposedly don't exist on campus anyway. Luckily I used AP credit to test out of "What It Means to Be Human," but there's no getting around Portal, which is like a philosophy/literature class. These classes sound great on paper ("seeking wisdom") which I assume is the point--to show off to parents what well-rounded, philosophical students will be crafted from that class...when the parents themselves don't actually have to sit through it. The professor was okay and made a few good points, but it wasn't worth the effort of an 8:30am class. </p>
<p>From what I hear, other classes are equally unchallenging. I guess I'm a unique exception then. I'm a CHP (Cultural and Historic Preservation) major, and Salve is one of only a handful of schools offering this program to undergrad students, and the only one I could find that was so well-developed and hands-on (we go to archaeological digs, have a very up-to-date lab for practicing cleaning and preservation techniques on small artifacts, school-owned historic landmarks to study in, and visit any of the local Newport Mansion museums to get a real perspective on what goes into museum management). The founder of the program and head professor, Dr. Garman, is an amazing teacher, almost stereotypically absent-minded, and incredibly passionate about his work. Hes also entertainingly outspoken and can use phrases like 18th century cornice-pieces in the same sentence as complete ********. I cant speak for other majors (I heard from my nursing-major friends that the program, as good of a rep as it has, is getting outdated), but I would say that if youre sure about studying CHP, Salve is definitely the place to go. </p>
<p>As a side note, there have been a lot of complaints about the food. What did you expect, gourmet? Its college. Its understandably below par and meals can get repetitive (especially breakfast), but theres a salad, pizza, ice cream, cereal, and Belgian waffle (weird, but a pleasant surprise) bar option at every meal. I come from a family that struggled with the grocery bill, so I found myself actually getting more selection than I ever did at home. </p>
<p>About the social scene: Salve could also do a better job advertising the fact that as beautiful as it is, Newport is practically an island. While there are certainly lots of off-campus activities (weekend trips to Block Island, Mount Monadnock, whitewater rafting, plays in other cities) and on-campus ones (pickup games of volleyball, manhunt, barbeques, beach parties, movie screenings), Salve is NOT the place for the average needs-to-be-entertained-at-all-times modern student. Id suggest somewhere with a bigger, more diverse student body in a more urban location. Yes, Salve students have the famous free-RIPTA pass to Providence, but its not next door or anything and has to be time-budgeted into your class schedule. I lucked out on suitemates and also have friends at Brown and Roger Williams so I have kind of an unfair advantage social-wise. Salve is much more suited to people who can take initiative and find ways to entertain themselves---as a horseback rider, I immediately searched places where I could get a part-time job. And if you get a job you can use towards your work-study, Salve provides free anytime transport there in a van. I also personally enjoy volunteering, old movies, the campus ministry, a rousing game of Apples to Apples, jogging on the Cliffwalk, fishing, swimming, playing music, visiting museums, reading, writing, and painting (as well as club activities and field trips). While these work out well for me and my friends, its obviously not for everyone. If youre a big shopper, clubber, or drinker, I wouldnt expect you to have fun either. </p>
<p>So my basic summary is that Salve, like anywhere else, isn't for everyone and doesn't do anyone any favors by not being up-front about how it's a small, dry Catholic campus, with low diversity. If you're extremely social and need a few parties a week to exist, I'd reconsider. But I couldn't recommend anyplace better for Cultural and Historic Preservation, people who appreicate beautiful scenery and architecture, or for independent-minded students who can take the initiative and organize their own schedule---like the adults were supposedly trying to transition into.</p>