<p>Like some others have said...10am on a Saturday? They are asleep. That's dead time right there.</p>
<p>The ones that are awake are probably hanging out in dorm lounges with their friends, playing video games or watching TV in their pyjamas.</p>
<p>In the mid-afternoon, there are all sorts of things they could be doing - studying, hanging out in dorm common spaces, going into whatever city is nearby to explore/eat/shop, attending a football game, working in labs or at other jobs around campus, practicing with a sports team or performance group - there's no particular reason that they would be lounging around in the student center.</p>
<p>D1 attends a small private LAC in rural area. Most of her campus would be sleeping at 10 on a Saturday. They do have a brand new $40,000,000(!!!) rec center that is always busy...basketball and volleyball leagues, racquetball, climbing wall and pool with waterslides(!!) that draws them in. Also has a little cafe with great smoothies and huge plasma TVs. Community members also use the facilities so it is always busy and cheerful.</p>
<p>D2 attends one of the Seven Sisters and there are very few people on her campus at
10 am on a Saturday morning. My sense is that college students generally don't keep the same time schedules as most of the world. My D routinely goes to study sessions or rehearsals or dorm meetings that start at 9 or 9:30 pm! D2 is rarely in bed before 1 or 2 am and on a Saturday when she can sleep in, she will. I don't think she's atypical.</p>
<p>you are right about the time schedules...Years ago, I was home on college break and jumped in the shower one friday night at 11:30 PM..i'll always remember the look on my dad's face when he asked "what the heck are you doing?"..I replied "getting ready to go out, of course!".</p>
<p>We visited the college our son eventually attended two times, both on Saturday and each time there was quite a bit a few students out and about. The main computer center and the student union were particularly busy. Being a predominantly engineering/science college one reason was because many courses involve group projects which are easier to organize on weekends. One memorable observation was a student playing on the grand piano in the student union lounge.</p>
<p>I think it was the student groups with their laptops out which prompted him to say that he could picture himself going there.</p>
<p>You're right about 10 am but missypie was also on a campus mid-day and still not much activity. Parents and/or prospective kids should definitely go back to the campus mid-day-night time on a typical weekend to get a clearer picture of the activity on campus. Be sure to check out the online Event's Calendar and the Student Activity calendar. Also, don't put too much emphasis on the Club listings as the number of clubs available does not give a true picture as to the enthusiasm or lack of enthusiasm within the clubs.</p>
<p>Nysmile: If you wouldn't mind, could you identify the school you referred to as "a small (2900 students) top tier college with an isolated campus [with] an occasional speaker at the law school." How many schools that small even have a law school?</p>
<p>We just got back from a weekend at my daughter's school. I was very surprised at how many students were out and about on Saturday morning, but my daughter said this was probably because of the unusually mild, sunny weather. Sunday morning was also busier than I had ever seen the campus before. However, I would say that on both days the number of young women out and about outnumbered the men 3 or 4 to one (at a school that is 52% male!). The volume had been turned up at a couple of the fraternity houses Saturday night so I suspect more than a handful of the guys were sleeping it off Sunday morning.</p>
<p>John -- The law school in Carlisle is not affiliated with Dickinson College and is located several miles north of campus.</p>
<p>It wasn't a Saturday, but a holiday that S2 and I visited a large southern CA university. We arrived a 11 AM and walked around campus until about 1 PM or so. We visited the library, dinning halls, a couple of buildings, and a dorm (just walked in and talked to the students manning the desk), we saw very few students on campus. We saw none at all (who weren't working) in the library, few in the dining halls though it was lunch time, and just a couple walking around the dorm. We did have a very nice discussion with the kids working the dorm desk, very bright and articulate and knew a great deal about the school and its programs. It appears that given the opportunity to sleep in, or simply not having to be anywhere is highly valued on many campuses.</p>
<p>My son and I visited two Ivy League colleges on successive weekend days. They are exactly the same size as far as numbers of students and undergrad/grad ratios are concerned. At the first, mid-afternoon on Saturday, there was nothing going on. No-thing. The library looked like there had been a neutron bomb attack (you know, the ones that kill people but leave property intact). Things did pick up a bit during the evening -- there was clearly stuff to do, and students were doing it -- but not enough to dispel the sense of deadness from the afternoon. At the second, a little earlier on Sunday afternoon, things were hopping, people were going places, doing things, stopping to chat . . . it was a complete contrast of energy. My son didn't like either of them much, but there was no question which one he didn't like more.</p>
<p>My college son rarely gets up before 2 on a saturday.
I oldest lives in a house with 5 other women. They try to have a weekly house meeting to go over bills, chores etc. The meeting is on a monday night at 10:30. I am usually already asleep by that time.</p>
<p>We recently visited a small LAC on a Saturday. Since this is truly a residential college (95% of students live on campus all 4 years), they showed us dorm rooms. Even though it was noon and even though the occupants had been warned that we were coming -- we woke them up each time! We weren't a small tour group and I think our tour guide (a senior himself) was none to pleased.</p>
<p>In fact, in order to better explain senior housing, he took us to his "apartment" and ironically all his roommates were up even though they didn't know we were coming!</p>
<p>Okay, maybe you were talking about the University of Richmond ...it is in a rather isolated area although it is within Richmond. We toured it on inauguration day, but I was struck by how few students seemed to be out and about even though it was a regular class day. If my daughter wants to pursue the idea, we'll be sure to visit on a weekend, because she wants a school where people (usually) stay on campus and where the culture does not revolve around drinking.</p>
<p>Check to see if it is a "suitcase campus", ie if many/most students leave on the weekends. Check the cars on campus policy, parking as another clue- if a lot of students have cars they may be using them to go home weekends. Any campus with tons of student parking and empty lots on a Saturday likely has students who weekend at home, or many commuters.</p>
<p>Mornings are for sleeping- as you can tell by everyone's responses. Warm days are for outdoors, especially if they are rare for the season.</p>
<p>We had a similar experience, but it was a Friday. Bard was empty Friday morning (and we didn't leave till noon). Vassar was hopping in the afternoon. Naturally S2 liked Vassar better, (but not just because of the lack of kids.)</p>