People at Clark

Colleges and Universities A-Z Clark University
1

<p>Hey all, I am considering attending Clark next fall, and my main issue is that I’m worried I won’t fit in. I’m getting hung up on the fact that it’s known for a haven for the socially awkward nerd-types. I consider myself to be a pretty normal person. I can hold a conversation, and I like to go to parties every now and then. I was not a nerd in high school and I did not feel like I fit in with the “nerd” group at all. I do have some nerdy interests, I can be awkward sometimes (who doesn’t) and I definitely have a weird side (again, who doesn’t), but I get the feeling that Clark is a little too weird and nerdy for me.</p>

<p>I don’t mean to say that I think there’s anything wrong with being nerdy or weird. I don’t want to sound like I think I’m too cool for nerdy people or anything. Like I said I’m definitely a little weird myself and I actually like the fact that clark doesn’t have the type of people who were “popular” in high school, but I don’t want to feel like the one normal kid in a sea of awkward nerds. I want to have a somewhat normal college experience.</p>

<p>I mean all colleges have weird people, but are there a good amount of “normal” people at Clark too? And by a good amount, I mean a reasonable portion of the population, not a few people that I’d have to scavenge out. I just don’t want to feel like a fish out of water. I don’t want it to be difficult to find people like me.</p>

<p>Also this is kinda a weird question to ask here, but what’s the party scene like? I know clark isn’t a party school but I’m still curious. How significant is it in campus life?</p>

2

<p>@teguci … either this is a put-on or you are DEFINITELY weird enough to go to Clark! </p>

<p>But seriously, all I can say is my S read something like this in one of the college review books and was worried about it BEFORE we went to visit. After meeting live “Clarkies” this became a complete non-issue, never to be heard of again. </p>

<p>I really think its important to visit.</p>

3

<p>I would definitely recommend a visit, word of mouth can be very very biased, and out of context. Clark definitely is very accepting of the “nerdy” type, but that doesn’t mean that everyone here fits that description. </p>

<pre><code> You can find many people of all varieties; I haven’t bumped into anyone so far who had felt like they don’t fit in anywhere at Clark.

While we aren’t known for our parties, they do happen. What I liked a lot about the social scene at Clark is that you feel no pressure to party from anyone, but if you do want to party, you can definitely find them, even if it may not be as huge and “frat-like” as at bigger schools.
</code></pre>

<p>Hopefully that answered your questions, and I hope you’re happy wherever you end up!</p>

4

<p>Thanks guys. I actually have visited clark. At first this was never a worry for me, but actually, making the campus visit is what made it a worry. When I visited I sat and had lunch with some students and they just happened to be some of the nerdiest people I’ve ever met in my entire life, so that’s what got me nervous. And when I looked around campus it seemed like a possibility that everyone else might be as equally nerdy but I really couldn’t tell. Again I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with being nerdy, and I wouldn’t mind having some people like that at my college, but I want to have a bunch of normal people who I can do normal things with too. I basically want a place where completely normal people could go and still enjoy it.</p>

<p>And by calling myself weird I didn’t mean to declare myself as being so weird that I would need to go to an extremely “quirky” place to feel accepted. I just meant that I’m not so normal to the point where I have a complete cookie cutter personality and will run away screaming if I see anything different.</p>

5

<p>Actually, I have a new question. Would the type of people who are popular in high school be able to go to clark and still fit in?</p>

6

<p>Teguci, Clark,of all the colleges my son has applied to, has the highest number of resources that allow you to see the different kinds of students. Check out their Facebook page, videos (including personal videos of students in dorms), Flickr page etc. Go to the website and follow the various links and blogs. Looks like a variety of students to me.</p>

7

<p>@teguchi–my son will be there in the fall, so there… at least one non-nerd who has many friends</p>

8

<p>teguci, I love your question and the fact that you were brave enough to ask it, as it could seem un-PC.
My answer will probably be too long. My inner-nerd can make me too detailed.
But the Clark philosophy is tolerance. “We do not categorize.”<br>
This may create safe a haven for those who are socially uncertain, but by no means is the school overrun by oddballs. There appears to be a continuum of social style, but not so many super affluent students who flaunt wealth as we saw at some of the other schools S2 applied to. </p>

<p>I know quite a few Clarkies, including young co-workers, S2, his friends, S1’s friends. None of them are nerdy–although I could claim that we all have an inner nerdy self. To me, nerdy has to do with being intensely interested in a particular field or topic and not realizing that it may not interest others and does not need to be an “in you face” sort of thing. </p>

<p>S2 was definitely not nerdy in HS, nor was his roommate. They were athletes, had wide circles of friends. I think Clark allows for the socail awkwardness, teaching respect, giving kids time to develop in an emotionally safe environment. Initially, I was a bit curious about how my preppy, soccer kid would fit in. Academically and socially, S2 has had a very good experience. He is abroad for his sixth semester.</p>

<p>Happily, he has a great social life, even after he stopped playing his sport and did not have teammates as a built-in social circle. He does get weird haircuts now and then, but he and friends have good social skills–better than his nerdy parents! </p>

<p>I was pleased to hear him berate his older brother, S1, who jokingly made an ethnic slur one day. S2 simply said the Clark mantra: We do not categorize. S1 attended a school where there appeared to be less collective social conscience.
S2 has loved his time at Clark and hopes to do the fifth year program.</p>

<p>My, admittedly limited, impression of the party scene is that there is partying, especially in the off-campus apartments that surround the campus. Freshmen live on-campus. As a freshman, S2 attended off-campus parties if invited by upper classmen. I don’t think kids are cliquey, but there are no fraternities having wild parties that are open to the entire world. The police will intervene if necessary but seem not to go out of their way to find offenders. There are other websites that address the social scene. </p>

<p>Go visit, more than once if you can. What other schools are you comparing Clark to?</p>