<p>Hi my son visited Hamilton last week on a college road trip with a friend and his parents. He liked the school quite a bit but was concerned about size and the fact that there is no real city or big town near it. To any current students..does this ever affect you or is student life alive and well on campus and that is not an issue? Thank you.</p>
<p>Hamilton is small and rural. If this is something that doesn’t appeal to you then I encourage you to look elsewhere. That being said, here are some things to think about.</p>
<p>Hamilton’s small size:
-Ensures that you always see someone that you know. It may be 20-30 degrees outside for a great deal of the school year, but Hamilton is full of the warmest people. I can’t tell you how nice it is to know that if I have to make the 1/2 mile trek from my dark side dorm to the science center that I will see friends or classmates who I can smile and say hi to.
-Chances are you’ll see that kid in your Gov class out on the weekend…and you’ll probably end up discussing the class or commiserating over the treacherous amount of homework the prof assigned last week
-Now for the downside: If you don’t want to see someone…you’ll have a hard time escaping them. This can include that ill advised hookup…hey, its college. </p>
<p>Hamilton’s Location:
-I won’t lie and say it’s awesome. Many Hamilton students wish we were closer to a bigger town/city…but the location isn’t a reason not to choose Hamilton, but perhaps a reason to do so.
-First, we are close to New Hartford and the mall is surprisingly decent. Dick’s, Walmart, Target, Movie Theater, Outback Steakhouse, Chicago Uno’s Grill, Panera, Subway, Friendly’s, Hannafords, etc. We aren’t in the middle of Siberia! There is civilization here 
-Second, for those 21+ there are two bars in Clinton that are pretty stereotypically “college town”
-Third, there’s never a shortage of parties/events/concerts/coffeehouses/etc Thurs/Fri/Sat. Whether it’s Silent Disco or board game night in the chapel there’s always something to do no matter what your scene is.
-Fourth, it’s not about where you are, but who you’re with. I may not have the resources of a city, but I’ve never had as much fun as I did walking down the hill with my friends at 1am in the pouring rain to get McDonald’s only to find out that you need a car to go through the drive thru…then talking one of our other friends out of bed to get their minivan downtown so we could all by happy meals…#college</p>
<p>Hamilton can be suffocating and I’m certainly guilty of complaining about nothing to do…but Hamilton is something you love, despite her flaws. I wish your son the best with his decision and hope to see him on the Hill in a year or two!</p>