I have an interview tomorrow and I was doing my research and found from many sources about the apparent stress level and common case of suicide at the school. Can any alumni or current student confirm or discuss this?
Not an alum or student, but since no one else replied, I will share my research. I too saw those stories. My daughter was admitted this year and I was doing my due diligence on the various schools.
If you dig deep enough on this forum and others you will find discussions of the stress levels. I came to believe, based upon what I was reading, that the stress level is about the same at W&M as it is at other smaller, elite, non-party oriented schools.
As a small school, individual incidences of stress induced behavior tend to get amplified. It effects the population much more intensely because of the closeness of the campus.
In high school, one of my friends committed suicide. It was an unimaginable tragedy. There were no warning signs or outwardly visible tells.
No matter where you end up, try to be a good friend. If you see someone stressing, suggest that they get help. If they refuse and it persists, get them help yourself. You may lose a friend, but you may just save a life.
My daughter will be arriving at W&M in 6 weeks. I think she will love it.
As a rising sophomore at the college, I have to admit that I am almost always stressed out. I think most students feel this way, as the academics are very rigorous. However, I am probably more prone to stress than other students since I have anxiety issues. It is not hard to have a good time at WM while also studying hard and worrying about grades. Students also care very much about one another, and there will always be someone to help you if you are stressed or struggling. The school is trying to do more to address mental health at the college, and students are very good about speaking out about this issue!
Stress levels are almost always a function of top 5 students coming into a school where half of them, by definition, will be in the bottom half. Then, there’s next to nothing to actually “do” in Williamsburg. Especially for freshman without cars.
Still, getting involved is something you should do immediately, otherwise things will mount. William and Mary rightly has the reputation it does. People that proclaim otherwise, you will find, never seem to have long term experience with the College.
I have a junior. He loves W&M. We have had talks about the stress and suicides as there were a few his freshman year. The academics are very rigorous. I am not sure there is an “easy” class at the school. He is an athlete (got in on his own) so he has that added stress. From what I can tell, I think the school has done a good job addressing the issue. Also, students, who were top of their class at their high schools, need to prepare themselves for an adjustment to the rigor when they go to W&M. It is a wonderful school and I will always cherish his time there.
Currently a junior here and actually was heavily involved in a suicide prevention walk on campus last year. William & Mary can be pretty stressful, but it’s manageable. A lot of people here feel like they HAVE to get A’s and people here are very type-A in that they’re driven and motivated, which is great! However, that also leads people to get really stressed out about stuff. Generally, this is the first place where people have to really try hard to succeed. A’s aren’t just given out here and you have to work for them. For a lot of people, this is really troubling, but we all get through it together. Here at William & Mary, we have a saying called “One Tribe. One Family” and it really is true. We are a community. We are 6,000 strong, so you’re always seeing someone you know and the friend-of-a-friend rule definitely applies.
We learn how to handle stress and manage our time wisely here. The stress we feel is often self imposed because everyone here wants to be the best of the best. This school is hard, I’ll give you that. I’ve had many classes where I’ve struggled immensely, but the stress levels are very comparable to other schools. I take personal offense to the phrase “suicide school” because factual evidence doesn’t back that up. Not here, not anywhere. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S, and that number is even higher at the college-aged level. During my time here we’ve had a few and each one stung and shocked the entire campus. Unfortunately these things happen at every school. At UVA, JMU, Wisconsin, everywhere. The number of deaths here are no higher than they are anywhere else. I wish you could see how much the administration cares about the students and how great men and women in and out of the administration have made an effort to know the warning signs and cure mental illness on campus.
Suicide is not a “common” thing here. The issue is, suicides tend to happen in packs, so when one happens, the likelihood of another one occurring that same year increases. This is a national problem and our school is so much more than a place of academic pressure. People love it here and are happy. I’ve met my best friends here and am always amazed by how caring our community is. When you think of William & Mary, you should think of a small, quirky community that fights for each other and looks after their own. Think of our powerful division 1 athletics, our academic prowess, and our overwhelming desire to make this world a better place.