<p>Right, well, I'm wondering about how much interaction there is between Smith and the other four in the Consortium. How common is it really to take classes at, say, Amherst? What about social interaction? Is there much, or is that something the brochures exaggerate?</p>
<p>My d. never took a course at another of the schools. HOWEVER, there were huge advantages that accrued. Her STRIDE position was attached to the Five College Opera Consortium (which usually met at Amherst), and it was the combined resources of the five colleges that allowed them to mount the operas (which she then parlayed into graduate school.) Her baroque music quartet had members from all the colleges at various times, and the Five College professor of early music was based out of Mt. Holyoke (though taught mostly at Smith). Her medieval/Renaissance music groups met at either Mt. Holyoke or U.Mass. The graduate school at UMass brought in composers for colloquia. Her best musicological friend was from Hampshire. Taken together, the music resources at the 5 colleges that she accessed were greater than those she experiences at her Ivy League graduate school.</p>
<p>It really depends on a student’s major and their motivation to get off campus. I knew students who took up to the limit of off-campus courses every semester, and students who never set foot out of a Smith classroom in four years. I guess I would say most students only take one class through the consortium, but a lot of that has to do with the transportation issue. There’s a free bus between all the 5 colleges, but getting anywhere takes a lot of time on the bus (half hour to UMASS, hour to Amherst, longer to Moho, probably half hour to Hampshire) so that means you need a lot of time in your schedule in order to make getting to and from class viable. </p>
<p>For me, the real value of the consortium was the resources it gave, more than the classes it let me take. Getting to access all of the libraries, the experts that work at the other colleges, the sharing of professors between the schools, the excellent lecturers and intellectuals that were attracted to the area because of all of the colleges was really great. So were the bands and other entertainers that you can see on the cheap that come because of the concentration of students. I saw Salman Rushdie lecture at UMASS, watched the Decembrists play at Amherst (for $10), heard Nikki Giovanni speak at the 5-college black students association conference, got to meet John Kerry and Governor Patrick at College Democrats events. </p>
<p>Again, it really depends on your level of personal committment. I knew some girls that could recite the fraternities at UMASS like the alphabet, but I also knew others who didn’t have any non-Smith friends. So if you want to take advantage of the consortium, it’s there for you. And if you don’t, you don’t have to.</p>
<p>Thanks, that’s really helpful.</p>
<p>I second the post above me that it completely depends on the student. It’s easy to get stuck in the “Smith bubble” but it’s also just as easy to take the PVTA to another campus. I joined an activist group of Five College students that meets at Hampshire, which the co-founders attend & I’ve visited friends at MHC, UMass & Amherst (who have also visited me) as well as attended a good handful of lectures, concerts, and other events. There’s the good point about how it takes longer to get the other schools via PVTA vs. a car, but students who take classes at other schools carpool regularly. Though in terms of social life, I’m from Boston & the PVTA runs later on weekends than the MBTA here fyi. I haven’t taken any classes at one of the other Five College schools yet, but it’s something I intend to do before I graduate. </p>
<p>It’s unbeliviably easy to hear about different types of events at the different schools if one wants to take advantage of them & actively seeks to do so. Essentially, there are five different “scenes” an individual can partake in as much or as little as they want. The consortium provides an infinite amount of opportunities beyond just attending events or studying at different locations. Five College students can audition for theatre productions at any of the schools & oftentimes can join another school’s sports team, for example.</p>