Student Profile
April
- Class: Senior
- Major: German Studies
- Gender: F
- High School: Montgomery High School
- Transfer Student: N
Big Picture
The best thing about Colby is the PROFESSORS! I tell this to all of my tours, and I never have to exaggerate even the slightest amount when I talk about how wonderful the teachers are at Colby. They don't just see their students as grades in a grade book - we're real people to them, and it is not at all uncommon for a professor to attend students' concerts and games or invite the majors in their department over for dinner. Most Colby students take all of this attention for granted until senior year, when they (like I did!) realize that the support and connections of their professors are absolutely essential when applying to grad schools or looking for jobs. If I could change one thing about Colby, I would move it four hours closer to New Jersey. I hate the long drive home! But most of the time I am glad that I have an excuse to stay on campus for shorter breaks and long weekends. Colby is just the right size. It is rare that you will ever be in a situation where you don't recognize anyone, but you meet new people everyday. Anyone who is actually familiar with Colby (which most well-educated people living on the East Coast are) is very impressed when I tell them I am a student here. Otherwise, the usual reaction is, "Colby - where's that? Why on earth would you want to go to school somewhere so cold?" I spend most of my time on campus in the library or a dorm room - my own or one of my friends' rooms. Waterville actually has a nice little downtown area with restaurants and shops, but it's still pretty dead at night. Luckily, our student programming board has something planned practically every night of the week, and the new pub is FANTASTIC - great for a relaxed evening of drinking, if you're legal.
Academic Life
My favorite class was Fiction 1 with Adrian Blevins - I never wanted the class period to end. Adrian was an absolute riot, and my fellow amateur writers were also extremely hilarious. I laughed until it hurt almost every class, but I still learned an incredible amount about writing. Students study ALL THE TIME. I should be studying right now. Thanks, survey. Most classes are very discussion-based, so participation is essential. Students have intellectual conversations outside of class, but they usually sneak up on us. One minute we're talking about Britney Spears, the next we're talking about the connections between sex and death in German literature. We're students, so of course we're prone to discuss intellectual things, but we don't purposely have "intellectual discussions" to show off to one another. Students are competitive with themselves, not each other. It's a cliche, but in this case, it's true. Both of my departments are on the small side, so I know all of the professors really well - even the ones with whom I haven't taken many (or any) classes. In many respects, we're like happy little families who have the fortune of not having to live together. The purpose of Colby's education is what you make of it. I chose to make my Colby education about learning for its own sake, which means that I am really only suited for grad school after graduation. However, I am VERY well-suited for grad school and have already been accepted by several top schools. Other students take more practical approaches to their Colby education (*cough* Econ majors *cough*).
Student Body
I am from New Jersey and attended a high school that was only about 65% white, but I have a MUCH more diverse group of friends here at Colby. For my first two years at Colby, my best friends were a poor, Mormon Dominican and and a reasonably affluent, atheist Korean. Racists and other varieties of bigot would feel out of place at Colby. We had a comedian perform a show here a few years ago who made racist jokes, and absolutely no one laughed. Prejudice is the greatest taboo at Colby. Students, for the most part, do not dress up at Colby. It's too damn cold! Sweatshirts, jeans, and boots are the clothing articles of choice for most of the year.
The Best Things
the professors
The Worst Things
its remote location
