Davidson College | Student Reviews | Best College

Student Profile

Emily

Class: Sophomore
Major: Art/Art History
Gender: F

High School: Harpeth Hall
Transfer Student: N

Big Picture

Davidson is small liberal arts college, a gem in the Carolina area. Because of it's size, it's easy to recognize anyone on campus, and people say hello all the time. My favorite thing about Davidson is that the college makes sure every student gets a quality experience. Professors invite their students to their homes and are always available for help, there are organizations for almost any interest, studying abroad is very popular junior year, flickerball teams are a special part of the freshman experience, athletes work just as hard as everyone else, and there are opportunities to join eating houses and frats though they are non-exclusive and not the focus of campus life. The honor code allows for freedom to have self-scheduled exams, take home tests, and trust in fellow students. The small town atmosphere caters to the students with a coffee shop, CVS, book store, and a couple quaint eating spots. The townies love to support the college. Davidson is small, with its ups and downs. Small means a close-knit community, but also it's hard to remain anonymous at times. Students complain about the lack of dating culture, and instead a hook-up scene, but that seems to be the case at most colleges. It's funny that many Davidson grads end up marrying each other. The administration is amazing. They are always looking to move the college forward, and always get the student's input on how to make the campus it's best. The trustees proved their generosity to students by paying for any student to go to watch the basketball team play in the Sweet 16 in Detroit. The one experience I will always remember was being in the stands at the Sweet 16 cheering on our basketball team. We got 500 students to go, and the school spirit took over. We cheered so loud, the whole stadium was asking "Who are these Davidson people?" It was a great day to be a wildcat. The unusual thing about Davidson is that even though it is small, it competes with the best in academics, athletics, and quality of life. It is in the South, but attracts well-rounded people from all over the US and from foreign countries. It embodies the saying, "the best things come in small packages."

Academic Life

Professors are great. They are intelligent, interesting people from different backgrounds, and they are concerned about you personally. They know your name, and encourage you to come into office hours. My favorite class is Chinese because I learn how to speak the language, learn about the culture, and my professor makes class entertaining with random funny jokes. Class participation is pretty necessary since classes are so small, typically 12 students. Students have intellectual conversation outside of class, but are not competitive. People talk about the work load and grade deflation, but never compare grades. The most unique class I took was Humanities: Cultures and Civilizations. It explored essays, books, films, and comics that had to do with building traditions in other cultures. Since it's liberal arts, the education is geared toward learning for it's own sake, especially to think critically, read, write, and communicate. I like it because it prepares you for any job in the future, which you can decide on later. There are core requirements. I don't mind them, but PE requirements and Davidson 101 credits (life courses) are kind of a hassle.

Student Body

ASmart, friendly people. Some students wear preppy clothing, but most are just well-dressed. Different types of students definitely interact, though there are groups of people based on athletics, race, outdoors, etc. There isn't much of an artsy crowd. Most students are from everywhere in the US. Many from NC and the south, but also lots from the Northeast, CA, TX, FL and CO. Most financial backgrounds are upper-middle class, though the debt-free plan brings in people with different socio-economic backgrounds. Students are politically aware, but not active as in there aren't protests or rallies. I'd say like most college campuses, students are liberal, but many of them come from conservative families. Students do not talk about how much they will earn one day, but many plan on going to grad school and getting high powered jobs.