St. Lawrence University

[Anonymous]

The closest big city is Ottawa. If the border relaxes...go skating in the canals in winter. Really fun.

[Anonymous]

Alum here- St. Lawrence is very small, cold, and remote (if we're talking about American cities). Obviously, this is not viable right but back then, my friends and I spent a lot of weekends in Ottawa (about 1 hr away) and Montreal (about 2 hrs away).

Most importantly, St. Lawrence offers a lot resources for students who are interested. I did multiple study abroad semesters and received grants for interesting projects fairly easily. The classes are small and the professors are great. I got to know many of my professors well.

I received amazing opportunities. I was able to do things that would not have been possible in a suburban or urban school where there would have been much more competition.

Otoh, I'm from NYC. For me, it felt too small and rural. The lack of diversity was really disorientating. Quite frankly, it was felt more foreign to me than some of the places where I studied abroad.

St. Lawrence is also a big party school. I remember the dorms (especially the freshman dorms) getting trashed every weekend. This is mostly due to the cold and remote location. Even for people who love the outdoors, it's too cold to be hiking for at least half the academic year. The town that's next to school is fairly desolate with little to do. Apparently, it has shrunk even more in the last decade and a half. Students who don't have cars are stuck on campus.

In all honesty, I had fun but it was overwhelming and harder for my friends who were not into partying.

St. Lawrence is an extreme place, so to speak- for every strong positive, there's a corresponding strong negative. It's unique place that's not for everyone. If the student loves this sort of environment or they are willing to ignore the negatives in order to take advantage of certain opportunities, then it will work for them. If they don't like the environment and/or they can't put their feelings aside, then it will be very hard for them.

Overall, the academic aspect of my experience was great. I had a close knit circle of friends. I enjoyed the partying even if it became boring after awhile. Looking back as an older person, even though it was a mix bag for me, I am glad that I was able to experience living in a very different part of America. I always thought of it as another "study abroad" where I learned to function and prosper in an environment that was very different and sometimes uncomfortable. I learned to identify and focus on the positives in my environment and the importance of ignoring the "noise" and staying focused on my larger goals. After all these years, this is something I still believe in and find to be helpful in my life today.