Warm, Supportive, Friendly, Nurturing---What do these terms mean?

[Anonymous]

Traditional words to describe women and mothers. Probably a school trying to attract more female students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For my student, we looked for schools that where the social scene was not dominated by institutions designed to exclude people, be they sports teams, greek organizations, or selective clubs.

To identify a warm and supportive atmosphere, I'd ask: what happens if a student gets sick? Who gets involved and how? Do students share course notes and study together (when not forced to by group projects)?

If my student gets sick, I expect that my child will call me if they need me. Are there really colleges that have staff that check in on kids so often that they know if they're sick? Sharing notes and studying together happens between friends at all schools.

I was referring to: if the kid gets sick, do other students -- not just close friends -- check in? Offer to bring food and gatorade? However, I also like a place where residential like has a strong staff who are a known backup.

And sharing notes is not typical everywhere, as some places are super-competitive. Kids will say things like 'my notes are illegible, they wouldn't help you'.

I’m going to disagree with you. I found a group of friends at Cornell. We were all in the same classes together so we shared notes and formed study groups. I know that there were these informal “cohorts” throughout my class. However, no one would ever term my school “warm and nurturing”. To me, it’s about making relationships which I think you can do anywhere. If, however, you’re talking more about the type of personality that is attracted to a certain school, and those traits are more nurturing, then I can see your point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please help me understand these terms within a college environment? Can you share a concrete example of your "warm" school? What specifically makes it "friendly"? How is "nurturing" built into the environment? What does "supportive" mean at the college level?

Private HS 2.0

Some of you all have a real fetish about equating extra student support with weakness or immaturity.

[Anonymous]

My kid attends a warm and friendly school - its a small LAC in the south. The kids are nice and happy. The classes are small, so my DC knows their professors and advisors and the other kids in class. Right now they are taking a class in their major and their advisor is the professor, so he really has a personal relationship.

There was a really good first year orientation and the kids were placed in dorms based on their first year forum class, so they easily made friends that also lived near them.

Most kids live on campus 3 or 4 years so that builds community and closeness.

(my other kid attend a big state school where TAs taught a lot of classes, you had to wait in (electronic) line at midnight to get into your first or second choice classes, and he was in 200+ kid classes for 2 years straight). That was great for him but a lot different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The colleges on the CTCL list

Wow someone is really working hard on this forum to promote that CTCL

[Anonymous]

Those were terms I used when picking my child’s elementary school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please help me understand these terms within a college environment? Can you share a concrete example of your "warm" school? What specifically makes it "friendly"? How is "nurturing" built into the environment? What does "supportive" mean at the college level?

Private HS 2.0

Some of you all have a real fetish about equating extra student support with weakness or immaturity.

Does private HS equate to weakness and immaturity?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please help me understand these terms within a college environment? Can you share a concrete example of your "warm" school? What specifically makes it "friendly"? How is "nurturing" built into the environment? What does "supportive" mean at the college level?

Private HS 2.0

Some of you all have a real fetish about equating extra student support with weakness or immaturity.

Does private HS equate to weakness and immaturity?

Whatever gotcha you were going for is undermined by the post immediately above yours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For my student, we looked for schools that where the social scene was not dominated by institutions designed to exclude people, be they sports teams, greek organizations, or selective clubs.

To identify a warm and supportive atmosphere, I'd ask: what happens if a student gets sick? Who gets involved and how? Do students share course notes and study together (when not forced to by group projects)?

+1

IT means a collaborative environment, professors and staff that genuinely care and want students to succeed. It's not hand holding---your kid has to access all that is available, but it's there if they want it.

I tend to find schools with a higher % first gen do really well at this. They want people to succeed and provide support, which typically carries over to all students.

[Anonymous]

I went to a Big 10 school. It was totally possible to make it through to graduation and not really know anyone, professor or student. If you didn’t show up for class (ever), no one cared. If you were failing, no one said anything. I know some of my friends at smaller schools did not have that experience. I personally liked being on my own and had a great time, but a big anonymous school is definitely not for every 18 yo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please help me understand these terms within a college environment? Can you share a concrete example of your "warm" school? What specifically makes it "friendly"? How is "nurturing" built into the environment? What does "supportive" mean at the college level?

Private HS 2.0

Some of you all have a real fetish about equating extra student support with weakness or immaturity.

I’m a different poster, but it does seem beyond odd that anyone would expect the school to step in if your kid is sick or misses class. My daughter had a sinus infection and took herself to the school health center. When she continued to be sick weeks later, she went to urgent care to get some antibiotics. If she had been more seriously ill, we would have come and helped her or brought her home. What on earth should the school be doing? They are adults and this isn’t summer camp.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please help me understand these terms within a college environment? Can you share a concrete example of your "warm" school? What specifically makes it "friendly"? How is "nurturing" built into the environment? What does "supportive" mean at the college level?

Private HS 2.0

Some of you all have a real fetish about equating extra student support with weakness or immaturity.

I’m a different poster, but it does seem beyond odd that anyone would expect the school to step in if your kid is sick or misses class. My daughter had a sinus infection and took herself to the school health center. When she continued to be sick weeks later, she went to urgent care to get some antibiotics. If she had been more seriously ill, we would have come and helped her or brought her home. What on earth should the school be doing? They are adults and this isn’t summer camp.

Check in in case the kid is unconscious in the dorm room?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It means woke — and psycho teddy bears from hell if you disagree about anything.

+1000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For my student, we looked for schools that where the social scene was not dominated by institutions designed to exclude people, be they sports teams, greek organizations, or selective clubs.

To identify a warm and supportive atmosphere, I'd ask: what happens if a student gets sick? Who gets involved and how? Do students share course notes and study together (when not forced to by group projects)?

+1

IT means a collaborative environment, professors and staff that genuinely care and want students to succeed. It's not hand holding---your kid has to access all that is available, but it's there if they want it.

I tend to find schools with a higher % first gen do really well at this. They want people to succeed and provide support, which typically carries over to all students.

Ack! I can't stand euphamisms. If "warm and nurturing" means small classes where professors know your name and more, than just say that. Or if it means a school where teaching is the focus and not research, than say that.

[Anonymous]

Low academic standards.