William & Mary

[Anonymous]

HI there,

I am a nanny who has finally got her act together. I have returned to school at NOVA and have been encouraged to apply to William & Mary's CoEnrollment program. I know there are a ton of scholars on here so if you attended W&M what did you love about it? What about Williamsburg? I am nervous about it being such a smaller area than here. I am also an older student(33) and married. I am wondering if that will be a downfall with such a young crowd? I am open to any and all advice!! Thank you for all your help!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:HI there,

I am a nanny who has finally got her act together. I have returned to school at NOVA and have been encouraged to apply to William & Mary's CoEnrollment program. I know there are a ton of scholars on here so if you attended W&M what did you love about it? What about Williamsburg? I am nervous about it being such a smaller area than here. I am also an older student(33) and married. I am wondering if that will be a downfall with such a young crowd? I am open to any and all advice!! Thank you for all your help!

I have no direct experience with William & Mary but I can tell you that your profs will probably love you. I have taught both at a big state university and a small liberal arts school and when I moved from the big U to the small college I really missed my adult students. Not that the young'uns at the small school weren't great kids, but I loved the experience the adults brought to the classroom, their greater commitment to their studies (because they appreciated them more) and their greater confidence in speaking their minds.

I can't speak to what it would be like to go to school with a predominately younger and single crowd. But getting a degree from W&M will be more prestigious and should be more likely to open some doors for you than a less prestigious state school so I think it's worth dealing with any discomfort you might feel being older and married. And don't be afraid to go chat up your profs and ask them for advice. Really, most of us really appreciate students who take full advantage of the opportunities that college affords them and so few really do.

Good luck, OP! Go for it!

[Anonymous]

I went to W&M and enjoyed it. And DH was an older student (late 20s - turned 30 after Junior year) and there were not tons but there were indeed some.

I think W&M is actually a good place for an older student who's serious about their program. It's not a big party school at all and it is in a small town, but the small town's pretty nice and has a few different restaurants in it (for someone who can drive, in particular). It won't feel the same as DC area and if you're a born and bred city girl, I'd say you probably won't like it since it IS a quiet small town. But they also have a very active campus community w/ lots of different groups to get involved in to stay active and frnakly students actually study a lot if they want good grades. It's not really a "coasting" school (for most majors at least) unless you're fine w/ avg grades.

[Anonymous]

Thanks, PP's!

I grew up in a very small Southern town so I would just have to get used to it all over again. DH and I are thinking about heading down there this weekend. All of this is very new to me so I am taking it a step at a time.

I am one of those people who study and get really upset if I make anything less than a "B" on a test. So, I think (or hope)academically I will be fine.

I have waited so long to return to school so I am seriously committed to this and want to make sure I choose the right school.

[Anonymous]

Let us know how it goes, OP!

[Anonymous]

the biggest downside to W&M is that the school has zero social life. Zero. But for you, at your age and life situation, that will actually be a plus. Williamsburg is great - not too far from civilization if you need to get back, but in a nice quiet part of the state. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Thank you! We would not have to move until Dec.'11. Since I have to finish my Associates @ NVCC while stop taking a few courses through W&M. I really foresee this as a promising option in my academic career. Thanks again!

[Anonymous]

Autocorrect..ugh. should read still taking a few courses...

[Anonymous]

I respectfully disagree with the PP who said W&M offers zero social life. So wrong!! Are there 5 million bars and fancy night clubs like you'd find in NYC or DC? No but there are several great bars/hangouts as well as intramural and NCAA sports, a Greek system, and student groups/clubs related to nearly every interest from academics to improv to music to religions to countries of the world. The campus community is close geographically and socially, but I met new people all four years I was there as well as after college, demonstrating to me that it wasn't a tiny fishbowl. You will be in the minority as an older student but you'll also be among a group of young people who are intelligent and can actually relate to someone outside of a keg party.

Williamsburg is not cosmospolitan, but it's a quaint, comfortable town that's close to Richmond and DC - great running and biking area, decent casual dining options and cool historical features that I appreciated even as a twenty-something.

A degree from W&M opened doors for me - couldn't recommend it more. Good luck to you!

Signed,
A Proud W&M Graduate

[Anonymous]

dude, there are no bars. there are a few delis that serve alcohol, assuming you aren't counting the Ruby Tuesdays and Applebees.

ZERO social life.

bad for 18-22 year olds. Good for OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks, PP's!

I grew up in a very small Southern town so I would just have to get used to it all over again. DH and I are thinking about heading down there this weekend. All of this is very new to me so I am taking it a step at a time.

I am one of those people who study and get really upset if I make anything less than a "B" on a test. So, I think (or hope)academically I will be fine.

I have waited so long to return to school so I am seriously committed to this and want to make sure I choose the right school.

FYI, Phi Beta Kappa was founded at W&M and is Alpha of VA, not UVA. A good friend of mine grew up in Williamsburg (father was a professor at W&M) and she never complained about a lack of social life. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Google William and Mary/ suicide epidemic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Google William and Mary/ suicide epidemic.

Oh for goodness sakes. It's not any higher there than anywhere else.

I LOVED W&M. Beautiful town and the campus is gorgeous. I didn't find that there was no social life, though I'm not the type to need a bar in order to be social. It's a wonderful school and I wish you the best!

[Anonymous]

Op here. Thank you so much for the positive feedback.

I am not one who needs a bar. All I need is a great wine store hopefully there is one? I am excited to move forward with this new chapter.

[Anonymous]

I went for undergrad 10 years ago and my cousin is there now. We both had/are having a great time and made/are making lifelong friendships. I also dated a local for a year or so after graduation, so I have a sense for what it's like for older ( post grad) folks too. It is a small town for sure and I preferred Charlottesville as a city in which to live, but you'll get a great education and your kids will love the area. Like any place, it can be as fun or as dull as you want it to be. What the area lacks for 20-somethings outside the college community it makes up for in activities for families and kids. Plus, it's a nice school for your resume, especially in this area.