What do the kids do at a LAC in a sleepy town?

[Anonymous]

Sports. Lots of lacs which are diviii like 2/3s of the wtidents olay a sport. Drink, on campus arranged activities.

[Anonymous]

We went to visit Oberlin and it was the biggest turn off. They had a 5 & 10 store. And it was touted they do indeed have an ATM in town now. The “town” may have been 8 stores. It was just a little too old fashion and isolated. I am sure some people love that, but not my child.

[Anonymous]

Upper Midwest LAC grad. Weekends we went to Duluth. I learned how to sea kayak and cross country ski. My sleepy town had a coffeehouse (wtf, of course we have coffeehouses! Ours was in the Granola Triangle with the co-op and bakery). Concerts at the student union. Parties. HOCKEY. Camping in the national forests. Witness the crushing poverty of the US Indian reservation system firsthand. Drinking. Visit my English professor's farm for his monthly student meal in the barn. Hiking. Discover just how much work goes into making maple syrup. Learn to deer hunt.

Look, I love the city and DC in particular; I grew up here and returned as an adult. But I am so glad I went to a little school in a tiny rural town and lived a very different experience. I stayed for two years after graduation. It was more than just getting out of the bubble; it shaped how I live today and how I view my country.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In my opinion, their relative isolation is the best thing about them. Fewer distractions, easier to focus.

+1

Meh. I went to a small LAC and binge drinking was a massive issue. I guess it was kind of one of those “well what else are we supposed to do?” Oh, and recreational drugs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In my opinion, their relative isolation is the best thing about them. Fewer distractions, easier to focus.

+1

Isn't this why Jefferson put UVA in Cville - he thought academics should be pursued in a quiet isolated town?

That was a long time ago, dunce.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UChicago is in Chicago but kids rarely have time to go downtown. Colleges in cities are lame imo. The tacky literal and wannabe Euro trash kids at Columbia, NYU and USC going out and getting bottle service in "The City" isn't what college is supposed to be about

As opposed to the preppy white frat boys and rich entitled white girls that line SLACs? They have no diversity and no real world experience. Not everyone wants that type of college experience.

+1

[Anonymous]

This was the weekend to-do list at for me and my friends at a SLAC:

STUDY! Go to a student concert. Play in a student concert. Go to a student theater production. Rehearse for your own play. Play intramural sports. Bake cookies. Hang out with friends, listening to music and talking about how the world should be. Go to a movie for free on campus, or walk to the movie theater off campus. Select music for radio show you DJ. Spend the afternoon walking to the grocery store for provisions, then cook a dinner with friends in the dorm kitchen. Do my Work out at the campus gym facilities. Volunteer at the nursing home. Watch tv with your dorm floor. Practice your musical instrument. Go cross-country skiing in the woods behind the dorm.

FWIW, I wasn't a partier in college, I seldom left campus, and I was never bored.

[Anonymous]

+1000

[Anonymous]

Does everyone perform in plays? This seems odd

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does everyone perform in plays? This seems odd

Everyone makea $500k and studied law or engineering, maybe plays were their creative outlet

[Anonymous]

You would have to be a loner to be bored......there are hundreds of events to participate in and a strong emphasis on outdoor activities, sports and others.

[Anonymous]

Amherst is not in a sleepy town. You can get to the UMASS campus really easily and there is always a lot going on there, Hampshire books good music, go to Northampton and drink coffee and hang out with the hipsters.

[Anonymous]

My child at Oberlin is never bored. They have so many concerts and events in addition to a movie theater and art museum. On weekends most kids get work done, do laundry and stuff during the day Sunday but on Saturday they often do road trips , bike or go to a nearby lake to hike. My child also loves to cook and will shop and make dinner for a group in the dorm. As someone else said above, they just hang out.

[Anonymous]

Boring people will be bored regardless of their environment.

[Anonymous]

Add me to the list of LAC alums (Williams grad) posting here who can't recall being bored. Two caveats, I guess: 1) I'm not a fan of huge parties and really enjoy just hanging out and talking to people, and 2) I played a varsity sport, so that took up quite a bit of time. Oh, and I love doing outdoorsy stuff. My oldest DC is about to graduate from a city school -- also not a fan of huge parties and a varsity athlete. He's had a great experience -- but the interesting thing is that his social life seems a lot like mine did, except: 1) he has more restaurants to choose from, and 2) it takes more effort for him to get outdoors to hike, etc.