If you kid is studying at Williams/Amherst/Pomona/Swarthmore/Wellesley/Bowdoin now,

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are their experiences like? I have one at one of these schools and she has been extremely busy with assignments and stuff. She was a self-driven, top student in high school with excellent academic records. She hasn't decided on her major yet. This semester she selected a course in philosophy, economics, environmental studies, and a seminar course. What she didn't expect is the amount of reading and writing required for each class. She sleeps maybe 6 hours a night or less during the week. She studies on weekends. She reads while doing laundry. She made quite a few friends, likes many of her teachers, enjoys campus events and a campus job. Her grades are fine, but she has to work so very, very hard I have to watch out for burnout. What are your kids' experience like? Any thoughts or advice? Thanks.

I think if you were to s private high school these SLAC are no big deal and actually easier.

lol. According to previous posters it’s “toxic” to admit this. You have to pretend there’s zero difference in the workload between public and private schools, lest you be accused of being elitest scum, by people who definitely don’t have a chip on their shoulders.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are their experiences like? I have one at one of these schools and she has been extremely busy with assignments and stuff. She was a self-driven, top student in high school with excellent academic records. She hasn't decided on her major yet. This semester she selected a course in philosophy, economics, environmental studies, and a seminar course. What she didn't expect is the amount of reading and writing required for each class. She sleeps maybe 6 hours a night or less during the week. She studies on weekends. She reads while doing laundry. She made quite a few friends, likes many of her teachers, enjoys campus events and a campus job. Her grades are fine, but she has to work so very, very hard I have to watch out for burnout. What are your kids' experience like? Any thoughts or advice? Thanks.

I think if you were to s private high school these SLAC are no big deal and actually easier.

lol. According to previous posters it’s “toxic” to admit this. You have to pretend there’s zero difference in the workload between public and private schools, lest you be accused of being elitest scum, by people who definitely don’t have a chip on their shoulders.

[Anonymous]

I went to Wesleyan after private in MA. Had so much more time. Top kids at my high school were smarter. And i had great study skills. I worked hard, but getting an A was the same as in high school. I TA’d three courses and found many were not good writers. I had great teachers in high school who taught me how to write an essay and analyze literature. It was more of the same albeit on a slightly higher level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I still think part of the college experience is learning to prioritize. We could never have read everything a prof assigned. Not enough hours existed. Just like in life, you can’t do it all so have to learn how to prioritize by trial and error.

Agree.
Also, though all difficult to get into, the competitive nature in the colleges vary, so the feeling varies. More kids have imposter syndrome than a struggling kid realizes. And, the quality of the writing program in high school makes a big difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to a big three private high school and then one of those colleges. The big three was way harder in terms of workload and time management.

I worked hard in college. I probably studied, I don't know, maybe eight hours a day, more during exams. But time management was not an issue because I only had four classes and I was neither work study nor an athlete. So I had PLENTY of time to get work done. And I got WAY more sleep than in high school.

I feel like there is something miss here from what you are saying. Did your daughter go to a high school where she only had a couple hours of homework a night? Or did her high school not prepare her well for college level week? Or is she an athlete or have a work study job? She should have plenty of time to get her work done and still sleep 7 to 8 hours a night.

Similar experience. It's about time management. Way more free time in college than in high school. OP's daughter needs to figure this out. If she's only getting 6-7 hours a sleep it's because she's staying up late catching up when she has plenty of time during the day between classes, after the last class and before dinner, or library after dinner. Sunday afternoons and evenings were always standard studying days at college. It's good preparation for life as a consultant or analyst after graduation.

From what I remember, I typically rose at 9, just had coffee for breakfast, headed to library and prepped for first class, then classes/lunch/library studies through late afternoon. Maybe some chilling till dinner with friends. After dinner back to library, then gym and the occasional campus club event. Bed by 1.

Repeat through Thursday. Friday afternoon after last class typically didn't study but hung out and socialized. Same with Saturdays. Sunday was definitely a study day but leisurely.

I tended to study solo in a quiet corner of the library but plenty studied in groups and made it a social thing too. Not always advisable and that may be the other problem if OP's daughter's "studying" is really talking with friends in the library.

I went to an Ivy and maybe averaged 2 hours of homework per night.

These schools sound fairly miserable.

That said, I do wonder with the online ratings of courses/teachers/workloads if it is easier to carve out a better lifestyle these days.

This is why I think the Ivys are BS. I went to a SLAC and my language classes alone had 2 hours of homework a night (1 hour of exercises and 1 hour of language lab or discussion every day). Most reading-type classes had a book a week and a paper every week or every other week, and STEM classes went through a chapter each class so several hours of work in between each class and a unit exam covering a several chapters probably every three weeks. At least 5-6 hours of studying and writing a day, including weekends.

I don't understand how an Ivy is BS just because your SLAC experience was different. College is about so much more than the amount of studying you complete. Did this result in a better job than someone from Harvard with the same degree? Are you the boss of a bunch of Princeton grads because of your SLAC 6 hours of writing and studying?

If the answer to the two questions above is yes...well, then you should feel great about your choices.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to a big three private high school and then one of those colleges. The big three was way harder in terms of workload and time management.

I worked hard in college. I probably studied, I don't know, maybe eight hours a day, more during exams. But time management was not an issue because I only had four classes and I was neither work study nor an athlete. So I had PLENTY of time to get work done. And I got WAY more sleep than in high school.

I feel like there is something miss here from what you are saying. Did your daughter go to a high school where she only had a couple hours of homework a night? Or did her high school not prepare her well for college level week? Or is she an athlete or have a work study job? She should have plenty of time to get her work done and still sleep 7 to 8 hours a night.

Similar experience. It's about time management. Way more free time in college than in high school. OP's daughter needs to figure this out. If she's only getting 6-7 hours a sleep it's because she's staying up late catching up when she has plenty of time during the day between classes, after the last class and before dinner, or library after dinner. Sunday afternoons and evenings were always standard studying days at college. It's good preparation for life as a consultant or analyst after graduation.

From what I remember, I typically rose at 9, just had coffee for breakfast, headed to library and prepped for first class, then classes/lunch/library studies through late afternoon. Maybe some chilling till dinner with friends. After dinner back to library, then gym and the occasional campus club event. Bed by 1.

Repeat through Thursday. Friday afternoon after last class typically didn't study but hung out and socialized. Same with Saturdays. Sunday was definitely a study day but leisurely.

I tended to study solo in a quiet corner of the library but plenty studied in groups and made it a social thing too. Not always advisable and that may be the other problem if OP's daughter's "studying" is really talking with friends in the library.

I went to an Ivy and maybe averaged 2 hours of homework per night.

These schools sound fairly miserable.

That said, I do wonder with the online ratings of courses/teachers/workloads if it is easier to carve out a better lifestyle these days.

This is why I think the Ivys are BS. I went to a SLAC and my language classes alone had 2 hours of homework a night (1 hour of exercises and 1 hour of language lab or discussion every day). Most reading-type classes had a book a week and a paper every week or every other week, and STEM classes went through a chapter each class so several hours of work in between each class and a unit exam covering a several chapters probably every three weeks. At least 5-6 hours of studying and writing a day, including weekends.

I don't understand how an Ivy is BS just because your SLAC experience was different. College is about so much more than the amount of studying you complete. Did this result in a better job than someone from Harvard with the same degree? Are you the boss of a bunch of Princeton grads because of your SLAC 6 hours of writing and studying?

If the answer to the two questions above is yes...well, then you should feel great about your choices.

?? I'm saying I'm not more impressed by an Ivy degree than a SLAC degree, although many people seem to completely discount the top SLACs compared to the top universities. Everyone who works directly for me has a graduate degree and a lot of work experience so I don't pay a lot of attention to where they went undergrad. But I guess I can look at LinkedIn to see where they went -- University of Wisconsin, Yale, Johns Hopkins, Wellesley, Columbia, Reed, Duke, Allegheny....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are their experiences like? I have one at one of these schools and she has been extremely busy with assignments and stuff. She was a self-driven, top student in high school with excellent academic records. She hasn't decided on her major yet. This semester she selected a course in philosophy, economics, environmental studies, and a seminar course. What she didn't expect is the amount of reading and writing required for each class. She sleeps maybe 6 hours a night or less during the week. She studies on weekends. She reads while doing laundry. She made quite a few friends, likes many of her teachers, enjoys campus events and a campus job. Her grades are fine, but she has to work so very, very hard I have to watch out for burnout. What are your kids' experience like? Any thoughts or advice? Thanks.

I think if you were to s private high school these SLAC are no big deal and actually easier.

lol. According to previous posters it’s “toxic” to admit this. You have to pretend there’s zero difference in the workload between public and private schools, lest you be accused of being elitest scum, by people who definitely don’t have a chip on their shoulders.

All the top private school people I meet are…mediocre at best. College is full of Lakeside, Harvard Westlake, Choate, Philips Academy, yada yada. So many of them struggle more than those of us who went to Public magnet schools. Private elites are great if you want to slack your way into an elite school through school recognition, but,

I had the experience of being the near bottom middle of my high school class with 19 APs and a 3.8. Private school kids’ jaws drop when they hear about the workload at top magnet schools, because it’s not a paradise for your elite kids to stress about whether they’re going to take up lacrosse or join an extra seminar- magnet schools are an abysmal grind and take real work to get through. Sure, I wasn’t reading 300 pages of Faulkner every night, but college is 12x easier than balancing 9 Ap classes and 2 jobs with school clubs. Overall, college challenges all of us, but it has nice enough amenities everywhere that it doesn’t feel like you do much at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to a big three private high school and then one of those colleges. The big three was way harder in terms of workload and time management.

I worked hard in college. I probably studied, I don't know, maybe eight hours a day, more during exams. But time management was not an issue because I only had four classes and I was neither work study nor an athlete. So I had PLENTY of time to get work done. And I got WAY more sleep than in high school.

I feel like there is something miss here from what you are saying. Did your daughter go to a high school where she only had a couple hours of homework a night? Or did her high school not prepare her well for college level week? Or is she an athlete or have a work study job? She should have plenty of time to get her work done and still sleep 7 to 8 hours a night.

Similar experience. It's about time management. Way more free time in college than in high school. OP's daughter needs to figure this out. If she's only getting 6-7 hours a sleep it's because she's staying up late catching up when she has plenty of time during the day between classes, after the last class and before dinner, or library after dinner. Sunday afternoons and evenings were always standard studying days at college. It's good preparation for life as a consultant or analyst after graduation.

From what I remember, I typically rose at 9, just had coffee for breakfast, headed to library and prepped for first class, then classes/lunch/library studies through late afternoon. Maybe some chilling till dinner with friends. After dinner back to library, then gym and the occasional campus club event. Bed by 1.

Repeat through Thursday. Friday afternoon after last class typically didn't study but hung out and socialized. Same with Saturdays. Sunday was definitely a study day but leisurely.

I tended to study solo in a quiet corner of the library but plenty studied in groups and made it a social thing too. Not always advisable and that may be the other problem if OP's daughter's "studying" is really talking with friends in the library.

I went to an Ivy and maybe averaged 2 hours of homework per night.

These schools sound fairly miserable.

That said, I do wonder with the online ratings of courses/teachers/workloads if it is easier to carve out a better lifestyle these days.

This is why I think the Ivys are BS. I went to a SLAC and my language classes alone had 2 hours of homework a night (1 hour of exercises and 1 hour of language lab or discussion every day). Most reading-type classes had a book a week and a paper every week or every other week, and STEM classes went through a chapter each class so several hours of work in between each class and a unit exam covering a several chapters probably every three weeks. At least 5-6 hours of studying and writing a day, including weekends.

I don't understand how an Ivy is BS just because your SLAC experience was different. College is about so much more than the amount of studying you complete. Did this result in a better job than someone from Harvard with the same degree? Are you the boss of a bunch of Princeton grads because of your SLAC 6 hours of writing and studying?

If the answer to the two questions above is yes...well, then you should feel great about your choices.

Also, I went to an Ivy (HYP) and my time was divvied up more like the SLAC PPs described: the vast, vast majority of my time (at least 8-10 h/day) was spent in class, studying, or in the lab. Which I think shows how varied experiences can be across schools, majors, and individual study habits.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to a big three private high school and then one of those colleges. The big three was way harder in terms of workload and time management.

I worked hard in college. I probably studied, I don't know, maybe eight hours a day, more during exams. But time management was not an issue because I only had four classes and I was neither work study nor an athlete. So I had PLENTY of time to get work done. And I got WAY more sleep than in high school.

I feel like there is something miss here from what you are saying. Did your daughter go to a high school where she only had a couple hours of homework a night? Or did her high school not prepare her well for college level week? Or is she an athlete or have a work study job? She should have plenty of time to get her work done and still sleep 7 to 8 hours a night.

Similar experience. It's about time management. Way more free time in college than in high school. OP's daughter needs to figure this out. If she's only getting 6-7 hours a sleep it's because she's staying up late catching up when she has plenty of time during the day between classes, after the last class and before dinner, or library after dinner. Sunday afternoons and evenings were always standard studying days at college. It's good preparation for life as a consultant or analyst after graduation.

From what I remember, I typically rose at 9, just had coffee for breakfast, headed to library and prepped for first class, then classes/lunch/library studies through late afternoon. Maybe some chilling till dinner with friends. After dinner back to library, then gym and the occasional campus club event. Bed by 1.

Repeat through Thursday. Friday afternoon after last class typically didn't study but hung out and socialized. Same with Saturdays. Sunday was definitely a study day but leisurely.

I tended to study solo in a quiet corner of the library but plenty studied in groups and made it a social thing too. Not always advisable and that may be the other problem if OP's daughter's "studying" is really talking with friends in the library.

I went to an Ivy and maybe averaged 2 hours of homework per night.

These schools sound fairly miserable.

That said, I do wonder with the online ratings of courses/teachers/workloads if it is easier to carve out a better lifestyle these days.

This is why I think the Ivys are BS. I went to a SLAC and my language classes alone had 2 hours of homework a night (1 hour of exercises and 1 hour of language lab or discussion every day). Most reading-type classes had a book a week and a paper every week or every other week, and STEM classes went through a chapter each class so several hours of work in between each class and a unit exam covering a several chapters probably every three weeks. At least 5-6 hours of studying and writing a day, including weekends.

I don't understand how an Ivy is BS just because your SLAC experience was different. College is about so much more than the amount of studying you complete. Did this result in a better job than someone from Harvard with the same degree? Are you the boss of a bunch of Princeton grads because of your SLAC 6 hours of writing and studying?

If the answer to the two questions above is yes...well, then you should feel great about your choices.

?? I'm saying I'm not more impressed by an Ivy degree than a SLAC degree, although many people seem to completely discount the top SLACs compared to the top universities. Everyone who works directly for me has a graduate degree and a lot of work experience so I don't pay a lot of attention to where they went undergrad. But I guess I can look at LinkedIn to see where they went -- University of Wisconsin, Yale, Johns Hopkins, Wellesley, Columbia, Reed, Duke, Allegheny....

Sounds like you work in a lab or similar academic setting. Understand that is a completely different environment than working in a commercial enterprise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to a big three private high school and then one of those colleges. The big three was way harder in terms of workload and time management.

I worked hard in college. I probably studied, I don't know, maybe eight hours a day, more during exams. But time management was not an issue because I only had four classes and I was neither work study nor an athlete. So I had PLENTY of time to get work done. And I got WAY more sleep than in high school.

I feel like there is something miss here from what you are saying. Did your daughter go to a high school where she only had a couple hours of homework a night? Or did her high school not prepare her well for college level week? Or is she an athlete or have a work study job? She should have plenty of time to get her work done and still sleep 7 to 8 hours a night.

Similar experience. It's about time management. Way more free time in college than in high school. OP's daughter needs to figure this out. If she's only getting 6-7 hours a sleep it's because she's staying up late catching up when she has plenty of time during the day between classes, after the last class and before dinner, or library after dinner. Sunday afternoons and evenings were always standard studying days at college. It's good preparation for life as a consultant or analyst after graduation.

From what I remember, I typically rose at 9, just had coffee for breakfast, headed to library and prepped for first class, then classes/lunch/library studies through late afternoon. Maybe some chilling till dinner with friends. After dinner back to library, then gym and the occasional campus club event. Bed by 1.

Repeat through Thursday. Friday afternoon after last class typically didn't study but hung out and socialized. Same with Saturdays. Sunday was definitely a study day but leisurely.

I tended to study solo in a quiet corner of the library but plenty studied in groups and made it a social thing too. Not always advisable and that may be the other problem if OP's daughter's "studying" is really talking with friends in the library.

I went to an Ivy and maybe averaged 2 hours of homework per night.

These schools sound fairly miserable.

That said, I do wonder with the online ratings of courses/teachers/workloads if it is easier to carve out a better lifestyle these days.

This is why I think the Ivys are BS. I went to a SLAC and my language classes alone had 2 hours of homework a night (1 hour of exercises and 1 hour of language lab or discussion every day). Most reading-type classes had a book a week and a paper every week or every other week, and STEM classes went through a chapter each class so several hours of work in between each class and a unit exam covering a several chapters probably every three weeks. At least 5-6 hours of studying and writing a day, including weekends.

I don't understand how an Ivy is BS just because your SLAC experience was different. College is about so much more than the amount of studying you complete. Did this result in a better job than someone from Harvard with the same degree? Are you the boss of a bunch of Princeton grads because of your SLAC 6 hours of writing and studying?

If the answer to the two questions above is yes...well, then you should feel great about your choices.

?? I'm saying I'm not more impressed by an Ivy degree than a SLAC degree, although many people seem to completely discount the top SLACs compared to the top universities. Everyone who works directly for me has a graduate degree and a lot of work experience so I don't pay a lot of attention to where they went undergrad. But I guess I can look at LinkedIn to see where they went -- University of Wisconsin, Yale, Johns Hopkins, Wellesley, Columbia, Reed, Duke, Allegheny....

Do you report to anyone? What is your boss's background, their boss, etc. Are you 10 levels removed from the CEO or one level?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are their experiences like? I have one at one of these schools and she has been extremely busy with assignments and stuff. She was a self-driven, top student in high school with excellent academic records. She hasn't decided on her major yet. This semester she selected a course in philosophy, economics, environmental studies, and a seminar course. What she didn't expect is the amount of reading and writing required for each class. She sleeps maybe 6 hours a night or less during the week. She studies on weekends. She reads while doing laundry. She made quite a few friends, likes many of her teachers, enjoys campus events and a campus job. Her grades are fine, but she has to work so very, very hard I have to watch out for burnout. What are your kids' experience like? Any thoughts or advice? Thanks.

I think if you were to s private high school these SLAC are no big deal and actually easier.

lol. According to previous posters it’s “toxic” to admit this. You have to pretend there’s zero difference in the workload between public and private schools, lest you be accused of being elitest scum, by people who definitely don’t have a chip on their shoulders.

All the top private school people I meet are…mediocre at best. College is full of Lakeside, Harvard Westlake, Choate, Philips Academy, yada yada. So many of them struggle more than those of us who went to Public magnet schools. Private elites are great if you want to slack your way into an elite school through school recognition, but,

I had the experience of being the near bottom middle of my high school class with 19 APs and a 3.8. Private school kids’ jaws drop when they hear about the workload at top magnet schools, because it’s not a paradise for your elite kids to stress about whether they’re going to take up lacrosse or join an extra seminar- magnet schools are an abysmal grind and take real work to get through. Sure, I wasn’t reading 300 pages of Faulkner every night, but college is 12x easier than balancing 9 Ap classes and 2 jobs with school clubs. Overall, college challenges all of us, but it has nice enough amenities everywhere that it doesn’t feel like you do much at all.

How and why do you take 19 AP classes? Is this the Magnet school's approach (similar to Basis)?

[Anonymous]

Big 3 big shit. No comparison to Blair Magnet. My kids worked hard at the latter and are breezing through Swarthmore and Amherst. Both double majors Engineering or Biophysics + Economics. Both athletes all years and team captains both high school and college. They worked hard in high school and college; however, acknowledged the high leg up the received from a nurturing home and in public high school. What's this Big 3 nonsense!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to a big three private high school and then one of those colleges. The big three was way harder in terms of workload and time management.

I worked hard in college. I probably studied, I don't know, maybe eight hours a day, more during exams. But time management was not an issue because I only had four classes and I was neither work study nor an athlete. So I had PLENTY of time to get work done. And I got WAY more sleep than in high school.

I feel like there is something miss here from what you are saying. Did your daughter go to a high school where she only had a couple hours of homework a night? Or did her high school not prepare her well for college level week? Or is she an athlete or have a work study job? She should have plenty of time to get her work done and still sleep 7 to 8 hours a night.

Similar experience. It's about time management. Way more free time in college than in high school. OP's daughter needs to figure this out. If she's only getting 6-7 hours a sleep it's because she's staying up late catching up when she has plenty of time during the day between classes, after the last class and before dinner, or library after dinner. Sunday afternoons and evenings were always standard studying days at college. It's good preparation for life as a consultant or analyst after graduation.

From what I remember, I typically rose at 9, just had coffee for breakfast, headed to library and prepped for first class, then classes/lunch/library studies through late afternoon. Maybe some chilling till dinner with friends. After dinner back to library, then gym and the occasional campus club event. Bed by 1.

Repeat through Thursday. Friday afternoon after last class typically didn't study but hung out and socialized. Same with Saturdays. Sunday was definitely a study day but leisurely.

I tended to study solo in a quiet corner of the library but plenty studied in groups and made it a social thing too. Not always advisable and that may be the other problem if OP's daughter's "studying" is really talking with friends in the library.

I went to an Ivy and maybe averaged 2 hours of homework per night.

These schools sound fairly miserable.

That said, I do wonder with the online ratings of courses/teachers/workloads if it is easier to carve out a better lifestyle these days.

This is why I think the Ivys are BS. I went to a SLAC and my language classes alone had 2 hours of homework a night (1 hour of exercises and 1 hour of language lab or discussion every day). Most reading-type classes had a book a week and a paper every week or every other week, and STEM classes went through a chapter each class so several hours of work in between each class and a unit exam covering a several chapters probably every three weeks. At least 5-6 hours of studying and writing a day, including weekends.

I don't understand how an Ivy is BS just because your SLAC experience was different. College is about so much more than the amount of studying you complete. Did this result in a better job than someone from Harvard with the same degree? Are you the boss of a bunch of Princeton grads because of your SLAC 6 hours of writing and studying?

If the answer to the two questions above is yes...well, then you should feel great about your choices.

?? I'm saying I'm not more impressed by an Ivy degree than a SLAC degree, although many people seem to completely discount the top SLACs compared to the top universities. Everyone who works directly for me has a graduate degree and a lot of work experience so I don't pay a lot of attention to where they went undergrad. But I guess I can look at LinkedIn to see where they went -- University of Wisconsin, Yale, Johns Hopkins, Wellesley, Columbia, Reed, Duke, Allegheny....

Do you report to anyone? What is your boss's background, their boss, etc. Are you 10 levels removed from the CEO or one level?

I'm the boss of a boutique consulting firm (~50 people) and I'm referring to my direct reports. I went to one of the Seven Sisters.

[Anonymous]

Its easier to get high grades in an open enrollment high school where teachers have to adjust to spectrum of academic abilities. Its always difficult to get high grades when you are in a selective school with top tier students as curriculum, teachers and peers expect more on average.

[Anonymous]

I see a huge difference in academic abilities of students in different high schools. One school's 4.0 may not make a 3.5 GPA in another high school.