Kalamazoo College

Date: May 12 2002
Major: Chemistry (This Major's Salary over time)
Wow, I don't even know where to begin. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't consider what a bad decision it was to go to this school. If you are thinking about applying, be very apprehensive about what the K-Crew is telling you. Half the stuff they say is just a flat out lie. Such as, yeah we have lots of internship opportunites at the Career Development Center. Fact: I know quite a few people that went there constantly and ended up making cold calls by themselves. Myth: Yeah, all the class sizes here at K are small. Fact: Only the ones that need to be larger. The science classes are packed so that I have seen kids need to sit on the floor, meanwhile intro english that is needed for graduation is has a registration cap of 22. Myth: The K-Plan is an interesting and beneficial aspect of this college. Fact: It means jack @#$%, the quarter system makes it impossible to transfer to other colleges or apply to medical school. If you are even considering going into medicine, I beg of you, don't make the mistake I did and come to this school. When med schools say, we want one year of organic chemistry for example, anywhere else that would mean two semesters worth, or about 8 credit hours. Note, our classes cover the same amount of material in 10 weeks, that another university covers in 15 weeks. Thus, you would think that two classes of ours would satisfy this "year". Nope, not even. They make it so that each class is worth 3.3 credit hours, meaning two classes is 6.6. So, you have to take a third class and get 9,9 credit hours when you only need 8 to get into med school. This means that by the time you finish getting all your requirements in, you dont have time to really take any classes that interest you. Also, in other universities the science students get credit hours for taking labs. Not here! We take a lab with each science class that is four hours long once a week actually in the lab, not to mention the 6 hours it takes to write the report due each week. What do you get for all this work, nothing. Classes with no lab count for as much as those with a lab. While on the subject of the quarter system, lets just say that it makes life extremely hectic and stressed here. Just ask the professors, but make sure they don't know you are a prospect. Everything is so intense that the kids here look more like zombies than fun-filled college students. Now, here is where you may be saying, yeah this kid is stupid and just can't hack it. Actually, I have a 4.0, thats right, not one B! And you know what, I am probably the luckiest because I can keep up with the pace. You would be amazed how the kids start dropping like flies out of the science classes in the first year, just because the pace is so demanding. What else? Ohh yeah, the administration is the biggest money making machine I have ever seen. They care more about getting more money from either alumni or prospective students that once you get here, or teach here, they don't give a damn about you. For example, putting additions on a library that is empty all the time anyways, rather than investing in more important things like online full text articles that are needed. Even the professors don't get access. I don't want to even get into the price of going here. Let me just say this, what you pay for is not what you get. Finally, the social life here is absolutely horrible. If you are not holding onto some dream of playing "college sports" even though it is division III, or don't like to play dungeons and dragons for hours on end, this is not the place for you. I like to go and hang out with friends and go to parties, both of which are strange around here. Overall, my disatisfaction with this place is immense, and the problems with it are too numerous to list. Take my advice, go somewhere else.