Simpson College

Date: Feb 08 2007
Major: History/Histories (art history/etc.) (This Major's Salary over time)
Simpson College was a mixed experience. Academically, I was challenged and learned a lot. The teachers were, on the whole, very good. My English and history classes in particular were interesting, challenging and very rewarding. There was a lot of research and writing involved, especially in the history department, but I learned a lot about how to write and how to study. The best thing was that few of my teachers used textbooks. Instead, they used historical texts, novels, and scholarly articles. For anyone who's ever dozed off trying to read a monumentally boring and dry textbook, this was heaven. I really loved their creativity and the hard work they put into every class.

Socially, I didn't make any lasting friends, but I got along. As an older student, it was hard for me to befriend the regular students, most of whom were just out of high school. The student body is very friendly, we just didn't have much in common, partially because most of the student body was lacking intellectual curiosity. Maybe I'm weird, but I get really interested in the things I am studying. I didn't meet any younger students who shared my interest. They were going to school because that's what what you're supposed to do, not because they were particularly interested in it.

On the whole, Simpson was a pretty good experience. I loved my teachers, and really enjoyed my classes. The administration staff was (and still is) very helpful. For a private school it's not too expensive, and, in my own experience, well worth it. If you are enthusiastic about learning, take lots of history and English classes. If you are just going to college to get it over with, you'll probably want to avoid those classes as much as you can, because they involve a lot of work. In general, recommended.