Hampshire College

Date: Jan 26 2012
Major: English (This Major's Salary over time)
Hampshire College is rather unknown by a lot of people/employers etc but that does not mean it has a bad reputation, or comes across as a bad school. Hampshire is a great school.

intellectually, the faculty push you to think beyond your normal capacity and learn to ask questions so by the time you are done with the class, you actually KNOW the subject material as compared to a typical university, where students are taught to just spit back information.

The classes are very interesting, and there are many to choose from. You design your own major, just meaning that you have the opportunity to do something intensely specific if you feel so inclined. Typical major classes are not set out for a student, but a motivated student [which most students at Hampshire are] will pick the courses that he or she feels are relevant and helpful to their academic plan.

The academics are actually very challenging, so those of you thinking you can float by, think again. It is very writing intensive, and very intellectually challenging. The work requires much analysis and thought. The academics are very worthwhile and push one to be a better student.

The student body is one that is diverse in cultures, and personalities. The students are very talkative about philosophical topics, politics, books, etc. while still being down to earth for the most part. There are the few who think they know everything, but those kind of students can be found anywhere.

Drugs are not a problem at Hampshire. Sure they exist, as they do at every other college, but nobody is pressured to do anything they do not want to do. Hampshire seems to get this reputation as a drug-ridden school, but it honestly is not. You can be sub-free and still have a great time with people every night of the week and all weekends.

There are hundreds of clubs on campus, and they are open to the entire student body. Something for everybody

The dining hall is all-you-can-eat style. The food is pretty good compared to most other colleges because it has so many options. There may be 4 entrees served at dinner- so the food appeals to everyone. there is a soda fountain, ice cream machine, salad bar, coffee maker, and appliances for students to utilize the food they took and make something even better with it. The dining hall itself is very nice and clean. The back wall in one of the rooms has a big mural, which is beautiful to look at. There are always staff cleaning after people so it never really gets terribly dirty.

Let us not forget of the endless resources nearby. The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art is located at Hampshire College. It is a very interesting and fun place to go. The National Yiddish Book Center is also a very nice resource. It has a floor that makes noise as you step on it. The Hampshire Gym has 2 rock climbing walls, a spinning studio, weight room, basketball courts, and a pool.

The Five College Consortium is a fantastic addition to the already great school that Hampshire college is. On top of the opportunities one has here, one may also extend their horizons and attend class at any other of the four colleges [Smith College, Amherst College, Mount Holyoke, and UMass Amherst] Most students do utilize the consortium. The Umass library has thousands of volumes and a lot of students go there to study before finals week. A lot of the students also visit the other schools just to hang out on the campuses, maybe attend parties, or meet students in the area. The Five college consortium is a great opportunity for the Hampshire students to have and it just adds to the list of great things at Hampshire.

My time at Hampshire was fantastic. I transferred there as a junior into my Div II, where I studied English and creative writing. These departments are some of Hampshire's best. The creative writing department is renowned and it is often difficult to get courses in the department if you are not a major. I met so many fantastic people from all over the world, and I had so many opportunities that I feel not every student has as a typical college.

Hampshire gets hate by students who did not succeed, but it isn't Hampshire's fault. The work here all depends on how much effort you put into it. If you give a lot, you get a lot. Nobody is holding your hand throughout the process.

I definitely recommend Hampshire to anybody looking at colleges. If I had the opportunity to go there again, I would undoubtedly do so.