Hampshire College is a remarkable institution in which I have been able to explore my interests and discover new passions that I would not have otherwise discovered. Their innovative take on learning and teaching allows the student to pursue education on an individualized basis, making each experience idiosyncratic to each student. This, combined with their renunciation of the obviously flawed letter grading system, allows the student at Hampshire College to form their own curriculum, shaped according to their needs, and evaluated on the basis of human observation rather than blind mathematical computation.
Do you have any tips for prospective students?
Use the structure given to you during your first year to really explore all the possible fields you can. You will be very surprised to find a plethora of new interests to which you had never before been exposed. You will see that the requirements needed to pass division one are more of an opportunity to really make sure you are pursuing what you want to pursue and less of a tedious government imposed set of mandates to be fulfilled.
Do you find there’s enough academic rigor at your school?
Many might assume that Hampshire's evaluation and final project--as opposed to letter-grade assessment and final examination--process might lead to students slacking in classes because of the different structure and �lack� of assessment, but--and this I say from personal experience--this process has generally shown to actually give greater incentive for students enrolled in said classes, because their evaluations are more in depth and portray more of the specific accomplishments and shortcomings displayed throughout the course and because the final project provides a much more substantial method of retrospection on the semester's work than any test or letter grade could do. Of course, it also depends widely on the motivation of the student in these classes and the learning styles with which they are most comfortable. In addition, Hampshire's course work is reading and writing intensive to a degree that I have not seen in any other college so far. Perhaps most importantly, Hampshire's radical political stance will provide a challenging take on world issues that will cause its students to reflect on their own beliefs and rethink the hegemonic narrative carried through widely by the mainstream public educational system. Certainly there are plenty of institutions like it, but this shimmer deserves to be recognized as a challenge to the mass zombification effect of modern media, the single mindedness an educational system whose textbooks are written by corporations. And as if this was not enough, the college's participation in the area's five college consortium provides a space for students to explore 4 other pedagogical methodologies and philosophies, all of which include within them the own takes on education of each of these schools' professors and instructors. Hampshire's divisional system is also extremely worthy of notice, for it is, I would say, unorthodox and revolutionary. During their first year, students must take four requirement courses ...
Describe the dorm life at your college.
Dorm life is fun. Since Hampshire is a pretty small school you get a nice community vibe and everyone just kind of hangs out in the quad when its warm so far as I have experienced.
Describe the food and dining at your college.
The Dining Commons wears on you. I was kind of digging it for the first two weeks but not so much after that. Actually, one of the reasons most people say they want to move from the dorms to the mods is because the dining common food is so bad and expensive...
What’s there to do for fun at your college?
One of the perks of being in a college town is that one is always surrounded by young people. There is usually something to see or something to visit if you go down to Amherst or North Hampton (both of which are a FREE bus ride away) Going to the colleges themselves is also fun on the weekends or during the week if you want to visit some friends. There are always parties going on somewhere and lots of cool people to meet.
Share any unusual traditions or locations on campus
Don't worry, there are plenty.
Which types of students will excel at your college?
Self-motivated and open minded. Be willing to explore and ultimately take charge of your education.
Are you involved in any clubs or activities?
There are so many. You will certainly find most anything you are looking for. If not, it is easy to create your own.
Are you involved in any clubs or activities?
No greek life..
How would you describe campus safety? Do you feel safe on campus?
Its great. People really trust each other and people really trust campus police.
Hampshire College is a remarkable institution in which I have been able to explore my interests and discover new passions that I would not have otherwise discovered. Their innovative take on learning and teaching allows the student to pursue education on an individualized basis, making each experience idiosyncratic to each student. This, combined with their renunciation of the obviously flawed letter grading system, allows the student at Hampshire College to form their own curriculum, shaped according to their needs, and evaluated on the basis of human observation rather than blind mathematical computation.
Use the structure given to you during your first year to really explore all the possible fields you can. You will be very surprised to find a plethora of new interests to which you had never before been exposed. You will see that the requirements needed to pass division one are more of an opportunity to really make sure you are pursuing what you want to pursue and less of a tedious government imposed set of mandates to be fulfilled.
Many might assume that Hampshire's evaluation and final project--as opposed to letter-grade assessment and final examination--process might lead to students slacking in classes because of the different structure and �lack� of assessment, but--and this I say from personal experience--this process has generally shown to actually give greater incentive for students enrolled in said classes, because their evaluations are more in depth and portray more of the specific accomplishments and shortcomings displayed throughout the course and because the final project provides a much more substantial method of retrospection on the semester's work than any test or letter grade could do. Of course, it also depends widely on the motivation of the student in these classes and the learning styles with which they are most comfortable. In addition, Hampshire's course work is reading and writing intensive to a degree that I have not seen in any other college so far. Perhaps most importantly, Hampshire's radical political stance will provide a challenging take on world issues that will cause its students to reflect on their own beliefs and rethink the hegemonic narrative carried through widely by the mainstream public educational system. Certainly there are plenty of institutions like it, but this shimmer deserves to be recognized as a challenge to the mass zombification effect of modern media, the single mindedness an educational system whose textbooks are written by corporations. And as if this was not enough, the college's participation in the area's five college consortium provides a space for students to explore 4 other pedagogical methodologies and philosophies, all of which include within them the own takes on education of each of these schools' professors and instructors. Hampshire's divisional system is also extremely worthy of notice, for it is, I would say, unorthodox and revolutionary. During their first year, students must take four requirement courses ...
Dorm life is fun. Since Hampshire is a pretty small school you get a nice community vibe and everyone just kind of hangs out in the quad when its warm so far as I have experienced.
The Dining Commons wears on you. I was kind of digging it for the first two weeks but not so much after that. Actually, one of the reasons most people say they want to move from the dorms to the mods is because the dining common food is so bad and expensive...
One of the perks of being in a college town is that one is always surrounded by young people. There is usually something to see or something to visit if you go down to Amherst or North Hampton (both of which are a FREE bus ride away) Going to the colleges themselves is also fun on the weekends or during the week if you want to visit some friends. There are always parties going on somewhere and lots of cool people to meet.
Don't worry, there are plenty.
Self-motivated and open minded. Be willing to explore and ultimately take charge of your education.
There are so many. You will certainly find most anything you are looking for. If not, it is easy to create your own.
No greek life..
Its great. People really trust each other and people really trust campus police.