Academics

The workload completely depends on the person and the major. I'm an art student, and because of my concentration, I have to spend large amounts of time in the studio, and it takes quite a toll. Others who are majoring in government and science seem to have a lot of work as well. Everyone else appears to be stressed at some times and have absolutely nothing to do during others (the two extremes). I like most of the teachers, and I've been able to create a good, concrete relationships with them, especially with it being such a small school.

Athletics

Varsity sports really aren't a big deal at Connecticut College. Some people attend sporting events, but there's never a really huge turnout. However, there's a lot of team morale within the team and many of the team members bond. As far as club sports go, they're really not a big commitment. You can attend practice whenever you want and will probably not be kicked off. Also, there really aren't many actual "games" or "meets" for club sports. However, being on a sports team is still very important to many of the students here.

Campus Dining

The food on campus is acceptable, at best. I sometimes wish we could have better quality hot meals, but the hard economic times have hit our dining services department hard, so I can understand why they've had to cut back. Harris Refectory is in north campus ("the Plex"), it is the major dining hall on campus, and they have a certain kind of meal each day of the week for variety (quesadillas and cheese steak switch off every other Wednesday, Monday is taco night, etc.). I also enjoy eating at Smith House's dining hall because, as a resident of central campus, it has a very convenient and central location during the weekdays (I'm sure the residents of south campus would say the same about the Jane Addams dining hall). Overall, I'd say the food could be better, but it does the job for me in between my breaks when I get to enjoy Mom's cooking.

Campus Housing

Most of the dorms here are beautiful and old, but there are options to live in the new 'Plex' which has air conditioning. Some people think the Plex is a bit sterile and cold with little community, though. Most other dorms really have a lot of community spirit, and there are many specialty housing options. For example, a language house, a substance-free house, a quiet house, and several all-girls floors. Also, all bathrooms are coed.

Campus Strictness

The policy is strict, but the enforcement is not. People do get busted for underage drinking and drugs; however, this is only when people are acting like idiots in public or having crazy loud parties. Second-time offenders get a letter sent home, and people are sent to the Judicial Board (of students) when they are written up for a violation. Now the school is requiring some sort of community service as punishment. There are kegs allowed in common rooms, but there is a lot of paperwork needed to be done in order to do so, and they are restricted from dorm rooms.

Computers

The Computer network is pretty reliable. They are trying to make the entire campus wireless, which would be amazing. But don't worry, you have Internet jacks in your room. I would suggest bringing your own computer, so that you can work in your room and don't have to go to the library every time. The library has many computers and you can almost always find one to work on, except maybe during finals.

Diversity

Conn really isn't incredibly diverse, but they're trying. It's made up of many white, rich children which follow the stereotypes. However, though the majority went to prep school and are paying the full bill, you can definitely find a large population of work-study students. Many people are from New England but you can find a handful of people from other places much farther away and other countries. Conn isn't a very openly religious school, but there are services at the chapel for a number of different faiths. As far as politics, Conn is full of Democrats.

Drug Scene

After alcohol, I'd say that pot is the most prevalent drug, though I've heard some people do harder stuff. Smoking isn't hard to avoid, and I haven't seen too much pressure to drink, though it depends on the people you are with.

Facilities

The facilities at Conn are top-notch, with the noticeable exception that our library has only four floors, and therefore lacks an outrageously large book collection. However, inter-library loan allows us to get books from the Trinity and Weslyan libraries, so this exception can be easily overcome. We are in the process of constructing a new athletics/fitness facility addition here at Conn, and from the looks of the plans, it's going to be quite nice. State-of-the-art facilities for the arts and sciences are also here as well, with the Olin Science Center and Cummings Arts Center providing great places to carry out engaging research projects or work on that next artistic masterpiece.

Greek Life

I love that there is no Greek life. There are different floor parties on campus every weekend (Thursday, Friday, and Saturday), but I wouldn't descirbe it as a jumping social scene. We used to be able to have kegs, but now we no longer can, which is unfortunate.

Guys & Girls

The typical Conn College girl is sophisticated and fashionable, but not afraid to party hard. There are definitely plenty of beautiful ladies at this school. Everyone on this campus follows their own style, and in terms of the kind of guys here, I think there's a wide spectrum (from hipster to bro) at Conn. The dating scene isn't too exciting though; most people settle for random hookups if they can't find a good relationship (and not many people look too long for this).

Local Atmosphere

New London isn't the greatest college town. It's relatively small, has some bars, restaurants and shops, and a beautiful waterfront. However, the town is starting to pick up, and the community is starting to improve its appeal. There's laser tagging, a mall, an aquarium in nearby Mystic, and a casino called Mohegan Sun. You can't walk to New London from campus (you could, but you'd have to walk along a series of busy roads and highways, and it's a long walk), so a car is a necessity if you want to get off campus and see a movie or go to Mystic, which is a popular tourist town 15 minutes away. We do have the "Camel Van" which makes rounds to the mall, Target, downtown New London, restaurants, etc., but it takes much, much longer to take the Camel Van since it makes a giant loop every circuit. Mitchell College is close by, and the Coast Guard Academy is literally across the street. The "Coasties" as we call them are sometimes seen at Conn parties and sometimes date Conn students. There's a healthy rivalry between us.

Nightlife

Conn is mostly made up of "floor parties" right in the dorms. Sometimes there will be parties at several of the off-campus housing options, but those are within walking distance. Some upperclassmen attend bars in New London, but generally the main events remain on campus. Almost every Saturday there is a dance at the student center. Parties really don't go on all night here. Dances always end at 2 a.m., and after that people either continue partying exclusively with their friends, hang out in their room, or go to bed.

Off-Campus Dining

It depend what you are looking for, but I'd say we have a good selection. You may have to drive 20 minutes to Mystic, but it's totally worth it. Mystic has Azu, Bravo Bravo, Rice Spice, and Noodle. Closer by in New London are Brie and Blu, and Bean and Leaf. Then there are restaurants at the mall like Outback Steak House and Chili's and Olive Garden. There are also some good Indian and Chinese places. Thank goodness for Chinese takeout!

Off-Campus Housing

Something like 98% of students live on campus, so most students don't even think of off-campus housing. However, the Ridge Apartments are about a five-minute walk away and you apply through the school for those. In my opinion, it's really not worth it, everything is on campus, and you will just end up spending a lot of time walking.

Overall Experience

To be honest, Conn does take a little getting used to. It's very unique compared to other schools. We don't have fraternities and sororities, and some people think the social life is boring and that there's nothing to do on campus. However, I really think those people just aren't trying hard enough. Just like anywhere else, you might have to do some work to find what you really like to do. And I think it's nice that Conn is not a party 24/7, otherwise I'd be way too overwhelmed. I think people are really friendly here, and anyone will help you if you ask.

Parking

Freshmen can bring a car, but they can only park at the athletic center, which is across the street and can be anywhere from a 5-10 minute walk depending on where you're coming from on campus. Sophomore year, you are technically only allowed to park at the North or South lots, which shouldn't be more than a 5-minute walk from where you are on campus, but it's also easier to park wherever you want and not get caught. After that, you can park anywhere you can find a spot, usually directly outside your dorm.

Safety & Security

The patrols by the campus police and their adherence to the rules make this campus one of the safest that I know. There are blue-light callboxes all over campus, but they are rarely ever used, as not many off-campus 'visitors' ever come to Conn. There have been a few petty thefts recently, but the college administration and New London police caught the thieves (they were off-campus people stealing people's stuff at the athletic center). Everyone is pretty cautious with themselves and their personal belongings, and that makes crime a rare occurrence here at Conn.

Transportation

There is no major public transportation around here (except for one bus line that goes nowhere interesting and no one uses ever). To get to New London hotspots and other interesting places, we like to take the Camel Van service on campus, or we hitch a ride with friends that have cars. The Camel Van is a catered service provided by Livery Limited, and students need only pay $1 to take the van to any location on its route. When they pick up the van at one of these stops, they don't have to pay anything to get back to campus! Also new at Conn is a pair of Zipcars that reside near Cro (the college center). For $35, students can register with this company and obtain a key card that they can use to unlock one of these cars when they need it ($8.95/hr or $60/day). Surprisingly, these cars are gone often, especially during weekends. I personally don't use it, but you only have to be over age 18 to sign up, so I guess some people definitely appreciate the new Zipcars.

Weather

The weather is relatively mild. It can be hot through the middle of October and cold from about mid-December through the end of February. We do get snow, but it rains most often. Because we are on the coast, we definitely get wind off of the Sound, which can be an annoyance and make it seem much colder than it actually is. When the weather is nice, Harkness and Ocean Beach are awesome places to go for the day with friends! Bring rain boots, uggs, a winter jacket, and a fleece!