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College Prowler

Academics

I feel like some of the professors were too demanding and assigned more homework than a normal person could handle. I am pretty hardworking, but I think it is wrong to deprive yourself of sleep all the time. I know many kids develop stress-related psych disorders because of trying to cope with all of the work, and stay on top while not sleeping, eating, or socializing with friends. I think the school should try to make sure people stay healthy, even though they are the ones who choose to work so hard. Maybe they just need to be told to relax.

Athletics

I took a class that half of the football team decided to take together. It was painful. They just sat there looking bored and miserable. The professor had topick on the same three people. I know they win on the football field, but this is no reason for them to take classes together. They manage to smother whatever spark of intellectual curiosity there is in this school. I wonder why.

Campus Dining

I really like that the helpings are unlimited. Some think this might be why so many people gain weight, but eventually, they tend to lose it and learn to eat healthy. The dining hall staff does very nice things, like taking family recipes from students and making them. And then their theme dinners are just awesome. They keep everything clean and in full supply, and they have good opening hours.

Campus Housing

You have to choose your dorm carefully, because things are very different from place to place. The overall quality of housing is good, but in some dorms, you have to share a bathroom with another five or six people, maybe even more. Some do their laundry by hand, and you find their dirty socks in the sink. Others peel onions in the bathroom. And then others take an hour to shower. It’s college life, but at Williams, you can avoid it if you pick the right dorm with the right people.

Campus Strictness

I think the campus is as strict as it should be. There really is no reason to become paranoid about what students are going to do, because the regulations are in place, and there are always going to be people who are willing to break them. I think that at Williams, you do face the consequences of such actions for the most part, but I also know that college students might not be the most mature people in the world, and so they need some time to grow up and become responsible.

Computers

You may take one of the last three seats in a lab, but I have never in my four years had to look for a second computer lab. There are so many labs, it is absolutely impossible for Williams students to use all the school computers. Plus, there are so many rich people at Williams that everyone has their own laptops. I think having your own computer here is a luxury—it's nice, but it's far from necessary. There are computers everywhere at Williams. We have seven in the student center alone, and this does not include the five different main computing areas in the two libraries. Also, in case you do not like to work in a computer lab, Williams has a generous computer loan program where you can take laptops out on loan in both libraries for up to eight hours. While the laptops are not allowed to leave the library, it is really nice to sit at your own (reserved) desk at the library writing a paper on the school's laptops.

Diversity

Williams is a surprisingly diverse campus, but I think a lot students miss this as different ethnic groups tend to self-segregate. I have heard a lot of people accuse the school of being just another preppy, white, jock school, but more often than not, this is because of who the students choose to hang out with. If you want to, you can kind find people from every race and religion here, but you have to be willing to break out of the predetermined groups.

Drug Scene

Alcohol is huge, but anything else is very underground, even cigarettes. Honestly, I think the campus would be better off with more drugs around. I know a lot of people who would be less stressed out if they just smoked a joint now and then, not to mention some acid would really spice up the weekends around here.

Facilities

Williams does not have a dance major, but the dance facilities are really good, and there is a variety of stuff you can try, from Irish to African dance and drumming to modern dance. I am happy with how they set up our performing space, because now that we get many people for our shows, I know that it matters which way people’s seats would face, and how you position your dancers with the lighting, and the rest of the conditions you have.

Greek Life

I think if we had frats, this place would be even scarier than it already is for people who are not white. I know that the white male jocks would dominate the frat scene and force people into all kinds of unnecessary and embarrassing things. I think people go to college to learn to be themselves, not to conform, and to learn to stand up for who they are, even if the majority rejects them outright. Frats on the Williams campus, on the other hand, would show even more how socially isolated this place is, and how it tries to imprison everybody in their own bubble. So maybe if we had them, if this became more evident, and if people became even more miserable, they would do something about it.

Guys & Girls

Williams girls are cute and smart, but everyone has their little group of friends, and it’s hard to meet other people and date. Many people are too shy to even talk to each other, and it’s not like you can walk up to a girl in the dining hall and tell her you’re attracted to her.

Local Atmosphere

Locals in Billsville are really friendly, from the post office staff to the random passerby. You get an overall sense of well-being and tranquility. There is a danger, however, that in four years, you will end up totally sedated and incapable of dealing with the real world. For example, you get used to cars stopping before you cross the street. Not a good habit to have in most other places in the world, especially big cities.

Nightlife

The question of nightlife really isn’t relevant to this place, because it’s a small rural town, and you can’t expect too much. What the campus has to offer is a different thing, too—not really nightlife, just your good old college-kids-having-fun-with-kegs-and-Beirut type of thing. If you don’t like it, don’t go to college. It’s like that everywhere on a college campus.

Off-Campus Dining

Watch out with off-campus dining, or you will become like me—totally addicted to the sandwich place onSpring Street. They have very original sandwiches and awesome Greek salads and smoothies. Just down the street is a great ice cream place. I have to say, after spending three years in this town, I haven’t gotten tired of any of them.

Off-Campus Housing

I kind of liked living off campus, but just for a semester, when the dorm I was assigned to turned out to be close to this construction ground. So I just avoided the noise, but then I came back to the dorm living situation. I guess the point is who you live with and whether you have enough room, but when you’re in college, you don’t need that much more. I mean, I am never in my room anyway, so why rent an entire house in town, or even a floor of a house?

Overall Experience

I'm one of the few people who really don't like it here, but we're a fairly small portion of the campus—most people are happy here. To be honest, people on this campus will treat you differently if you stick out—I dress punk/goth, I'm an art major—which, for the most part, I think is a bit of a joke here if you're really motivated and technically driven because you won't find nearly the amount of work and dedication from your fellow art students as you would at a purely art-focused school—and I'm also straightedge, meaning I don't drink or do drugs. The party scene here is pretty lame and revolves around getting drunk and beer pong on weekends, so if you're looking for more than that and are not willing to find other things to do, you'll be left out.

Parking

Parking is okay, because Williamstown is just kind of small, but the rules and the paperwork that the buildings and grounds office comes up with can be very annoying. They tend to do everything possible to make your life harder, so the only way to deal with it is just to be stubborn, and try to make their life harder. You shouldn’t have to fill out a million forms just to park your car. It is a waste of everybody’s time.

Safety & Security

This campus is almost too safe. You can leave your backpack and laptops out, and no one will take them or sabotage your work. There's nothing to worry about walking around late at night—just don't be stupid and get into a stranger's car, as some girls have done here. Campus security patrols, and you can call them if you need help, as well as different emergency and sexual assault hotlines.

Transportation

I can’t give you driving directions or anything. I usually fly to Albany from the West Coast, and then I take a cab. It takes forever to get to this place, but at least you can walk to any part of campus, so once you arrive, the most you will need is a bike, at least during the week. If you want to get out of the ‘purple bubble,’ though, get a car, or find friends who have access to one.

Weather

Williams is a very small school, and that’s good when you have to walk around during the days when the wind chills make the temperature be around negative 40 degrees. On those days, nothing will save you from being cold, no matter how many layers you wear. You just have to be patient and wait for these days to pass.