Communities Megan Reed
Getting a grad school experience as an undergrad
On coming to Marlboro
I heard about Marlboro College from my counselor at school (she was really into
Colleges That Change Lives) and it seemed like a really awesome school. I really wanted to go to grad school and Marlboro seemed like it was graduate school for undergraduate students. So, I came up here and loved it! I also liked the social environment and could see myself living here the moment I got on campus.
As for the cold weather, I decided that I wanted the life-experience of more than two inches of snow on the ground. But now I've learned it's more ice than anything!
On Academics
My academic interests are theoretical linguistics and math mostly. I'm also studying Chinese, which doesn't fit under linguistics if it's foreign language studies. However, next semester I'm taking a Spanish class because I took that in high school and I don't want to lose that.
Working with the faculty is pretty awesome because they're really willing to listen to your interests and to help you pursue them. The professors here will take you as far as you want to go and then some. They're also understanding about things in your personal life outside of class which is nice, and they're usually available to help.
On Community Life
The student community is mostly cohesive, though we have a fair amount of debate. But if something goes wrong then the student body tends to band to together. It's really nice to have that sense of community here.
Outside of class I do everything from dance to cooking. That relates to Marlboro in that I started a milk and cookies club and because I dance around wildly in the halls sometimes. However, last week I was yelled at for dancing in the halls by a girl in my dorm ... because it was quiet hours.
Milk and cookies club is pretty much what it sounds like - a club where you go to eat milk and cookies. I decided to start one at Marlboro because I felt like there was a severe lack of home-made cookies (the ones in the cookie drawer are okay at best). It's very easy to organize a club here; you just have to hang up posters and follow through! Of course, if you want funds, you have to go through Social Committee or Town Meeting, but that's not a horrible process.
On advantages of Marlboro
The teachers are willing to help you out with pretty much anything. The social scene here is really accepting that you can really be yourself here. (Somebody made a periodic table out of cupcakes!) People allow you to be ridiculous, which is pretty nice.
On disadvantages of Marlboro
For certain areas of study -- none of the ones that I'm in oddly enough -- but for certain ones we're under-resourced. Trips to the library supplement that but we're still under resourced. Also, sometimes this place can be really tiny.
Advice for prospective students
Make sure your essay is good. Make sure that you really do like it here. The school is awesome, it's not for everyone, but I think that most people could find happiness here.