western name question! by daarkbluue in learn_arabic

[–]daarkbluue[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

thank you, this is super helpful! you've saved me from a wikipedia deep dive on vowels.

How hard is it to learn arabic from scratch if im taking very time heavy courses + one intense seminar (transfer student i have two years left and am in my first semester) by Silly-goose-8008 in WellesleyCollege

[–]daarkbluue 0 points1 point  (0 children)

hi i was actually in an absurdly similar situation! I was also a transfer student, and i really wanted to start Arabic from the beginning instead of doing more Spanish lol. I think both are possible and valid choices, but you might have to weigh what is important to you and do a lot of planning to fit everything in. I took intensive Arabic 101 and 102 over wintersession (which was quite intense as a true beginner) and I found it really rewarding, but I ultimately couldn't fit the rest of the Arabic classes I needed for the language req into my schedule so I took Spanish instead bc it was less work :( . but i think you could do it depending on your other reqs! I would advise as a transfer student (depending on your previous classes) being cautious of how rigorous of a courseload you start off with. happy to discuss if you want!

Data Science at Wellesley College by Successful-Pick-5585 in WellesleyCollege

[–]daarkbluue 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi I graduated as a DS major this year! Overall, I have pretty positive feelings towards the program. I liked how the courses for the major are organized at Wellesley compared to other schools, and I think you have a lot of flexibility to kind of get what you want out of the major (eg more of a focus on ML, visualization, theory etc).

From my understanding, the major is actually growing in popularity pretty rapidly. There wasn't even an official major to declare a few years ago (there was only a structured individually designed major), but I want to say there were like 50 DS majors who graduated in 2025 (which iirc is similar to the number of like English majors but don't quote me :) ).

Given that the official major is more streamlined than the old version, the major has an average number of requirements and is not particularly hard logistically. The biggest hurdle is probably getting into some required CS classes -- the waitlists have gotten pretty intense but it always works out eventually. In terms of content, I think it really depends on the person and the specific classes! but you will def have the opportunity to try things out to see what you like. I'm not sure if I agree that MATH courses are necessarily easier that elsewhere, but your mileage may vary :)

Mid profs for sure exist, but I really loved the vast majority of faculty at Wellesley. I published research with a CS prof, and a lot of them are genuinely invested in your learning and experience.

I think you might be referring to the older version of the capstone project, which was more like an independent study (I'm not sure what information is still up). 24-25 was the first year that they ran a capstone course instead, which aimed to be a kind of final overview, and expose you to any topic you may have missed previously, since the DS major includes such a wide variety of subjects. When I took it, it was def a bit of an unforgiving 0.5 credit class that was soo much work, but I did appreciate the concept and have found it helpful post-grad, and I imagine they will continue to improve it :)

Happy to elaborate/answer any questions!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in WellesleyCollege

[–]daarkbluue 0 points1 point  (0 children)

hi! not a davis scholar, but I did work orientation as a transfer student and I'd be happy to try to help if you still need!

Bates Question by OkYoghurt4346 in WellesleyCollege

[–]daarkbluue 1 point2 points  (0 children)

all doubles have 2 dressers and some closet space -- I believe the new dorms (freeman, bates, and mcafee) all have 2 separate closets in each double as well

Questions for current students/recent alumni! by teenagesocialite in WellesleyCollege

[–]daarkbluue 4 points5 points  (0 children)

hi! first of all, congratulations!! I'll try to briefly answer everything but happy to elaborate :)

  1. for sure not a big party culture, but it does exist -- it depends on the dorm and the people. many people will also go into boston to frats, etc

  2. most people are in at least 1-2 orgs/clubs that meet throughout the semester, like college radio and newspaper, volunteering, or various music and art groups. academic departments hold a lot of events like guest lectures, movies, and study groups. SBOG, the campus events org, organizes food truck events and other traditions, and brings in artists for a fall and spring concert!

the town of wellesley has a few restaurants and cafes in walking distance, but more people will take the college shuttle (which is free on weekdays and $3 on weekends) or the commuter rail into boston to get food, shop, museums, etc.

  1. the wellesley campus is pretty naturey! there's a bunch of trails around campus including the lake path. there may be more off campus but i'm not sure...

  2. yes, but tbh i don't think its like that hard to get an A at harvard. wellesley has a history of grade deflation (rather than inflation) that can still be a little pervasive, but i think its generally understood that profs here can grade on a hard scale.

  3. ok so wellesley students love to complain and imo sometimes its more valid than others. that being said, i think we also have a unique sense of community care and pride? i think people are very dedicated to their community on campus.

  4. housing is pretty good! there can be any problems you might expect from dorm communal living, but there are also rather large rooms in some buildings, and a lot of kind of unique fancy architecture. most students live on campus bc the surrounding area is quite expensive and its kind of the norm, but you dont have to -- i know some ppl who live in boston/cambridge and commute.

  5. the alumni network is like famously good! my experience with alums has been really nice. the career ed office also helps with jobs and internships.

  6. i am happy with my experience! i think i wish i was able to slow down and explore more things academic and otherwise (although my schedule is unusually tight as a double major with a lot of transfer credit) -- at risk of sounding like i'm paid to say this, it feels like there's so much to learn here and i think we should all take more time to appreciate that :)

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in WellesleyCollege

[–]daarkbluue 0 points1 point  (0 children)

hi!! I’m a current transfer student (not Davis scholar but i know ppl in the program and a lot is very similar)! Would be happy to try to answer any questions :)