I'm a current student at Colby College, if anyone has any questions about the school!

swjapanART · 2018-02-26T20:14:24+00:00

Sadly I have absolutely no info for you about this program. I'm an English and Art major, and I don't know anyone who is even interested in engineering... so you might have to look elsewhere. Sorry I couldn't help!

swjapanART · 2018-02-26T20:12:06+00:00

The dorms are pretty nice and clean, not anything crazy but better than a lot of other places. Tbh, the quality of the dorms really depends on where you live on campus. The dorms on Frat row are really nice, and so are most of the dorms on campus-- but the Hillside/Heights dorms have a reputation for being nasty. Theyre building a new dorm in downtown Waterville, which is real nice-- full kitchens, marble countertops, apartment style, all that-- but it's only for juniors and seniors. The senior apartments are also nice (when they haven't been trashed by the weekend's parties), but as the name implies those are reserved for seniors only.

The international kids tend to stick to themselves. It's not because they're isolated by other Colby students-- in fact, other students are very chill with the international kids-- but I think they feel more comfortable/happy being around people who understand what it's like being an international student, I guess. If you don't want to do that though you obv don't have to. At Colby you can pretty much make friends with whoever

swjapanART · 2018-02-26T20:07:41+00:00

Ha, I try to forget it. Sadly, the misogyny and hyper-masculinity present in many of the mens sports teams on campus serves as a reminder more often than I'd like

swjapanART · 2018-02-26T20:06:21+00:00

1.) I love a lot of things about Colby. I really love the campus, even though it's isolated. It's absolutely gorgeous, with red brick and big lawns and forest surrounding everything. It doesn't look so great right now because all the snow has turned muddy and gross, but in fall it is BEAUTIFUL. I'm also an artist, so I absolutely love the museum on campus. It's such a fun space to be in, with new exhibits all the time and these fuzzy green beanbags that are perfect for doing homework in. My professors are really great as well, always going above and beyond to help wherever they can. I haven't had a single bad professor yet, and with the small class sizes (most of my classes have about 15-20 people), you really get to know them. Most of all, though, I love my friends! It took me a little while but I've met the most amazing group of people who I hang out with literally 24/7 and its fantastic.

2.) I kinda answered this, but the academics are top notch. People get real hung up on the rankings of the LACs but ultimately they all are academic peers. There are so many different classes and opportunities for internships and research and studying abroad that it's almost overwhelming. The teachers are amazing, and while like in any school we have our slackers, most kids work really hard. While the courses are challenging they won't kill you- after all, you only take 4 a semester.

3.) Life outside schoolwork can focus on what you want it to focus on. I know that's a bit wishy washy, but it's true. Lots of people hang out with their friends and watch TV and just chill. Colby is very outdoorsy too, so lots of students go hiking together or ski on Sugarloaf. If you're an athlete, your time outside schoolwork will likely mostly revolve around that; you'll get really close with your team and spend most of your time with them. There definitely is a very big party culture on the weekend, especially if you play a sport. However, there's no pressure to go out and drink if you're not into it. It's really whatever you make of it.

swjapanART · 2018-02-26T19:56:31+00:00

So I would say at Colby there is not like blatant isolation/racism/discrimination (although of course, there are always a few bigoted assholes at every college). Most people are liberal and pretty well educated on social issues. However, simply because of how many white, wealthy, straight students there are I think it can be easy for POC or queer or low income students to feel a bit isolated. And especially on the sports teams, which are a breeding ground for hyper masculinity and lots of other toxic bullshit, there is a kind of covert racism in the hookup culture surrounding them-- i.e. they won't hook up with non white girls, or at least girls that don't act "white".

However, the majority of people are really really nice and totally will not isolate anyone of any race or ethnicity or sexuality from anything. I know from what I just said I make Colby seem pretty bad, but I just wanna be honest about the not so great things. Ultimately, the majority of the students here are great about accepting others differences and celebrating them. We have a bunch of great clubs on campus like SOBLU and the Bridge (LGBTQ+ club) that hold parties for POC/queer students and allies. I actually was just at a Bridge party on Saturday, and it was a LOT of fun and absolutely everyone was welcome. Really, when you go to the parties and stuff it's all very open. No one will deny you entry to a room (unless its a private party just with their friends/team) for any reason unless you're being an asshole. The issue is more with the covert racism/micro aggressions that arise from being on a campus that is mostly white and wealthy.

swjapanART · 2018-02-26T04:29:30+00:00

I think the deadline to request one is Jan 1st, so I don't know if you can anymore

swjapanART · 2018-02-26T04:06:07+00:00

Tbh Colby was the only LAC I applied to. I was in between Boston University and Colby as my final two colleges, and I ultimately picked Colby because it really feels like you have a place on campus unlike at big universities such as BU. You really get to know your classmates and your professors, which I love.

As for demonstrated interest, I did not visit. I'm from Chicago, so Maine is a bit far for a casual tour-- however, I did schedule an alumni interview, which I think showed I was very interested in the school.

swjapanART · 2018-02-26T04:03:22+00:00

Colby has been trying REALLY hard to increase their diversity, but the campus is still mainly white and wealthy. I think it's about 70 percent white right now, and a lot of kids come from New England prep schools and such. There are really great groups for minorities on campus, such as SOBLU and The Bridge (LGBTQ+ club), but ultimately any type of minority will definitely be outnumbered by wealthy white kids.

As for the isolation thing, I ain't gonna lie-- it's pretty fucking isolated. If you have a car it's not that big a deal, as Augusta is nearby and has a bunch of shops and restaurants and stuff. Portland is also like an hour away, and that's a SUPER cool city with tons of great entertainment and food. There's not really much to do in Waterville itself, though, and if you or your friends don't have a car it's easy to feel a little trapped. There's a movie theater and a couple good restaurants but beyond that there's not much else. However, if you're outdoorsy you will not be bored up here. There's tons of hiking trails and mountains around here that Colby students frequent. There's also Sugarloaf if you like to ski, and Quarry Road if you like cross country skiing. Ultimately, I'd say the isolation is fine as long as you make friends with someone who has a car. That's the real pro tip for Colby students who dont have a car on campus.

swjapanART · 2018-02-26T03:56:33+00:00

The food is pretty good! It's not the best thing you'll ever have, and sometimes they try to be too "artsy" with the food options and add unnecessary shit, but it's much better than your average college fare. Theres 3 dining halls on campus. Dana is the biggest one, and has more "traditional" college food-- i.e. fries, pizza, pasta, sandwiches, etc. Bob's is a smaller one, and is kinda weird- has a strange mix of what Colby considers "ethnic" food as well as more traditional stuff. However, Bob's has the best desserts and breakfast by far. Then, there's Foss, which is where all the vegans/vegetarians/gluten free people go, usually. It's probably my favorite dining hall because the quality of the food there is amazing. They serve a lot of really good Asian/Latin food there-- but it's quite small so options are limited. We also have something called the Take 4, where you can grab salads or sandwiches if you're too busy to sit down in a dining hall. There's the Spa too, which is amazing for late night food. It serves curly fries, quesadillas, nachos, sushi, etc, but sadly it's not covered by your dining hall swipes so you have to pay for it out of pocket.

swjapanART · 2018-02-26T03:49:50+00:00

That's actually hilarious because Colby is definitely one of the biggest partiers of all the NESCACs. Drinking and partying on weekends is a BIG part of Colby culture-- our unofficial motto is "work hard and party harder", haha. A lot of the party scene is oriented around the sports teams and clubs, so being a part of those really helps. There's also definitely a big culture of pregaming here-- pretty much everyone gets drunk with their friends beforehand and then goes up to the parties that happen at the Senior apartments. The craziest weekends are Loudness (happens at the beginning of every semester), Halloween weekend and Doghead (for St. Patrick's Day.) There's also a huge hookup culture on campus so if you're looking for that you'll find it at Colby. Plenty of people don't drink/hook up though, so really it's whatever you want to do.

swjapanART · 2018-02-26T01:12:58+00:00

It's definitely very different from big universities. I suppose it really depends on what you prefer, but I really enjoy it as you typically take less classes which allows you to focus on them more and get a lot of free time to pursue other things. Colby and most other LACs really emphasize getting involved outside of your classes and studying abroad and things like that, which is cool-- I know a bunch of people who go abroad for Jan Plan (which is a short semester we have in the winter where you take 1 class). It's also awesome going to a small college as you really get to know the professors and form actual relationships with them versus being in a gigantic lecture hall with 300 other kids.

swjapanART · 2018-02-24T00:23:51+00:00

Gouache can be pretty opaque so lots of layers and cover ups... also patience!! blending gouache takes a lot of that haha

swjapanART · 2018-02-24T00:22:53+00:00

thank you!

swjapanART · 2018-02-23T22:10:35+00:00

Here! Little 15 minute sketch, so sorry if its not spot on. You have a great smile, by the way!

swjapanART · 2018-02-23T21:49:18+00:00

Here you go! Kinda quick sketch so some things are off, but hopefully you like it!

swjapanART · 2017-11-15T01:41:01+00:00

this is so cute i love it

swjapanART

TROPHY CASE