Hampshire College Top Questions

It really varies. There are a lot of drugs around, but once you get past orientation week (when smoking seems to be a big social activity) no one cares about what you do or don't do substance-wise. Definitely people who don't bathe, but very few 'hippies'-- more people who like to pretend they're hippies. Students are NOT lazy if they're working on something they're interested in-- in fact, normally they go way beyond expectations, especially with creative projects and work. Essays do get turned in late by some people.

They are accurate in the sense that there are noticeable amount of these populations present, but Hampshire is also a collective of many different types of people who can usually be categorized as being individual and eccentric.

To a certain degree, yes. The student body is incredibly radical (I have a friend who claims that she'd work at Planned Parenthood, but its just not liberal enough), but at the same time, you have to do actual classwork. Many students are weeded-out (so to speak) in their first year because they think they can sit around and smoke all the time. That, and there are a great deal of students who are substance free.

As in almost all stereotypes, there are parts that hold true for some of the students on our campus. But all-in-all, I would say the stereotype is pretty far off, at least past first year. After first year students realize that Hampshire is a place where you have to be extremely self-motivated, you have to know what you want, and you have to be willing to work for it. Why else would we have a 62{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} retention rate? Some people come into Hampshire believing the stereotype, expect a free ride, then get dumped on their asses when they can't keep up.

Well there's definately a big hippie population, and although it's not substance free...I wouldn't say everyone is a pot head and everyone takes their work very seriously. I transferred into Hampshire (spent half of my first year of college at a seperate university) and was a bit worried about the stereotypes. Students are self-motivated and know when they need to complete their work, however they don't let it rule their lives (well except maybe Div III's).

Yes and no. Like every college that I've seen, there are drugs and there are people who take a lot of drugs. Many people do smoke marijuana. Hampshire courses can be similar to courses at other colleges. However, being a transfer student, and having taken courses at various schools (all public schools), I don't feel that Hampshire classes are any easier or harder than others. It all depends on the professor, in my opinion. Evaluations can actually be more discouraging yet more critical and useful than grades. When you get an evaluation, its never perfect. Its not like getting an A. There is always something you can improve. Its more real than a grade, more informative. Hampshire does have an amazing community. Most people are very welcoming and friendly. When you are at Hampshire people smile at you as you pass by them. People want to get to know you. People at Hampshire really care. Hampshire does tend to have cliques though. Coming in as a transfer student, I have especially noticed this. Unlike other schools though, Hampshire cliques are pretty interested in letting new people in. All of the friends I have made have happilly introduced me to their groups of friends and have been extremely friendly.

It is true that Hampshire does not believe in the traditional system, thus instead of grades, Hampshire students recieve "evaluations," in which the professor writes a lengthly evaluation of the student's strengths and weaknesses regarding class participation and written work. It is also true that quizes/tests/exams are NOT adminisered at Hampshire. Hampshire students DO choose a specific area of study, but it is called a "concentration" instead of a "major." 90{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of Hampshire students DO smoke cigarettes. In essence, the stereotypes surrounding Hampshire are accurate to some extent, it is a quirky place!

Let's say that the average Hampshire student tries to be one or all of those things. Success is a different story.

Almost everyone is hippie. If not, the majority are hippie friendly. Class is what you want to make of it. It depends on the professor whether you need to attend or not; often, you do. Almost everyone smokes pot. Even more people are cigarette smokers. Hampshire Halloween is cool if you are tripping - its not what it once was.

The stereotypes are accurate to some degree. It is fairly common to see dreadlocks and guys with long hair. There are a fair amount of rich students because Hampshire's tuition is high, but not everyone is rich. Many students use marijuana, but there are also sub-free students. A lot of students are very PC, but there are also students who get annoyed about others being so PC. Probably a lot of us didn't fit in in high school, but there might be some who did... And of course there's more to every school than its stereotypes.