Always alive. Whether it is throwing a Frisbee out in the Bald Spot or reading in the Libe or participating in one of the many activities on campus, Carleton student life always has a healthy pulse.

There is always something really cool going on on campus. You have opportunities to join a huge range of clubs, and there is literally something for everyone. As for residential and social life, everything is pressure free and relaxed. There is ample opportunity to party if you want to. There are even more opportunities to attend concerts, improv troupes, dances, and a whole lot more. There is never a time when you would ever say "there's nothing to do on campus today!"

It’s fairly laid-back – people have a lot of activities and work, but they don’t run around like chickens with their heads cut off (except maybe during finals week). The dorms are all very nice, and people tend to form close relationships with their floors. The food is variable but mainly good. People are always looking to have fun, whatever that may mean for them. I love how the small campus makes it so that you see your friends multiple times a day, even if you don’t have classes together or live near each other. My favorite campus phenomenon is when everyone comes out of their cocoons at the beginning of spring term. We all start wearing very little clothing before it's at all justified by the weather, and you're constantly bumping into people you know walking around, because everyone wants to be outside.

Life at Carleton is busy busy busy! I have come to understand that a unique characteristic of the Carleton life is perpetually wishing for a few more hours in a day. It's a constant balancing act of classes, work, friends, athletics, extracurriculars and adventure.

Carleton is a small rural school, but it is strong because of this and not despite it. Life here is about meeting smart people who don't have egos, in an environment where you feel you can really say what you believe in, or explore things you never thought you would.

Busy, but enjoyable. Everyone is passionately involved in a variety of activities, but seem to find time for lasting friendships. Although academics are undeniably intense, I've never felt I live in some kind of intellectual pressure cooker. My fellow students smile too frequently for that to be true.

Everything ebbs and flows at Carleton. Work, exams, weekend activities: sometimes they all come at once, and sometimes things are more quiet around here. But regardless of how much work you have or how full your social calendar is, life at Carleton is always driven by individual interests and passions.

Life at Carleton is filled with options and opportunities. No matter what your interests, there are groups, clubs, or events for you on campus. Students can get involved in politics, sports, social activism, radio broadcasting, you name it. People tend to be pretty busy, but definitely in a good way.

Life outside the classroom is as important as life inside it. Students find the three other people in the world who like the same music they do; they learn to bake; they test their limits; they discover snow. Oh, and they do a LOT of homework.

Life is SO BUSY but also SO MUCH FUN. Every day is different, and everyone is always doing something amazing and quirky and interesting. If you are good at balancing sleep/friends/work, you are in a great environment. At Carleton you will work hard but you will also have time to do what YOU want.