Students Say...
What's it really like to live at Carleton? We asked current students to describe it in their own words. Below is a sampling of their uncensored comments.
- “Campus life at Carleton is just what I had hoped for. Socially, there is always something going on on the weekends, whether you are into parties, concerts, dances, or just hanging out, all of it happens. There are also many opportunities for recreation, from intramural ultimate frisbee to working out at the Rec center, taking a walk in the arb, or participating in an a-capella group, the opportunities are limitless, it seems.” —Anna Newman '11
- “Not a huge party or jock school, but people still know how to have a good time.” —Carleton Sophomore
- “You can completely isolate yourself if you choose to. Or you can have a fantastic social life. Find a club with people who share a common interest; seriously, they have something for everybody. If you don't know what naginata is, you will when you graduate. Don't expect Northfield to be New York City. The coffee shop is the major social hub in town, and there is a lot of corn and soybeans.” —Margaret Taylor '10
- “You're respected whether or not you choose to drink, and there are substance-free floors and an abundance of non-alcohol related activities every weekend!” —Jinai A. Bharucha '11
- “There are a lot of things to do pretty much all the time, and it's pretty easy to know what's happening when, because the daily distributed Noon News Bulletin (aka the NNB) has most of the events that happen around campus. If you have time to do things there are awesome things to do a lot of the time. Whether or not you have too much work to take the time off to do them is the real question.” —Mark Stewart '09
- “Campus life is what you make it. There are tons of opportunities, from dances to frisbee to concerts. You just have to chose what you like, or don't like. And don't assume everything has to do with alcohol. I'm dry and I still have fun.” —Rose Hyson '11
- “Fluctuates greatly in terms of quality, yet there seems to be a lot of music and drama. The night life is frequently centered around a few parties which may or may not be one's preference. Student attendance at sports games is not big.” —Hal Baseman '09
- “There is always something to do here. I was also very (positively) surprised to find a very fun night life at a school so devoted to academics.” —Steve Merry '10
- “The drug of choice is alcohol. If I'd known this campus was so sopping wet, I'd have thought twice about coming here. However, not everybody drinks, and there's plenty to do if you take the time to look.” —Liz Snider-Lotz '08
- “Dacy Moses house is open 24/7 in case you want to have a quiet night-in making cookies and playing games. I love my friends here and my favorite thing to do is to get together with them and hang out. Parties happen too though, and there are some campus-wide events that everyone goes to that are really fun. Carleton is a blast!” —Hannah Ebner '09
- “Everyone goes out on a Saturday night, even if it's not to drink--on Sunday nights, EVERYONE is in the library. Overall, Carleton students have the ability to find an equitable balance between school work and life.” —Claire Hill '11
- “You can do a wide variety of things on any given night. From watching a movie at SUMO to rocking it out at a Sayles dance, there is something for everyone.” —Laura Barsness '10
- “Campus life varies a lot. If you're looking for huge fraternities and sororities and huge turn-outs at football games, you might not find it here. Basically anything else, though, we've got. There is a huge range from those who party to those who play games and/or attend musical or theatrical performances on the weekends. Probably most people do a little bit of each. As for other recreation/activities, the problem is always choosing only a couple things to be involved in rather than overdoing it. From sports teams to music and theater to activism, there are constantly activities going on and groups to join.” —Christa Frintner '09
- “The social life around here revolves around the community. A typical weekend might involve a small private event to celebrate a friend's birthday, going to The Cave to listen to an upcoming band/group, gathering random folks to play a game of BOOT in the rec center, going with friends into town for a 'fancy' dinner, baking cookies and other goodies at Dacie Moses, a jamming session with your friends, etc.” —Ezra Velazquez '10
- “Campus life can be whatever you want it to be. There are people who live in the library or the CMC [Center for Math and Computing]; people who party and drink every weekend night; people who take a bus into the cities to shop, eat, see plays, movies, and museums; CANOE club sponsors hiking, climbing, and biking trips every weekend; and sports teams often travel to other schools to compete. You can be laid-back and watch a movie with a few friends in your dorm, or you can go on an all-night wild canoeing adventure down the Cannon River.” —Sarah Forzley '10
- “If you're looking for parties, there are definitely plenty of parties on the weekends. If you're not into parties, though, you won't feel out of place. There are plenty of people here to hang out with that don't party.” —Ben Picone '11
