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most of the classes are really small (30 students or less) so the teachers, for the most part, know your name and something about you, which is really nice. plus, most teachers remember you in following semesters, and will say hi to you on campus, in the dining halls, or in town when you cross paths. the teachers are very willing to help you outside of class, and working/studying in groups is the norm. while most students have high standards for themselves, they are mostly competitive with themselves and are very willing to help others out. class participation is usually required, and generally students ask a lot of questions. because the school is so small, there are not too many cool, weird, random classes offered each semester. also- it can be difficult to plan your schedule because most classes are only offered in one time slot (i.e. only monday/wednesday at 11:30 and not at all on tuesday/thursday) so you may just not be able to take classes that you are interested in taking because they don't fit in your schedule, which can be really frustrating.

common complaints are that the campus is too white, too privileged, and too heterosexual. nevertheless, i have friends who are straight, gay, bisexual, all different races/ethnicities, and anywhere from on full financial aid to none. the student body is very left-leaning, but for the most part is not that politically active. because many students are athletes (50%?) a lot of students wear sweatpants/sweatshirts to class and to meals so they don't have to change before practice. some people really get dressed every day, but you wouldn't ever feel out of place if you did not.

a large percentage of the students on campus play a sport, but not many people go to most of their games. hockey and basketball are probably the most popular sports for students to go watch. many students participate in the outing club, and many people go skiing/snowboarding through the outing club as well during the winter. the dating scene is difficult because the campus is so small and everyone knows everyone- either students have very short, non-serious hookups, or very long term relationships, but nothing really in between. students generally work hard sunday-wednesday, and then thursday-saturday go out pretty hard. students primarily drink a lot, but it is difficult to find hard drugs on campus, and are very rarely used. campus-wide social house parties are really fun as a freshman and sophomore, and are a great way to meet lots of people in your grade. there is not much to do on saturdays if you are not drinking and are looking for an organized activity- there is generally a concert, play, movie, etc. but not more than a couple alternatives. main st. has a lot of little coffee shops and cute restaurants to go to, which is really nice if you're looking to get off campus. also if you have a car, portland is really nearby (25 min) and is a really fun city to explore, and there are a lot of fun beaches to go to/cool maine outdoors activities to do if you're adventurous.

students are categorized as either very preppy, jocks, or "crunchy." bowdoin is known to be a very white, heterosexual, privileged campus. students work hard during the week and are serious about their classes/work, but party hard on the weekend.

to some extent, yes, but the stereotypes are definitely exaggerated. there are many different types of students on campus, and everyone finds their niche. the student body is, for the most part, very friendly and accepting.