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The school is very, very small; after the first few months, you know of know of the majority of people here. This is a comforting thing in that generally when you walk around campus you'll know the people you see. On the flip side, avoiding people can get extremely tricky - not that people actually change their lifestyles because of it. Bowdoin (and any small college) students just deal with awkwardness a whole lot more often. It's seeing and saying hi to your professor who's also getting lunch at the Cafe, but running into that bad hookup from Saturday night at breakfast on Monday isn't always the greatest way to start your week. If you want any kind of anonymity whatsoever (social or academic), Bowdoin is not the place for you.

Another thing they don't tell you is the effect the weather has on the social scene, and not just the weekend parties. People certainly still drink and party during the winter, perhaps more so in order to keep from feeling the cold. What I mean is that by the time November comes around, people run inside to their respective niches and generally don't come out again until spring. If you haven't found your group of friends by then, you might have to sit tight until spring.

Most professors know your name and do take note of whether or not you come to class, even in classes of 35 or more and even if they don't take attendance. I've found that intellectual discussions outside of class and the library aren't very common; mostly it revolves around talking about your life, how much work you have, or other people. The minimal academic requirements are a definite plus about Bowdoin. As a freshman, make sure you get your 101 classes out of the way but DON'T only take 101's freshman year, especially during your first semester, because you will most likely become very disillusioned with the academic scene, and you don't want that to happen your first semester.

People are nice in passing and most are nice for an evening or two of hanging out (obviously friendliness becomes heightened during the weekends, when most of campus is inebriated), but after the pleasantries are exchanged most people tend not to want to make real connections. Obviously there are exceptions, and these exceptions are what you should follow up on, but when the cool kid you meet and have a nice conversation with and who's in your Chem class and who you see at breakfast three times a week doesn't smile at you when you pass, it can feel a little bit weird. The Freshman Chem Free Dorm is a cult but they're all really friendly - they definitely follow the "don't need alcohol to have fun" lifestyle and are a refreshing (but unfortunately decidedly exhausting) subculture on campus. The Chem-Free group tends to become less cohesive as the years pass.

Social life revolves around the in-season teams' game schedules. When teams are off campus for games, it's very noticeable. Weekends are Thursday through Saturday, with a sprinkling of random evenings when you and your friends don't have too much work (although rare is the evening when your no-work evenings overlap with your friends'). Fridays are surprisingly quiet, mostly because athletes are resting up for their Saturday games. For freshman, particulary during the first months when not all of them have 21-year old friends yet, weekends mean college house parties and long keg lines, which get old fast. Most upper classmen steer clear of these parties, unless they're other college house members or it's a particular themed party. The dating scene is a hookup scene.

Campus Activities Board and other organizations do a very good job of bringing acts to campus - recent performers have been Talib Kweli, Ben Kweller, and Girl Talk. Multicultural groups are surprisingly quiet and border on nonexistent, while sexual health and awareness is a big thing on campus. A Cappella and comedy groups are strong as well.

The main stereotypes are the athletes/jocks, the preppies, and the BOC (Bowdoin Outing Club) types. Although there is certainly a lot of overlap between preppies and athletes in terms of style, socioeconomic status, and general disposition, these groups are distinct on the basis of intellectual and daily routine (at least in-season) differences. BOC members are of the more laid-back, casual mentality that some would characterize as "hippie" or "neo-hippie," although in truth the Hampshire or Reed College overlaps are few and far between.

Unfortunately, for the most part I have found these stereotypes entirely accurate.

Bowdoin can be very bureaucratic and almost stony when its academic programs or policies are criticized. It is not a diverse place, and thus minorities tend to stick together. It can be a wonderful place for a certain type of person, but if you're not that kind of person you're going to have to try really hard to make the place work for you. They also don't tell you just how much the weather affects you - be prepared for it to get dark at 4 pm and be prepared to feel it psychologically.