Bowdoin Biology Major

Stereotypes focus on group identities, particularly athletic teams. Other stereotypes involve academic majors, clubs, or political leanings.

Yes, to a disturbing extent.

I'm from the Pacific Northwest. People don't know about Bowdoin way out there. The usual response is "Bow-what?" or "Boating College, that must be fun." If Bowdoin is so great, why isn't it well known outside of New England? Here's why: Bowdoin, and all the other small liberal arts colleges, are mostly talk. I've been disappointed from day one with the caliber of students at Bowdoin, which makes Bowdoin's strong school pride hard to understand. The athletic teams are dismal, the academics would be challenging were it not for the weak work ethic, and student discipline is nonexistent. Maybe Bowdoin is far above other colleges, but that's not saying a lot, because college culture is universal and disgusting.

The hours spent in class are, by far, the most rewarding times at Bowdoin. Professors are consistently good, classes are small, material is challenging, and students seem engaged. Then class ends, and it all goes downhill from there. Students do not perform consistently inside and outside of class: in class they're attentive and interested; outside, their work ethic disappears and they seem interested only in doing the bare minimum, just in time.

I'm a biology major, a major with more required classes than any other major. I learned a great deal, but most of it is useless, and I now dislike studying biology. The chemistry department (4 chemistry classes are required for the biology major), however, is very strong, and organic chemistry I and II remain two of my favorite classes. Ecology classes were also notably good.

After finishing my major in three years, I added a geology minor. The geology department, though small, is very strong, and I now wish I could have majored in geology and minored in biology instead of the reverse. Needless to say, sciences play a large role at Bowdoin compared to other liberal arts colleges. Nonetheless, it is a liberal arts education, so learning is emphasized over skills. I am now educated and thoroughly useless in the job market.

For all the talk of diversity, half the student body is from New England, mostly Massachussetts. I have always felt like an outsider, being from Washington state. Geography plays a larger role in individual identities than I could have anticipated.

I am also an individualist, and that has remained true throughout my four years at Bowdoin. As a result of Bowdoin's collective culture (nobody does anything alone here; they're too scared), I have placed great distance between myself and other students. As a warning to other individualists, Bowdoin does not embrace individuality. It enforces community and shoves it down one's throat. Maybe that's great for people looking for empathy or friendship, but it's a constant struggle for individuals to fight through the communal fog. Unless you love college culture, you'll be angered by bowdoin's student culture, and find yourself constantly saying, "These are good people, they mean well, but they need to get the hell out of my way!"

Drinking dominates social life. Partying is the dominant weekend activity.

I do not drink. I do not party. This makes life at Bowdoin very dull for myself and other non-drinkers.

I am actively involved in Bowdoin's outdoor club, the Bowdoin Outing Club. The Outing Club is a joke, but it is the only way to get away from campus on the weekends. The "hiking" trips are barely picnics, the students are uniformly lazy, and the pace is geriatric. The only reason I still go is that the alternative (another boring day on campus) is even worse.

But, everybody seems very happy to be here. I can't figure that one out.

If I could do it all over again, I would absolutely NOT come to Bowdoin. Bowdoin is best suited to intellectually gifted students from New England eager to underachieve, and then drink excessively every weekend to celebrate that privilege. Maybe that's just what college students do. But if that's true, than I wish I hadn't come all the way across the continent to find it out.

Ultimately, my Bowdoin degree will signify four wasted years of putting up with slackers. If I learned anything here, it's that I never want to compromise with weakness again.