Carleton French Studies Major

Carleton students are 'quirky' - easily one of the admission office's favorite words to describe us. We are also 'intellectually curious,' 'open to challenge' and 'leaders' in respective fields/interests/activities/etc. We have a reputation for being 'liberal' and laid back.

The Carleton norm isn't far from the American one; students should be as many of the following as possible to be valid: heterosexual, male, white, upper middle class or wealthier and (at this College) atheist. Some students are 'quirky' - others are really bothered by the label of 'absurd' that the school seems to have to apply to pluralism in the student body. Certainly, many more students than I would have imagined have social and communication difficulties - calling these students 'quirky' instead of 'nerds' is an attempt to politely mask their (at times) bizarre behavior. Carleton students are not intellectually curious - they are interested in finding better rhetoric to support the ideas they will not challenge. Confrontation of this close-mindedness rarely occurs in the classroom, and is almost impossible to ensure occurs outside of the curriculum. Most Carleton students consider themselves liberal but do not investigate the privilege and elitism that come with said label. Most students consider themselves very accepting of others, though there are unspoken rules as to what cannot be accepted and what must/should be 'tolerated.'

I most appreciate the human relationships I've been able to develop with other students. Some of the most inspirational and beautiful people I know, I met at Carleton.
I would change the general apathy and lack of activism in Carleton students, starting with higher expectations of applied knowledge within the curriculum. Social activism is completely a choice, both in ideology and in deed.
I don't mind the number of students at Carleton, though I wish more of them were conscientious and more engaged with their complete learning experience.
Few people know about Carleton outside of a privileged group within the US - the response is therefore either 'impressed' because they have heard and believe the elitist rhetoric that surrounds schools like this one, or disinterest because they have no context for the College.
I spend most of my time at work (15 hours per week), doing homework and with friends.
Northfield (our College town) is a perfect example of small, Midwestern farming communities becoming suburban - some hate this and others adore it. I don't cherish the smell of cow dung and Malto Meal cereal that is particular to the area ...
The administration is, unfortunately, more interested in maintaining a status quo that photographs well and can be published in promising brochure paragraphs than it is in investing in the holistic education of all students.
Carleton struggles consistently with racial issues, hidden sexual assault, drug ab/use and one of the worst retention rates of men of color in the nation. Many of these stem from an institutional preference to ignore these problems, allowing them to fester, instead of a dedication to healing dialogue about them.

I have the privilege of developing close relationships with some of my professors, though none of them are in my major. Professors tend to know student names, as classes are small enough that this is possible and expected.
I enjoy some Educational studies classes; I really loved the Philosophy of Law; the only art class I've taken was a great exercise in developing multiple perspectives; writing parts of my own autobiography in French was a wonderful way to practice, explore and improve my language skills. 'Race and Ethnicity' was a waste of my time; several classes that students take to fulfill the requirements of a liberal arts mentality end up being meaningless for them (for me, these classes were Ethics in Biology and Astronomy).
Students study daily, for several hours a day ... or, I should say, they work on academics that much. Studying is reserved for hours after readings, caucus postings, blog development, problem sets, papers, etc are finished.
Class participation is variable - some students like to talk a lot, others have less vocal contributions, some don't come to class on a regular basis.
Intellectual conversations take place outside of the classroom, usually among close friends. Uncomfortable conversations are best conducted with close friends, as well, as the fears and anxieties of each are better respected.
Students are not competitive - in or out of class. Grades are a personal property, to be shared only by choice. Most won't ask about GPA, test scores, etc. The only place that competition comes out is in who asks for help, how, how often, and from whom.
I've taken strange classes while traveling abroad - the relationship of spatial organization to city 'personality' and traditional Malian dance.

The further one is from meeting the standard of being male, heterosexual, white, upper/middle class and Christian or Atheist, with a strong basis in American culture, the more uncomfortable one is bound to be on campus. The student groups who are the most vocal about their feelings of invalidation, powerlessness and marginalization are domestic students of color (as opposed to international students), LGBTIQ students, first-generation college students, and students from low-SES, urban backgrounds. Complacency is also a strong component of relative comfort levels on campus - I would not encourage students who think themselves to be politicized to attend this school.
Students tend to wear 'comfy' clothes, such as jeans/sweatpants, t-shirts, sweatshirts/fleece, tennis shoes. When it is warm, select students choose not to wear shoes. A small minority 'dress up' on a regular basis, following fashion trends; a smaller minority tries to wear their difference literally on their sleeves, with items like capes or costumes.
Different types of students interact superficially.
The dining halls separate themselves in complex ways - by year, floor, shared sport, shared racial status, international status.
About one quarter of the student body is from Minnesota. Many are from the surrounding Midwest - there is a large population from Chicago, for example, and many from Wisconsin. Carleton tries to represent every state with at least one student at the institution at a time. This means that there is one self-identified Native student. Another 13% is from abroad - from Botswana to South Korea to Cyprus to Ireland.
Wealthy legacies support the school financially, upper middle class students make up the majority of SES backgrounds, lower middle class students are rare and a shrinking population due to new admission policies, and low-SES students are about 10-15% of the student body (estimation).
Students would say that they are politically aware/active, though I do not agree with this self-assessment of many. Predominantly, students are of a Democratic, left-wing ideology.
Students do not often talk about money, though there are silent assumptions made (ie: asking friends out to dinner, bars in town, concerts, etc ... regularly)

Ultimate frisbee is often cited as the most popular activity on campus, though MANY do not participate. Club sports are quite popular, as are intramural sports.
Students leave their dorm doors open when/if they would like (or wouldn't mind) people dropping in.
Athletic events are not well attended, likely due to the amount of energy devoted to other academics and extracurriculars. Guest speakers, including the Convocation speaker hosted every Friday in a time slot reserved for whole campus attendance, are not often taken advantage of - by students or staff. Theater is well attended within the theater community, and better attended if a production of the theater department is being presented.
Dating is difficult, as the community is so small, and so many people quickly know about personal developments as public information. Breaking up is therefore difficult as well. Many LGBTIQ students feel that dating for them is almost impossible. The spatial isolation of Northfield contributes to this a lot.
My closest friends are friends of friends, in similar groups, or participants in one-time activities (retreats ...)
I am sick if I am awake at 2am on a Tuesday morning.
Traditions/events include Midwinter Ball, a chance for students to dress up and show off (often under-developed) social dance skills; Rotblatt, a drunken baseball game that lasts all day; Spring concert; WeSpeak (Black Student Alliance performance to close up Black History Month); God is a DJ, Heaven&Hell (organized dances); and Halloween.
People party in general on the weekends, though in the spring, partying takes on new dimensions as seniors get ready to leave and the weather becomes bearable again.
Fraternities and sororities don't exist on this campus.
Last weekend, I went on a retreat with Posse, a national organization that prepares students from urban centers (in this case, Chicago) for elite institutions and provides them with the necessary academic and interpersonal structures to help them finish (strongly) once there. The point of the retreat was to discuss social responsibility. I left early to get some work done and then spent Sunday night at an AIDS house in St. Paul, making dinner for the residents with two other students.