College of William and Mary Top Questions

Not at all. We are self-admitted twamps (T.W.A.M.P. = Typical William And Mary Person) but only in the sense that we know what that means. We know a twamp isn't the geek hiding on the third floor of the library studying 24/7. A twamp is someone who enjoys learning and is passionate about their life. A twamp is either over-involved or over-achieving, and is more likely to party on Friday night so they can do work on Saturday (after sleeping in until at least 1pm. Again, there are exceptions, but there's a reason the dining halls serve brunch on the weekends instead of breakfast). We have fun, but we seek balance in our lives. The library is important. So is the club frisbee team and the Model UN team which placed second at WorldMUN in Singapore last year. We work hard, we care, and we have a ton of fun. That is a twamp.

The stereotype about William and Mary students does hold some accuracy. We do study a lot, and you will hear us talk about being akward, in a joking way. When it comes to work, people just take it seriously, but if you're looking for a study break, you'll have no problem finding others up for something fun.

To some degree. There are a good amount of people who don't drink, but there are definitely some crazy parties on and off campus! Even the "nerds" are known to go wild once in awhile, but everyone here is somewhat of a nerd on the inside.

As per the definition of a stereotype, the above portrait is an oversimplification.

Definitely not. While there are some people who fit the stereotypes, there are many more who don't. There's a pretty healthy social scene and some very attractive people.

While it's true that we work very hard (William & Mary is a tough school, so you have to if you want to do well here), we also have a lot of fun. Perhaps because Williamsburg isn't the liveliest college town, there are always fun things happening on campus, from parties to comedians to movie showings to concerts and open mic nights. And William & Mary students are creative; you won't find the pastime of rancing on just any campus. Rancing, or running and dancing at the same time with an iPod playing your favorite dance mix, is a favorite stress-relieving form of recreation at William & Mary. Of course, we have fraternities and sororities, so if you're looking for the typical college social life, it can be found here, too. While there are definitely some awkward students at William & Mary, they aren't necessarily more prevalent than at any other top-notch school. More accurately, William & Mary students are quirky and passionate - over-involved, committed to their studies, but also committed to enjoying college life.

Not at all. W&M is a lot more innovative than expected and the students are fun loving and active.

There is some truth to every stereotype, but this one is overly exaggerated. Everyone at W&M take their academics seriously, but not everyone spends Friday and Saturday nights in Swem, the beloved library. W&M runs the gamut on types of people: there are the jocks, the Greeks, geeks, the rich kids, the poor kids, and everything in between. No one feels like they can't fit in here, everyone finds their clique.

Not at all. Parties go on around here, there are kids who DO fail out of school, and there is no evidence anywhere that our suicide rates are the highest in the country. In fact, according to our alumni magazine, our suicide rate is lower than the national average. So don't believe everything you hear; this school is NOT where fun goes to die. http://www.wmalumni.com/magazine/spgsum_2006/feature_5.shtml

yeah

No. This is William & Mary, not an Ivy! (Except for the awkward part.)

Yes, they are mostly nerdy and work hard, but some party way too much for their own good, as with any other school

1. William and Mary students are much less socially awkward than the stereotype would have you believe. 2. Sure thing- the average W&M student is a total nerd, although many try to keep that covered up. 3. No matter who you are, there's not much eye-candy here. 4. William and Mary is overwhelmingly liberal.

Absolutely not. Academics are obviously a huge part of the campus scene, but most people do an incredible job of balancing that with other activities and social lives.

Students at W&M have worked hard to get there, so most of them continue to work on academics while at the school. However, there are parties every weekend, especially at the frats, and we know how to have fun and succeed. As far as the suicidal thing goes, the suicide rate is actually lower than many other schools. The environment is less competitive than one might think, making it easier to handle the academics.

Everyone does put a huge emphasis on their studies and it seems that if you don't double major, you're a slacker. We do a ton of service - that's completely true.

Yes

Generally. We're trying to diversify, though.

You can find some of the popular types here, but most everyone is super awkward and super geeky and studies all the time.

Yes we study too much, I have probably have too much fun at the expense of that