Hampshire College Top Questions

5 colleges are key, both for courses (you get a break from the academic style of Hamp), more resources (more libraries and departments) and some social escape from Hampshire. 5 college teachers tend to love students who cross-register. Some teachers can be too lax for my liking, but there are plenty of tough teachers too-- Michael Lesy's literary journalism class is incredible if you like his teaching style. Teachers learn your name but you need to take the initiative to establish a relationship with them-- signing up for office hours, etc. If you do, they're happy to oblige you. Division one can be a little bit too focused on requirements and courses instead of the personalized, independent learning that Hampshire promises. They're working on reforming it, though. I want to work in the writing department, which is very popular and too small for the size of the demand. Courses are hard to get into during signup. But, like all Hampshire classes, persistence will get you a long way. Definitely geared toward and education on the student's own terms, that is, for learnings sake rather than a job. They're very open to students who have been on or will end up on unusual life paths.

I really disliked Division I, I think that it keeps students from studying what they want to, even though they came to Hampshire to do exactly that. Hampshire has very interesting classes that approach subjects not necessarily from a textbook angle, but very theoretically and in ways that trigger your thinking, which I find wonderful. If you participate in class, professors will know you. If you don't, they probably will know you as well. Students are not very competitive in terms of academic performance, but they are very proud about their ideas and their opinions. This can result in some controversy in the class room, but always an interesting discussion. Hampshire students, from my experiences, also have intellectual conversations outside the classroom, which I believe that many colleges lack. Though Hampshire has no grades, it is extremely academically invigorating because it really makes you think and by the end of your second semester you think writing a 12 page paper is easy.

Hampshire makes you think that your education is entirely up to you, and then you get there and realize that you've got a lot of requirements which essentially eat up at least one semester. While Hampshire has fewer requirements than most other schools, you will be stuck in at least one class that you really don't like because of the Div I distribution requriements. That is why there is a movement on campus to eliminate these requirements. Class participation is generally pretty big depending on the class itself. Obviously, literature classes are more discussion based than science classes, but the overall academic atomosphere is generally more hands-on and project oriented than most other schools. The classes teach you how to conduct your own research, complete your own independent projects, and generally will prepare you for a job more than most other schools. For example, I took a biology course called "Gene Cloning" and in one semester I got more lab experience than most undergrads, and am now going to spend my summer working at a lab conducting cancer research. The main issue with classes is that if you think about them enough, you tend to realize that a lot of what the professors teach is actually total BS. I've actually had textbooks which explain the differences between "lesions" and "pathologies" and I've met students who in their fourth year still didn't know what the sixth century was. Though at the same time I know students who have applied to grad schools only to be told that they already know enough to go straight to working on a PhD after leaving Hampshire. Really, your education is what you make of it. If you work hard, it'll pay off, but to a certain extent you can slack off for four years and still get a degree.

Academics at Hampshire are up to the individual. I have seen everywhere on the spectrum: a stoner dude who doesn't do anything all four years, bullshits a Div III and passes, and never does anything with his life to a gifted scientist who works her ass off all four years, takes incredible advantage of not only Hampshire but the whole five college community and is now off to get her masters and Ph.D. at an Ivy. Anything can happen. I suppose the most important thing about Hampshire academics is that you can do anything you want. There are extremely motivated people, and there are not-so motivated people. Some students are super competitive, and others don't care at all. Learning at Hampshire is purely for learning. We are there to ask questions, find answers, and ask questions. And students and faculty totally hang out after class.

My favorite Hampshire classes have been creative writing classes--Intro to Writing and Intermediate Poetry Writing. These were both basically writing workshops, so you could get feedback from your classmates and give them feedback on their work. Also, both professors for these classes, Will Ryan and Paul Jenkins, had some helpful, insightful things to say. My least favorite Hampshire class was probably Western and Alternative Medicine, not because the professors were bad, but because in that class I was required to dissect empirical scientific articles and summarize them. I was reading about specific experiments and looking up complex scientific terms, but I had little to no understanding of the basic scientific concepts behind the experiments. This is a downside at Hampshire--professors will throw you into the water whether you can swim or not. They will not guide you along too much....so, if you're already talented at something, then it's great, because you can go full speed ahead. For instance, since writing is one of my strengths, I enjoyed my writing classes. Therefore, I would suggest focusing in on your strengths as soon as possible once you come to Hampshire. Two more important aspects of Hampshire academics: Hampsters do not take tests, and they do not get grades. Not gonna lie--I have had to take some quizzes, but only in areas like Spanish and Music Theory, where there is really no other way you could display your knowledge without taking a quiz. And these are not heavy-duty tests; they are just quizzes. For the most part, Hampsters do big projects and write papers. This is a lot of work, but it's definitely rewarding. Also, getting evaluations is rewarding because you can see what specifically you should be proud of and what you need to improve on.

Hampshire is not a very competitive school. This has pros and cons. Outside of class, Hampshire students definitely have intellectual conversations. Its great to just discuss real issues with your friends or learn something new just by listening to student outside of class. I always feel like there are smarter, more informed people than myself at Hampshire. This makes me happy because it makes me want to strive and work harder at what I'm doing. Classes at Hampshire are really small. Usually a lot of participation is required. Professors know most people's names, especially if you are proactive and speak to them after class or if you participate in class. Students call professors by their first names always. Hampshire has very unique classes. There is a class offered called kitchen ecology where you learn everything about cheese and the making and tasting of cheese.

Hampshire academics - Five College Consortium: Hampshire courses are highly specific, thus Hampshire would not exist without the Five College Consortium, which includes Hampshire, Mt.Holyoke College, Smith College, University of Massachussets, and Amherst College. You can take classes at any of the five schools! Buses run every 10 minutes, thus it is very easy to take 1 or 2 classes off-campus. The five college consortium is the most amazing feature, for it allows students to supplement their designed curriculum with courses from the five college consortium. For example, even though I am a Hampshire student, I am recieving my Teacher's License from Mt. Holyoke College. Class size: ranges from 10-24 depending on the nature of the course Requirements: In your first year ("Div I"), you must take 1 course in each of the 5 schools of thought (Humanities & Arts, Natural Science, Social Science, Cognitive Science, IA (language). After "Div I," Curriculum: Design your own curriculum in 3 stages, called Divisions. "Div I" is completed in your first year, "Div II" is competed in your second and third years, and "Div III" is completed in your fourth year. Class participation: students are loud, ask questions, argue, talk about themselves, ect. Competetiveness: non-existent because there are no grades In essence: You are learning to learn, not to set yourself up for a high powered job. However, with the DIY, you can make your academics whatever you want them to be!

Academics at Hampshire are, allegedly, not what they used to be. If you are looking for a place that puts education over the classroom, come to Hampshire 20 years ago. If you are looking for a place that puts education anywhere on its top-10 list, come to Hampshire 20 years ago. Hampshire, I've been told, started as a place where students would work on individual work, take classes that were pertinent, and come to class when issues arose that made their own work particularly difficult. With the removal of individual work by current "re-vamping" of the First Division, classes have become more mandatory. The problem is that with an attempt to maintain "discussion-based classes," a lot of teachers rely on students and do not help with discussions as well as they could. This would be great if the students themselves did not come to Hampshire looking for a way to get out of "real class work." This creates a lot of silence during classes, or dominance of discussion by one or two students. Hampshire students are very good at saying "everything's relative." And they mean it. So truth is hard to muster out of classes. With this mentality in the student body, intelligence is easy to feign on the Hampshire College Campus. Most students try to be a lot smarter than they actually are. Be careful, if you aren't paying too close of attention, you might actually believe what they are saying. As for the academic system, that deserves a say or two, seeing as it has put Hampshire on the map. Hampshire's program to graduate consists of three Divisions. The first is taken in the first three semesters (although it can be completed in two). The second covers the Sophomore and Junior years generally and the third is a Senior's thesis-like program. Div I: This Division takes up the first year of your life at Hampshire. It has been changed a lot recently (for better or, more frequently, worse). Students must complete one class from each of the five schools (Interdisciplinary arts, IA; Humanities Arts and Cultural Studies, HACU; Cognitive Science, CS; Natural Science, NS; and Social Science, SS.) and three electives of one's choice. IA classes can be fulfilled by language classes at one of the other 4 colleges in the area, but all the others must be taken at Hampshire. One class in the first semester is a tutorial class, which is exclusive to first years. The teacher of that class is your advisor, so pick it well (a ratemyprofessors search might be in hand before choosing). At the end of Div I, you have to write a retrospective outlining what you did and how it might help you in... Div II:! Division II is what some would call "the major" of Hampshire. Here you focus your studies to one self-created field. You can take whatever classes you want, but generally have to justify them with your "committee," which consists of two professors (Hampshire or otherwise) that have something to do with your field of study. Also Community Service must be completed in this time. Div II is meant to be the bulk of your studies to prepare you for... Div III: Division III is where students bunker down and create a physical manifestation of their previous three years. Generally students write long thesis-length papers, but others choose to do scientific research, large scale building and design projects etc. Basically, this is the time when you prove you've actually learned something (hopefully). You stay with your committee, who guides you through. Normally Div III students will take only one or two classes and focus on finishing their project. When they do finish, they literally ring a bell that announces to the student body (and anyone living within a mile or two) that they have graduated. To pass a course at Hampshire, a student receives an "evaluation" from a teacher, which is a paragraph or two summary of the student's progress and performance in the classroom. These are generally very honest and helpful, although often hung over the heads of students much as grades are in high school. Some teachers are hard-asses about them, some are real laid-back. To finish: Although most students come to Hampshire to get away from math and sciences, NS is really the only school that sticks to the heart of Hampshire: good project-based classes, no administrative bullshit, student-involvement, pursuit of knowledge. I have met some of the most amazing professors in that building, whereas others have been borderline-miserable.

Professors almost always know there students names.... its sometimes student who don't know there professors names. Hampshire kids, at least at entry, seem not to be to involved with academics. Drugs and hanging out often draw more attention than classes. Procrastination is popular. Oh, also, Div I sucks. If you can make it to Div III I hear good things about it, but surviving three years is tough. Paying for those years is even tougher. However, if you are into school work, the NS professors are outstanding. Though the school (as do most) lacks funding. The teachers are ambitious and creative and really involved in awesome hands on projects. You will actually do science (or math) - from day one in a Hampshire classroom. A lot of Hampshire students are pretentious - which gets mistaken for intellectual by those who don't know better. Many enjoy a dinner time or class time debate on anything from racism, feminism, foreign policy, or art - often one subject after another.

Hampshire has a very unique academic program consisting of three divisions. Division I, generally completed in the first year, consists of taking basic courses and fulfilling distribution requirements. In Division II, the second and third years, students develop a self-designed concentration (the closest thing Hampshire has to a "major"). During their fourth year, Division III, students undertake a major independent project. The divisions are commonly referred to as "Div I," "Div II," and "Div III." Hampshire classes have no tests, quizzes, or exams (with a few exceptions, such as some language courses). There is usually a final project or paper in place of a final exam. Instead of grades, students recieve written evaluations from professors, as well as writing self-evaluations. All classes at Hampshire are small. The biggest class I had this year was about 25-30 students, and it was my first year. Class participation is expected and encouraged. Most classes are discussion-based. Professors lecture occasionally to clarify certain points or provide background information, but rarely for an entire class period. Most courses involve a lot of reading and writing. Relationships with professors are very important. Professors have to get to know every student in each of their courses well enough to write a written evaluation of his/her work. On Advising Days, there are no classes so that every student can meet with his/her advisor. First year students have to take a tutorial course in their first semester, and the professor of the tutorial becomes their advisor for the first year. For Division II, students are advised by a committee of two professors, and students in Division III have weekly meeting with their Division III committees. Although I have never personally been invited to a professor's house, I know other students who have. Hampshire has a lot of interesting courses. Since it's a small school, you might not find every course you need or want for your specific course of study. But there is also the Five College Consortium. Hampshire students can enroll in courses at Amherst College, Mount Holyoke College, Smith College, and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst for no additional charge. There is a free bus system that provides access to all of these other colleges, and the longest bus ride (to Smith) is only about 20-25 minutes. Most Hampshire students end up taking some classes off campus, and some students even take most of their classes off campus. Some students come to Hampshire knowing exactly what they want to study, but others, like myself, explore different areas in their first year to find out what area(s) most interest(s) them. Since the concentration is student-designed, it is possible to combine different interests in ways that wouldn't be possible at a more traditional college. Hampshire's academic program is not for everyone. Hampshire students need to be self-motivated. They must be able to deal with a relative lack of structure; no one is going to tell you exactly what classes you should take and when. Hampshire has a fairly high transfer rate. However, some students (myself included) love Hampshire. While it isn't for everyone, Hampshire is perfect for some people.