Hampshire College Top Questions

Hampshire classes are the basic pillar which makes this school special. Hampshire classes are consistently small, most under twenty students, and almost all are structured in a class-conversation style. Professors will typically strive to learn the names of all their students early on in the semester, and with a little effort you can get to know them well. This is indispensable in progressing through Hampshire, as you will need professors for your committees, but you'll figure all that out. Class discussions frequently spill out of the classroom and into public conversations, and when students are engaged in class, discussions can be intensely rewarding. Hampshire is continuously revision their first-year requirements, as this is their most-oft attacked program, yet from all sources I have heard that after first year academics are a joy. Hampshire kids are rarely in career-oriented programs, and few are even engaged in career-friendly academics. Thats why many go on to grad school. For me, this is one of my greatest concerns at this point in time, but I'll let you know how it turns out.

Hampshire does not give grades, learning is very self directed, and there are no pre-set majors. It's easy to slack off if you're not self motivated. Classes are small and largely discussion based. Many people have very close relationships with there professors. The most popular areas of study are creative writing, film/photography, and studio arts. The science department is great and has a lot of great professors, who are eager to help you study whatever it is that interests you. If you are interested primarily in the sciences you will probably have to take classes at one of the other five colleges, which is very easy. Science students in their last year of college design and carry out their own hands on project in an area that interests them.

The academics are challenging in the fact that it is so self focused. For final projects the teacher will say, write a 15 page paper that has something to do with what we studied. It is great to have but alos daunting. The class are small and you have to participate. I love my class on the idea of the black dancing body in contemporary concert dance and writing the urban experience. The professors actually care, and the 5 college consortium is great. The dance dept. has alot of wonderful people and a lot of class choices. It is very modern based, i would not come here if i did not want to be a modern dancer, there is ballet but hampshire is more about creativity and modern.

The academics at Hampshire, are for the most part, poor. The teachers expect little from students, and thus hard-working students are often treated the same way as lazy students. Without grades, it's hard for Hampshire to reward outstanding work. On the other hand, the professors are extremely nice, forgiving about missed assignments, and passionate about their subjects. It's not uncommon to have lunch with your professors, and they know everybody by name. In general, there is a great disparity between high-level courses and other courses when it comes to academics. Some higher level courses demand a lot of reading and writing and are challenging to keep up with. Many classes are project-based, and Hampshire students are particularly creative with their projects.

Out of the 9 classes that I've taken, I've only disliked one, and I still learned a great deal in that class. The professors are amazing; they are intelligent, friendly, caring and passionate. I've managed to have a personal relationship with most of my professors, and all except for one have been helpful outside of class. Classes are typically discussion based, and the discussions are usually interesting, and intellectual conversations happen all the time outside of class. My concentrations are media studies and linguistics, and while both departments have few faculty members, the professors I have had from these departments have been absolutely amazing.

The student-to-teacher ratio at Hampshire is really wonderful. I know alot of professors, and they know me by name, even if I don't have classes with them. Class sizes are really small, so it's incredibly important to do the readings because everyone is expected to participate in class discussions. Alot of times class discussions turn into out-of-class discussions; I can't say how many times I've stayed after to continue talking to my professor or have walked with classmates to the Bridge to keep on talking. Hampshire is really unique because, since you create your own program and since there's no testing, the drive to learn and excel doesn't come from competition, but rather, it comes from the desire to learn and excel.

At Hampshire, all of the professors know your name two weeks into the class tops. In terms of

Since the student is allowed more freedom, in terms of choosing classes and designing a unique concentration, he or she must also assume a lot of responsibility. The first year is a good introduction to the types of classes offered, as the student must take one course in each of the 5 "schools". All of the courses I chose were similar in that they required much reading and writing and discussion in class... even the natural science courses. I am not sure the leniency concerning the completion of assignments is necessarily beneficial in a science course. The professors are, for the most part, very helpful and always willing to chat after class or during scheduled meetings. I wish I had taken advantage more often. During the 2-4 years, students are expected to work closely with a committee of carefully chosen faculty members. It was a bit difficult to find professors that were understanding and supportive of what I wanted to do, but once I did it helped me immensely. One thing to be wary of: Hampshire students are given a lot of freedom, and rarely is a professor consistently nagging at you. You are treated as an equal, usually. As a result, a lot of the professors are just as lazy as the students, and you might end up having to nag at them. Having said that, know your teachers... know their limits... and don't just expect to slack off. There are plenty of professors who won't necessarily scold you for slacking, but will give you the surprise of your life when they write you a way critical evaluation.

You can get away with doing very little. Most work really hard at what they're interested in. Professors are very approachable. I wish that core requirements were less arbitrary and allowed for more flexibility. Sometimes, first year courses seem like useless hoops to jump through.

I have good, personal relationships with many proffessors. Instead of 5 minute office meetings they will often take you to lunch (or for a drink if you're old enough). They have often spent time outside of work hours or the semester, helping me with my research. This is one of my reasons for staying here. In my second year I was given a co-authorship on a paper. Few if any other schools can offer this kind of proffessor-student interaction.