This is the last full week of classes at Wellesley! We have classes until next Wednesday, which is followed by reading period, and then final exams are upon us. If you do not know what reading period is, it is four days between the end of classes and the start of finals; there are no classes, and we allocate our time towards studying for finals or working on final projects or papers. I have a final exam for my art history, econ, and math classes, so I will be busy!
I wanted to use this post to answer some frequently asked questions about attending Wellesley College. I know that when I committed to attending Wellesley, I had a billion questions. Many questions can only be answered by just being here and experiencing it, but I will try my best.
The most frequently asked question is probably: what is attending a historically women’s college like? The transition from co-ed school to a historically women’s college environment felt very smooth for me. Personally, I feel very comfortable in classrooms here and safe on campus. Something I’ve noticed is that everyone at Wellesley is so humble about how accomplished they are.
The next question I want to answer is what classes are all students required to take? Answering this question generally, Wellesley students are required to take about 2 physical education classes, and some classes in social science, religion, visual arts, history, math, lab science, and/or foreign language. In addition, all first-year students take a first-year writing seminar. The requirements are much more in depth here. I honestly appreciate the distribution requirements because they allow me to take classes in subjects that I like outside of my major/minor, such as art history.
The next question is: how are the dorms and dining hall food? The basic rundown for dorms is that they are divided into east and west side dorms. I lived on the west side last year and live on the east side this year, so I can compare the two. West side dorms are older and have a more classic architecture style, and the rooms are typically smaller; the west side is also thought to have the more “social” dorms. The east side dorms can be bigger and more modern. For example, my dorm room this year is much bigger than my dorm room last year. West side dorms are a bit closer to the academic quad, and east side dorms are closer to the Science Center. Which dorm you prefer really depends on you as a person. As for dining hall food, I think Wellesley dining food is pretty good compared to what I’ve heard about other college food; there are many options, and students love to check what food each dining hall is offering on the Wellesley Fresh website.
Finally, what do students do for fun on weekends? My honest answer is: so many things. Students take the shuttle to Boston, go out to Cambridge, visit other east coast cities, go to student performance events or parties on campus, hang out in their dorm, meet people from other colleges, the list goes on and on. I feel like Wellesley students do not feel pressured to choose just one “type” of social life.
Of course, these are just based on my own personal experiences here as a sophomore, but I hoped these answered some questions about Wellesley. Thank you for reading!
Campus at 6 am
Eating delicious Korean food this weekend in Allston, a Boston neighborhood that can be reached by taking the train from Wellesley!
Attending a concert with my friends earlier this semester