Sunday, July 27, 2014

Women's Colleges

    Alright, so I planned to stick to mostly Second Life things and I did have something planned; but I fear with the latter my mood isn't in the right place to do said post justice, so, even though I have the pictures waiting, they'll just keep waiting for now. I can give some update sl wise, like how I really do like Glam Affair's skims apparently, which is a bit late since i know most people probably have tried their lovely skins before; now wish I had one for my ooc avi. Also, medieval fantasy hunt still ongoing, so if interested go do it, still need to finish it myself, actually. Hm, alright, maybe very few updates sl wise, but i did try at least.
   But something else I feel like poking at is something that was actually thought of thanks to my following a link on Facebook to one of my future classmate's blogs about why she chose a women's college.
    Why am I putting this here? I've no idea, just because, I guess. Plus I did get some pictures to go nicely with it, so works at least half ways.
   So, for those of you who read this and don't know, I am going to an all women's college rather than a co-ed one, which seems more then norm now than separated schools, of course. And that's good, truly, I've gone to a community college which was full of everything you can imagine; people who wear tails (maybe a couple of them my friends), men, women, pansexuals, straight, gay, going somewhere, probably not finishing community college, black, white, mixed, and the list goes on. It was very varied, and that's what I have grown up with; variation. I thrive in a diverse environment; one year in high school my zone waiver didn't get approved and I had to go to my zone school which is predominately black and christian, literally only a handful of people my skin tone. The teachers were wonderful, and the people I met while hiding in the library to avoid the fights in the lunch room were nice, too, but it was so...monotone I, and my brother even, went to the nurse nearly every day complaining of a stomach ache. I think she knew it was jsut that we didn't click with the school, but she let us get sent home, which was only a short walk away. My GPA dropped dramatically and, well, it pretty much screwed up my graduation; I had been so close to cum laude that it still pisses me off that I 'only' graduated with regular honors. Literally only .3 or so points away.
    But I digress. My point is, I need variation, so going to an all girl's school may seem...odd, but I think I need more so the variation of races and religions and everything. The school I fell in love with by some miracle seems varied in race, varied in religion (even various religious 'groups' on campus, Moravian school or no), and , while I'm not sure on anyone's sexuality, at least has an 'Open Up' club which is for people of homo- or heterosexuality to come and meet and such things, which shows tolerance. I need that, I cannot stand close-minded people. I can't understand how they can be so closed minded and I want to hit them with a shovel for claiming things are 'wrong' because some book written forever ago says so.
    And I still digress...I know, I ramble a lot.
    As I was saying, though, even with my want for diversity, I think I could do well enough in a women's college for a few reasons. For one, I can count on one hand how many guys I've dated in my life, so it's not as if I'm going to college for that or anything; for two, I get along better with girls than guys, most of my friends being female.
    Of course I've heard the jokes about 'college lesbians' (which makes no sense, of course) being 'made' in all girls schools, but it's hardly that female colleges are only for people who like girls. It's more about the fact most of these schools were made back when it was difficult for a woman to get a higher education and had to go to schools specifically for them, usually for teaching jobs. These schools were built on a foundation of teaching women, which still can apply to today. Yes, there is a feminist vibe (and, please, if you think feminism is anything but simply wanting equality between men and women, look it up in a dictionary) but that's a given; there aren't any 'I hate men' rallies, I assure you. And that's one of the things my college wants to foster; strong women.
    Another thing that has people, even my friends, question why I am going to a women's school is that it is thought that I will more or less be cut off form all male life. No, that won't happen. There are some male professors, for starters, and, as well, there is a town nearby and time between and after classes, along with weekends, that allows for opposite gender interaction. It's not as if they keep us locked up on campus...though, apparently, my dad likes to think first years can't go off campus, and he's not allowed to know otherwise as my mom and I have agreed. So, yes, only women in my classes, but that's not really a bad thing. Let's be honest, on a large scale women are more emotional thinkers than men. I'm not going to try and pretend men and women think the same, feel the same, learn the same, and I'm not saying all women learn like other women, and the same for men; there is a difference. So, a plus with an all women's school is that the professors can teach in a way that is more beneficial to women instead of searching for a middle ground; the middle ground helping and hindering both genders in a way, unless, of course, you learn quite well with the middle ground. I can work with the middle ground, but I do know that I am an emotional thinker more often than not.
    Women's colleges are also more like private colleges, which means smaller class sizes. I love smaller classes simply because I am awful at asking questions and more or less need closer to individualized teaching. The class of 2018 is going to be their largest since a bunch of years, but they still have smaller classes; they added a teacher for their signature (mandatory) classes so they keep class sizes down. Small classes are really nice, and I always wanted a smaller school.
    Then there is the feeling of...closeness. I've only visited campus and exchanged emails and such things with my admissions counselor, and she already knows my name and face. She recognizes me, something I am so unused to. When I had gone to an overnight stay, I was about to give my name for my name tag, but she was already handing me my name tag, which was awesome! And there are some of the teachers and such I've seen a couple times, and they recognize me, too. I like that. And, form what I heard, that's something that sticks through your whole four years. I hope that'll make this step in my life a bit less nerve-wracking.
    Something else adding to this is my school's 'Big Sister, Little Sister' program, which is essentially where a junior 'Big' is paired up with a freshman 'Little' and the Bigs can be whatever the Little needs; a friend, an academic consultant, etc. Really it depends on what is needed and what not, but it's something else to add to the feeling of closeness and, as the school is sorta-kinda a sorority, the feeling of sisterhood. It could help add to a comforting feeling, which I think will help so many others coming to this school as well.
    I never planned to go to a school full of people my own gender, since I thought I would absolutely hate it. I also was under the idea that feminism was what the connotation is rather than the denotation, so I worried it would be a bunch of extremists. But then at a college fair, I found this one and it is the only one that has felt right to me. Believe me, I looked for co-ed schools that fit my criteria of being out of state and small, but this is the only one I wanted so desperately to go to.
    In short; no, I'm not turning into a crazy female rights activist who gives feminism a bad name, nor will I suddenly turn extremely girly, nor will I 'turn' lesbian. For one, you can't turn lesbian, you are it, or you are not. But, still, I'm simply going to get my education from a school specifically for women, despite the questions of 'why' I am from some people. I understand the questioning, since my younger self would be looking at present-me like I'm crazy, but it just feels like a right move to me. So, as of August 21st, I will officially be part of a women's college that has some thing with daises...and squirrels. But they also have a thing with food, and food makes me happy. Moravian Love Feast with fresh bread? I might not be any sort of Christian persuasion, but I think yes. Education is nice, too, but food wins in the end.

Warning: Image not an accurate representation of a women's college.

4 comments:

  1. If you would be a boy and would plan to go a boy school nobody would find it in any kind weird or questionable. THAT is the one of the things that shows the still existing difference in thinking and feeling about men and women. ;-) Sozialising and to learn to get along with a lot of people without killing each other is as important for a school as learning, sure, and I would guess, that is the major point against an one-gender-school, but on the other hand: Why not group together with a "one-kind" because of whatever reasons ? Sport-groups, discussion-clubs, nature-saving-teams, bingo-cliques are existing out of whatever reasons also. And the majority of this groups belong to other groups also, to families, in a town, to another sport-assosiation, a facebook-group. As long as somebody doesn't tell it would be the only worth to exist in - why not? If you learn well enough, have fun and be happy, it should be the right place to be.

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    1. Hm, you know, I'm not sure if there are any all male schools. Bound to be one someplace but, least in the US, it would have to be a private school because of legalities. But, yes, less would question the going to all male school, though there would likely be some jokes if my friends are anything to go on :P
      And, yea, I mean, grouping people by one certain aspect, voluntarily of course, helps with finding similarities, though, of course, some people do better with people vastly different than themselves. I know some others my age and gender who get along with guys better than girls in the friend department. Really it depends on the person, I think.
      But, yes, as you say, if all of that criteria you say is met, there is absolutely no reason to question such things :)

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  2. afaik here since quite some time it´s a thought that girls can learn better and profit from schools seperated by gender, at least for subjects like maths and such, there are 'high schools' for only girls or boys, but I think those are mostly catholic schools, never heard of an only boys or girls university here, I know there are women´s universities in japan, which I think are shorter than regular ones and have specific subjects like...ironing and vacuuming :P no, not really, but I think a bit like that actually...sounds good to me what you have to say of the college so far and hope very much you´ll have a nice time there, apart from learning lots of stuff and getting out prepared for your own practise, which I´m sure you can manage some day :)

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    1. Really? Hm, didn't know there was that thought, but not surprising for it to have been thought at any given point, of course. So...the schools like that in Japan are meant more for 'housewife' learning more or less, I'm guessing? Eh...well, will stay form those schools, I'm likely to flunk out :P
      And, thanks, hope I'll have a good time and learn stuff, too; nice that you're optimistic on my getting my own practice, hopefully you're right :)

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