Marist College

I'm a freshman at Marist. I, somehow, survived the first semester and am going back for the spring semester in a week. Although I really detest being there, I've already made my decision and intend to stick it out. This is for anyone who is in the decision-making process:

1. Marist is very small. I thought I wanted to go to a small liberal arts school but in all honesty there is nothing to do and nowhere to go on campus. It's ridiculous.

2. If you love shallow, expensive partying go to Marist. The only thing to do on weekends (and every other night of the week for that matter) is to go to one of four Poughkeepsie bars, spend a shitload of money, try your damnedest to get a wristband, and dance like a slut to crappy music all night. Not my scene.

3. I was really looking forward to making lasting relationships in college. haha...the majority of people here are incredibly shallow, rich, and entitled. Being very down to earth, middle class, and relatively liberal, I have almost no friends. Granted, there are students out there who actually use their brains but they are so isolated by the general population that they're nearly impossible to seek out.

4. Marist provides no opportunity for personal development or growth. Very few students have opinions on important issues and almost no one puts effort into bettering the world. Personal responsibility is completely absent. okay, I've sufficiently depressed myself. I'm much too uncertain to transfer but if you're reading this and still have an out, TAKE IT!! unless, of course, you're preppy, shallow, and close-minded. Otherwise, fuck the view of the Hudson River and go to a real college.

1st Year Female -- Class 2012

Campus Aesthetics: A+, Social Life: F

My main reason for coming to this school was its small size and its affiliation to the Marist Brothers (who also founded my high school). Although the school is not officially Catholic anymore, you'll still see hints of its Catholic past: both subtle (names of buildings) and not so subtle (i.e. chapel in the middle of campus).

Campus ministry here is interfaith though and there are groups for students of most faiths: Jewish, Catholic, other Christian denominations, and even a secular community service group which you're always welcome to join.

The teachers are generally nice and friendly, but keep in mind that you can't just clump all of them into one category. It really depends on the individual.

The student body isn't too diverse even if the school would like to think so. However, alot of the kids are really friendly so even if you are among the approx. 10% of minorities you really wouldn't feel left out at all.

Some people complain about the cliques being similar to high school...but that's not Marist, it's life. There will always be snotty people and jerks abounding the world and Marist is no exception. For the most part, my experience here has been great and you will find a group with which you fit in with.

The campus itself is beautiful (right by the Hudson river) but not without substance. The library is pretty huge and resourceful: it has a free writing center and career services for anyone who needs help with a paper or getting experience for their field. As for the surrounding town of Poughkeepsie, there's not much to do but shopping down strip malls or going to bars.

The food here is pretty good...for college food that is. I thought I would never in my life get tired of pizza but I did. You don't have to eat pizza every night if you don't want to. To be fair, they have a pretty big variety of food (international, pasta, grill, vegan, etc.) but don't expect anything to beat mom's cooking.

One of the bad things I heard from here is that the school's registration process is really annoying; i.e., you're lucky if you get all of the courses you requested. I'm a first semester freshman so I wouldn't know because the school makes up your freshman fall schedule for you just to ease the transition.

Security also feels unecessarily tight. They make you swipe your id card in front of officers in order to enter the dorms between 3pm and 6am and can easily bust you for underage drinking, possession, or being in the presence of (yes, the presence, as in there but not actually drinking) of alcohol; which you aren't supposed to be doing in the first place if you're underage.

For a small liberal arts school I can say you really are getting pretty good bang for the buck; so if you like a small yet challenging college environment, Marist is probably the way to go. Sure, there may be the occasional crazy drinking, the a-hole jock, hard grading professor or just general tough life circumstance; but college is the time and place for everything and again; Marist, "an *independent* liberal arts school with a Catholic tradition" is no exception.

1st Year Female -- Class 2007

Individual Value: A, Surrounding City: C

Don’t go to college unless you’re preparing for an actual career! E.G., Medicine, Engineering, Law, Teaching, etc., etc..

Otherwise, college is just not worth the money. And for God’s sake! Have a conscience about spending your parent’s retirement savings!

Would-be communications and liberal arts majors should especially heed this hard learned advice.
Your parents will pay the costs only once; You however, will pay the price for the rest of your lives

Yeah, Marist was friendly and fun.

Alumnus Male -- Class 2000