I have been a student at Skidmore for over a year now, but there are still a few things about this campus that I have not quite figured out. These are some questions that I ask myself daily.
1. Which lecture hall is which?
Whenever I want to go to a lecture I always have to go with friends because I never know which lecture hall is which. As a non-science person I am rarely in Dana and as such need help finding my way around when I do end up “over there”. I could not tell you from memory which hall is Davis and which is Gannett.
2. How do I get to the apartments?
I know generally where all of the apartments are, but when someone gives me an address it still takes me an unreasonably long amount of time to get there. This is probably different for upperclassmen who actually live in the apartments, but for someone who is now in her second year on South Quad, figuring out where Dayton is can be a challenge.
3. Why is Spa called Spa?
When I first went on a tour of Skidmore I was very confused by the fact that this cafeteria-style space was in fact called “The Spa”. I’m assuming it’s a Saratoga thing, but it makes zero sense to me nevertheless. I also wouldn’t be mad if Skidmore renovated it into an actual spa.
4. Why does the library close so early?
I understand that it’s probably a staffing issue, but having to relocate at 1:00 am when I have a paper due is extremely frustrating. I remember visiting schools with 24 hour libraries and while I realize that that might not be feasible for such a small school, it would be really convenient.
5. What are the fitness center hours?
I know I can find this information on the Skidmore Athletics website but for some reason I have to look every other day just to check. I think the fact that it closes at different times on different days is what gets me so confused. And the weight room has different hours than the cardio room? It’s a lot to remember.
6. What’s the difference between Bolton and Palamountain?
I know that Bolton is the first floor of Palamountain, but I use the two names interchangeably. I remember being very confused as a freshman trying to figure out how to get to my class on third floor Palamountain, but only seeing a sign for Bolton Hall. To me, they are the same building, and I don’t quite understand why they are split up into two separate halls by name only.