The Women's College Experience

A few weeks ago I had a friend from high school ask me what is was like to attend a women’s college. She didn’t actually ask me in this way though. Instead she said, “Katie, isn’t going to Wellesley like being in a sorority?” I wasn’t exactly sure how to answer her, but I realized the importance of her question.

Is attending Wellesley similar to being a member of a sorority? My immediate answer would be that it is not. However, I suppose there are some similarities. There is a sense of sisterhood. But beyond that, I don’t believe Wellesley to be much like a sorority and I wouldn’t use that word to describe what it is like to attend a women’s college.

Clearly going to women’s college provides a very different experience. For me, attending a women’s college has been empowering and has made me feel more confident. Never in my life have I been surrounded by such intelligent and independent women. To be among them is completely amazing and it has been most beneficial.

Although I am just a first-year, I have noticed the sort of sisterhood which binds Wellesley students together. Maybe it’s just me, but I feel like another one of my classmates would have my back in a tough situation. I also believe that Wellesley is a close-knit community. One reason why students decide to join a sorority is to become a part of a smaller group and make friends. There aren’t so many students here that I feel lost in the crowd. The size has allowed me to meet a number of people and form friendships with them. The size has also helped me stay in the loop. I am made aware of what’s going on around campus. Since it is a women’s college the events are usually oriented towards Wellesley students and are almost always of interest to me.

Many people’s reactions to my choice of college have been something along the lines of, “Don’t you miss having guys around?” It is true. I do miss having men in my classes and seeing them around campus. However, the lack of them has forced me to participate in activities off campus. The upside of this is that I now have both male and female friends at other schools nearby. It is also nice to be able to go out, but then come back to Wellesley, put on a pair of sweatpants, wear glasses and have a clean bathroom and hallway to return to.

Coming to Wellesley has been a bonding experience. The single-sexness of our school brings us together and unites us. We are women. We are unique. We are special and we are powerful. We are whatever we decide to be.

I love Wellesley, even though the women’s college aspect of it wasn’t what necessarily attracted me to the school to begin with. Everyone chose Wellesley for a different reason, but the truth is that it is our school. There are benefits and disadvantages of attending a women’s college, but in the end your experience here is whatever you make it to be.