How to Adapt to Life at a Women's College

So you've chosen a women's college to pursue your higher education and you're not quite sure what you've gotten yourself into. The next four years will take you on one of the greatest adventures of your life. You will become the strongest, most independent woman you can possibly be.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• An open mind

How to Adapt at a Womens College

1. Have a positive attitude. Remember you will be around women constantly, in the dorm, in the classroom, in the dining room, all of the stereotypes of being around women will instantly seem more prevalent.
2. Make friends with the girls in your orientation group and those on your hall. Plan a trip out on the town to explore or have a picnic on the school lawns to have a bonding experience. You are going to live closely with these women for the next four years.
3. If you are not into an alternative lifestyle... don't let the lesbians on campus intimidate you. They will test you to see is they can scare you, turn you or decide if you are open-minded enough to be friends with them.
4. Study Hard. It is still a college experience, you chose a single-sex institution mainly to get a good, focused, well rounded education. So study hard, you will find your classes demanding and your new friends extremely competitive yet more than willing to help. Women's colleges have fewer distraction than co-educational institutions so you have no excuse.
5. Live on campus. Bond with the women around you, these friendships will last a lifetime. It is harder to enjoy the perks of a women's college when you live away from campus.
6. Don't sit in your room and let life pass you by. Take advantage of the activities you have on campus or those organized by campus organizations or campus events. It is a good way to form new friendships with those in your class and for you to get to know your administrators in a social setting.
7. Get involved on campus. Women's colleges are great places to develop your leadership skills. There is no competition with men for all of the top campus organizational positions. This is your chance to develop and prove that women really are better managers and organizers. Research has proven that people who go to single-sex institutions have a greater opportunity to have leadership positions both in government and industry.
8. Enjoy your college experience. There isn't a more freeing college setting. Study hard and play even harder. Those four years will be over before you know it.

Tips & Warnings

• Many women's colleges give scholarships, talk to your admissions officer to find out all the opportunities available.
• Bond with your roommate prior to getting to campus.
• Try to spend at least one semester abroad or at another institution.
• Like any private institution, women's colleges are expensive.
• Most women's colleges are very small liberal arts schools... they in no way feel like a big division one sports school. Sports generally range from lacrosse to women's division three basketball.