College Snapshots: Bridgewater State

Visited by Leisel Smith - Dec 2015

Impressions:

11,000 active students on a very active campus in a nice village bedroom community outside Boston
generally flat campus but “sledding” hill near freshman dorms & athletics
10 mins off Rt 24
diverse campus, but not particularly well-integrated

There are actually 2 campuses split by the commuter rail (Middleboro-Lakeville stop, 40 mins from South Station):

1- West Campus- edge of the center of town, all academics & administration, some dorms

2- East Campus- mostly underclass dorms, apt upperclass dorms, athletics, and trail entrances

ACADEMICS:

biggest class= 35 *NO large lecture halls, very personal; upperclass classes= 5-15 students
laptop required
library: Starbucks, freshman advising, tutoring, Floors 2-3 are quiet
Study Abroad options: student “exchange” w another college, study abroad or study tours (1-2 wks for credit)
freshman can get desired classes, but harder for upperclassmen- helps to email professors, sometimes extra sessions will be created

NOTABLE:

West Campus:

rainwater filtration system
observatory on the top of the math/science building
student geological research in Hawaii was displayed
solar compactors
lots of recycling
lots of coffee stops around (Dunkin’, Starbucks- can use ID card only, NOT g/c)
students can use bookstore, but often use Amazon or Cheg (rentals)
Catholic church “off” campus, surrounded by “on” campus buildings- food pantry available for community & students, spaghetti dinners every Thursday
Art Center is the former gym, so there’s an elevated track, which now displays art; art students have 24 hr access to building

DORMS:

very present security in general on campus, 24 hr security in dorms- check bags; * campus siren & texting to alert to larger emergencies
lots of recycling
free printing system
most freshmen & sophomores live on campus, then most move off campus (big apartment complex on the far side of the athletic fields- kinda far)
700 freshman live in Shea Hall & Durgin Hall (at the top of the sledding hill on East Campus). They have doubles & the rooms are just big enough for 2 if you are organized with your space. * * BUT there are some forced triples (with a cot!!) in the same spaces & the tour guide said something about quads (?)- typically don’t last longer than the semester unless students choose to extend (with the cot??)
coed by floor, not by hall
need ID to swipe to get into bathrooms (girls/ boys separate)- cleaned 2x/day!
can choose own roommate or use match.com-like system to find potential roommates w similar interests
main floor of dorms has large game room (pool table, ping pong, tvs) next to a full kitchen & laundry room (can borrow equipment from security)
all rooms have a/c- gets shut off if the window is open though :)
can request that an entire floor be dedicated to a club, Greek life, special interest

STUDENT LIFE:

Greek life was brought up often (5 frats, 4 sororities, 2 co-ed): Greek week (complete w food trucks, lip sync-ing), community service
2 gyms (1 free, 1 fee)
dry campus- LOTS of activities run through very active clubs & programming- doesn’t seem that anyone is at a loss for things to do (i.e. Cheese Club, Quidditch, Filmmakers Society, tv/ radio broadcasting, closed circuit tv movies)
LOTS of dance companies (including Irish Step Dancing)
active theater program- performing Seussical soon)
no cars on campus, some students buy spots off campus ($500)