火爆社区

At St. John鈥檚 College in Maryland, the 鈥済reat books,鈥� or texts commonly viewed as the most important books in history, form the backbone of the unique curriculum. St. John鈥檚 is a liberal arts college with two campuses that encourages exploration and dissection of original, foundational texts so that students may develop critical analysis skills within a 鈥渟afe and prosperous learning environment.鈥� 鈥淭he teaching of St. John鈥檚 College is all about allowing individuals to collectively discover the essence of being a human being,鈥� sums up one student. Classes are pretty straightforward: 鈥淲e read, and we talk about what we read.鈥� The curriculum includes obscure texts as well as the major classic players, and one of the greatest things about studying here is 鈥渆ngaging with difficult and renowned texts without worrying about impressing others or having to show off.鈥� The 鈥渓argely brilliant and caring鈥� faculty members at St. John鈥檚 are 鈥渟ome of the most wonderful and interesting people,鈥� and are 鈥渨illing to meet for coffee or lunch to discuss essays, questions from class, concerns, and even non-program texts.鈥� They are 鈥渆ngaged and enthralled by the learning process at St. John鈥檚, just as the students are.鈥� The college has a unique evaluation system in place, so students at St. John鈥檚 鈥渁re faced with reports not just on their academic success, but also on the way that they treat and interact with their peers, via classroom dynamic.鈥� The college has made academic rigor an 鈥渙verwhelmingly social issue,鈥� and the 鈥溾�榯oo cool for school鈥� attitude is not socially rewarded鈥� here. Not only do students discuss the same works and questions, 鈥渢hey do so in a respectful, tactful manner.鈥� In any classroom 鈥測ou get the sense of togetherness鈥� where everyone listens and 鈥渘o one鈥檚 points are any more or less important to the discussion than any other鈥檚.鈥�

The student body at St. John鈥檚 is 鈥渋ntellectual, but far from pretentious,鈥� and given that all students go through the same academic program 鈥渢here is a strong and warm sense of camaraderie.鈥� Upper-level students 鈥渃ouldn鈥檛 care less that you鈥檙e a freshmen,鈥� and people 鈥渨ho would have never become friends anywhere else are able to come together here and form bonds that start in the classroom but continue into life outside the academics.鈥� The curiosity students develop here extends to outside the program as well, so while the program at St. John鈥檚 is classically oriented, students at the college 鈥渁re aware of pop culture, current events, and politics.鈥� The bubble at St. John鈥檚 is 鈥渞eal, but in no way impenetrable.鈥�

There are 鈥渘o two Johnnies that are alike鈥� and students at St. John鈥檚 display a wide range of interests. Most participate in 鈥渁 study group of some sort, at least one artistic extracurricular, and an intramural sport.鈥� St. John鈥檚 鈥渞obust intramural program鈥� is a major component of campus social life, and creates a 鈥渇antastic鈥� community in which students are alphabetically sorted onto teams 鈥渨here anyone can participate in various seasonal sports.鈥� 鈥淎lthough I have never been athletic, this is a very welcoming group regardless of ability, and playing intramural sports here has given me a lot of confidence,鈥� says one student. A large amount of extracurricular time is spent studying and reading, but there are also 鈥渧ery many popular club options,鈥� including 鈥渟wing dance lessons, fencing, the croquet team, student play productions, orchestra, various choral groups, community service, [and the] environmental club.鈥� St. John鈥檚 also offers students spots in classes run by non-faculty members of the Annapolis community, including 鈥渨riting classes, poetry, watercolor, and sculpture.鈥� Off campus, people often go out to eat at many of the great restaurants in Annapolis, or head to the museums and monuments in Washington, D.C., which is 鈥渏ust a short train ride away.鈥� Students can also transfer between the Annapolis or the Santa Fe campuses, and many in Maryland spend a year studying in New Mexico.

Simply by getting everyone to talk to one another in their seminars, the undergrad program 鈥渁llows the community the freedom and opportunity to shape St. John鈥檚 into what they want and need it to be.鈥� Students at St. John鈥檚 truly receive a comprehensive liberal arts education. The Career Services Office is ready to help any student with finding an internship, application strategies for graduate programs, or securing research positions. Its Wayfinding Workshop is an excellent way for students to begin exploring a career they find meaningful. Information sessions, workshops, and career fairs are held throughout the year, and a newsletter is published twice a month with information about career development opportunities, internships, graduate school, and life planning. Students are welcome to make appointments with career counselors and internship coordinators to discuss specific issues or to arrange to be connected with alumni mentors (who also often come back to campus for panels and forums). Payscale.com reports a median starting salary of $62,400 for St. John鈥檚 graduates, 61 percent of whom find a high level of meaning in their job.