火爆社区

Union College puts an interdisciplinary lens on the liberal arts, giving students the freedom to combine majors and minors across multiple departments, both in STEM and the humanities. 鈥淯nion has so many opportunities, and many pathways to access them,鈥� says one student. Take, for instance, the trimester structure, where some students suggest that because they take three courses every ten weeks, they can 鈥渂e more nimble and pivot majors more quickly.鈥� The majority of students complete an internship and/or faculty-mentored research, and 鈥減rofessors emphasize teaching quality equally to research at Union, which makes for a great classroom environment.鈥� Overall, smaller class sizes 鈥渕ake it so that actual conversations can be had鈥�that are beneficial for the whole class.鈥� Informed critical thinking is an end goal, beginning with the way faculty are 鈥渞eally engaged in the academic discourse and work to bring the classroom up to speed,鈥� through the way in which they 鈥済ive us the resources to keep on learning the subject outside the classroom.鈥� This explains the popularity of Steinmetz Day, an all-campus event in which students showcase their work: 鈥渆veryone watches their peers鈥� research presentations and talks.鈥� This commitment and follow-through with the liberal arts 鈥渘ot only prepares you professionally,鈥�but gives you a well-rounded understanding of the real world and how to identify patterns, understand them, and how that applies in all disciplines of life.鈥�

Union College is home to a group of people who are 鈥渟uper enthusiastic and motivated scholastically.鈥� They are a 鈥渢houghtful and welcoming鈥� crowd that is 鈥渆ncouraged to develop their leadership skills while diving into what they are passionate about.鈥� There is 鈥渁 wide variety of interests and it鈥檚 fairly easy to find people who share your niche.鈥� Due to the size, some say 鈥渋t鈥檚 a rare moment when you walk into a room and see someone you don鈥檛 recognize,鈥� but the proximity 鈥渁llows for plenty of interaction during the academic week and the weekends.鈥� One student adds, 鈥淚鈥檓 always able to spot a friendly face on campus and it鈥檚 a really pleasant environment.鈥� There are sizable international and athlete contingents, and students enjoy 鈥渉aving friends from all groups because it is such a small school.鈥� Overall, students keep coming back to the sense of 鈥渦nion鈥� itself, finding that their school is indeed a place for 鈥渃onstantly supporting each other to do better and still [having] the most fun while making meaningful change.鈥�

A few exceptions and exemptions aside, students live on campus for their entire time at Union. Accordingly, there is a focus on the residential experience, with 鈥渧ery good housing selections,鈥� all of which are 鈥渨ithin walking distance and close to your classes.鈥� Every student also belongs to one of seven Minerva Houses, which act as academic and social centers for their members; one student says that 鈥渂eing involved in my Minerva or attending other Minerva events鈥� is a highlight of their time at Union. Greek life is popular, and while some people 鈥渄o party on the weekends,鈥� there are 鈥渁 lot of people [who] find other ways to have fun with their friends,鈥� such as reserving common spaces for movie or game nights. As for activities, 鈥淭here are so many clubs to be involved in it is hard to keep count, as one student adds, 鈥渨e get a daily email and everything.鈥� Many also make the most of the location, like how the Outing Club 鈥渞uns near-weekly hikes to the wonderful natural areas within a few hours of our campus, such as the Catskills and Adirondacks.鈥� Finally, student organizations have an 鈥渁ll-comers鈥� policy that allows everyone to participate. These options work hand-in-hand to ensure there are 鈥渃onstant activities running to support the student body鈥檚 interest.鈥�