In the series “Student Voices,” current students write about the reasons they chose Hampshire and how our educational model works from their perspective.
In high school, I wished I had more freedom to control my own education. I disliked having specific requirements to fulfill and being forced to take classes about subjects I had no interest in. As a student who wanted more freedom in college, Hampshire was a school that immediately stood out to me.
Hampshire College students are not pinned down by having to choose a major. Although they have some distribution requirements during the first year, students craft individualized “concentrations” that allow more room for academic exploration than majors do. Within those concentrations, students are able to select their own classes, and choose topics for the projects and papers they complete.
Perhaps most significantly, students spend their fourth year working on an independent project that encompasses the skills they have acquired in their studies. These unique and personal projects are designed by the student and often incorporate multiple areas of study.
Students at Hampshire have considerably more freedom than they might have at other institutions. The opportunities to design your own concentration, select your own classes, and craft your own independent projects make Hampshire an appealing option to any student who desires an individualized education.
