Women's colleges still suffer from the reputation of being centers of radical isolation, or, perpetrators of cowardice against the patriarchy. Then there are those who equate them with convents.
Such misconceptions and myths about women's colleges are rife. In my last article, 17 Reasons Why Mount Holyoke is the Best, I mentioned that Mount Holyoke is a historically women's college. However, the importance of a women's college experience calls for its own separate article. I chose to attend a woman's college, and it was the best decision I ever made. Here is why:
1. I wanted to discover who I am as a person
Have you heard this quote?
The quote is " Can you remember who you were before the world told you who you should be?"
While it may sound banal, there is some depth to the saying, especially for women. Before we even outgrow our pink ribbons, we are taught lessons about conforming to stereotypical standards of femininity. Because we are girls, we must be more quiet, more caring, less interested in cars, etc. Moreover, being constantly treated as a woman first, and person second, causes us to form a whole exoskeleton of stolidity, tense facial muscles, a voice engineered to not get too high, and other behaviors, to protect ourselves against the hatred of stereo-typically female qualities.
At a women's college, we get to unlearn all of this, and discover ourselves anew. We discover how loud we want to scream when no one judges, how deep/high our voices are without the fear of seeming too assertive/catty, how much we actually love/hate makeup and skirts, and if we really want children, or partners.
2. I wanted to have unbreakable confidence
At coed institutions, women leave college with lower self esteem than when they started. This is not the case with women's colleges.The world does have men, but education at a women's college equips people with the confidence to thrive in it.
3. I did not want to deal with sexism everyday
Sexist micro-agressions are a daily struggle for women. Even when women perform well, they are given back-handed compliments like "you're good at math for a girl." I realized that I might never, ever, have the luxury to exist in a space with complete freedom from such comments. For once in my life, I wanted to experience the emotional lightness, and mental freedom to exist without the burden of daily sexism.
And no, looking for a space where I can live like a valued citizen is not cowardice. If anything, the heightened awareness of what the world should be like by living in a space that does not discriminate against my gender, has made me stronger, and more aware of my rights.
4. I wanted to be taken seriously by professors
At co-ed colleges, the classroom experience is frequently overrun by men. Professors, too perpetuate the culture, by calling on men to speak up as well. On the other hand, students from women's colleges report higher interaction with faculty. Women are in charge of class-room discussions, without the added burden being perceived as less intelligent or important.
5. I believe strongly in female friendships
There is something revolutionary about female friendships in a society that makes everything about men, and demonizes female friendships as catty, or conventions of witches. What better environment to foster empowering female friendships than a women's college? Maybe this is one reason women's institutes are known for various traditions that bring the community together. Everyone is part of one big, supportive family, and gets a chance to build connections that strengthen them for life.
6. There is no concept of "male-dominated fields"
Computer science? Math? Physics? At historically women's colleges, these are classes with an overwhelming majority of women. Eva Snyder '17 commented in an interview, that while she used to be the only girl at hackathons before, at Mount Holyoke, she was the organizer of one.
The statistics also support the theory that women are more likely to pursue traditionally male-dominated fields at women's colleges. Students of women's colleges have higher percentages of graduates in math, economics, and life sciences, than men at co-educational institutes.
7. The shameless feminism
Women's colleges attract die-hard feminists who care too much about their own selves, their careers, and their education to worry that a partial isolation from men at college would cause them to die alone. Moreover, many women's colleges, like Mount Holyoke, welcome trans students, taking a stand for them, and other LQBTQIA+ communities. Students at women's colleges invest great energy into intersectional feminism. For people who want to hone their activism, perfect their feminist values, and get empowered to practice their feminism in all areas of their life, a women's college is perfect.
