"Are you a lesbian?" "Do you hate men?" "How can you go to a school without any men? I wouldn't be able to do that." "Why would you think that's a good idea?" "I bet there's so much drama." "How are you social when there are no boys?"
These are questions I am constantly faced with after telling people I attend an all-women's college. People have been challenging me with the idea of deciding to go to an all-women's institution. The school I attend is about an hour away from the University of Virginia — Sweet Briar College. It is a quiet school, located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. There are around 300 girls who attend this school. After an attempted closure in 2015, our numbers have dropped; however, they've slowly been rising since then.
When I was looking at colleges during my senior year of high school, I didn't really care about whether the school I was attending was same-sex or co-ed. For some, that might not be the case, and that's OK. It's really based on your preferences and what will be best for your future.
The reason I decided to go to Sweet Briar was that it had everything I ever wanted in a college. It had the major I wanted and the sports I played. The girls were nice. It seems as if I could flourish as a student there, and as I said, I didn't care if there were any men. Plus, when I was touring, the students told me they would go to their brother school, which is about an hour away. There is access to boys.
Usually, when people think of an all-women's college such as Sweet Briar, they think of she-women-man-haters or a lot of lesbians. I know I did before I toured the school. I'm here to tell you that's not the case. At least, that is the way I see it. Honestly, we are all just regular young adult females who really just want to get an education. We don't hate men. Likewise, we do go out to different schools and have functions with them. And of course there are girls who are interested in girls on campus, but that shouldn't be a surprise. It's probably on almost every campus.
I work as a tour guide at Sweet Briar and we are faced with the question: "What are the pros of an all women's college?"
Well, I can tell you that our community supports women as scholars and they give us a challenging curriculum in male-dominating fields such as math and science (our engineering program is ABET accredited.)
I can also tell you that (of course) more leadership positions are held by women.
Students are also largely encouraged to go out more and take the initiative off campus socially since we are so far away from the surrounding bigger colleges.
Throughout my two years at Sweet Briar, I have noticed a change in myself. I speak my mind more. I've gained confidence because I am empowered by the support of my community and my sisters. Most people think it's taboo going to an all-women's college. However, if you look past the stereotypes and see what is beneficial for your future and needs, perhaps it could be a great choice for you!
