1.) Transferring into Whittier
Whittier College is a Liberal Education College, meaning that the college requires that its students take courses that are outside of designated “major requirements.” These extra courses are intended to give students a foundation to help students develop into well-rounded members of society. However, this can pose a problem for individuals who transfer in as upperclassmen. These requirements are extensive and it may take extra time for the students to meet graduation requirements. It also might prove difficult to get into these classes because of so many people trying to fill the various requirements. This could mean taking extra classes in the summer, or having to finish a fifth year of school.
2.) Picking a major early
Whittier has extensive major and minor options for its students. I would recommend waiting as long as you can before declaring a major and allow yourself time to grow as an individual and a learner. In the time before selecting your major, you can fulfill the Liberal Education requirements. These classes need to be taken to graduate, and it will help buy you time before having to decide what path you want to go down. I have also found that if students do pick a major early, often by junior or senior year, they have different ideas of what they might like to do for a career. At this point in their education, they can still switch, but it would take longer to complete their degree. This might result in additional time spent doing work in the summer or adding an additional year onto the student’s college education.
If you’re interested in Whittier College, check out our article on Friday Nights at Whittier.
3.) Campus Safety
Campus Safety is Whittier College’s “police” system. They have become stricter recently and have started random breathalyzing at school functions, a drunk tank (holding zone for individuals deemed “too drunk” to go to an event), ticketing for parking and write-ups for drinking in the dorms. They are also required to do room checks a couple of times a year, so make sure to hide things that are not allowed in the room (candles, alcohol, etc.). However, some of their rules and regulations are unavoidable due to the large number of students who are under 21 years old. It is easy to avoid getting “written up” or getting into trouble with them by being respectful to them, not being overly intoxicated, and being smart about drinking in your dorm room. When a Campus Safety officer is around and you are intoxicated, make sure to maintain a quiet voice, don’t stumble, and keep a low profile.
4.) Parking and driving
Parking on campus can be tricky as there are extremely limited spots for students and commuters. This has become even more limited in the past year because of a major construction project on the Science Building. If you are commuting or driving to class, it is a good idea to start looking for parking about 15-20 minutes before your appointment, class, or meeting. This will give you ample time to park and walk to your destination. Another thing to be cautious about is the city streets that border the school. The Whittier Police (city police department, NOT campus safety) have been known to wait in a parking lot and ticket students going too fast down the streets. This is easy to avoid by going slow on the residential streets. It is better to show up to class late than to be injured or to injure someone with your car.
5.) Spending money on food with a meal plan
Whittier College has two dining options. The Campus Inn (C.I.) is the typical college cafeteria offering breakfast, brunch on weekends, lunch and dinner. There are set times that the C.I. is open and they usually offer a couple different hot items, a specialty item, sandwich bar, and salad bar. The second is a café, The Spot, which can be accessed at times that the C.I. is not open. If you have a meal plan, eat on campus. Your food is already paid for and you can spend a lot of money eating off campus. The food in the C.I. can be mixed and matched to create very delicious options.
Katherine Van Allen, originally hailing from Portland, Oregon, attended Whittier College from 2008–2012. Katherine majored in Social Work, graduating with membership in two honor societies and one social society. Katherine played sports for three years at Whittier. She currently resides in Los Angeles and enjoys her job as a geriatric social worker.
Frequently asked questions
- Why is transferring into Whittier College risky?
- Whittier is a Liberal Education college, so students must take courses beyond major requirements. For upperclassman transfers those requirements are extensive, may take extra time, and can be hard to get into, which can mean summer classes or a fifth year.
- Should you declare a major early at Whittier?
- The author recommends waiting as long as you can and using the time to fulfill Liberal Education requirements. Students who pick early often have different career ideas by junior or senior year, and switching then can add summer work or an extra year.
- What has Campus Safety at Whittier started doing recently?
- Random breathalyzing at school functions, a drunk tank for people deemed too drunk to attend an event, parking tickets, write-ups for drinking in the dorms, and room checks a couple of times a year.
- How bad is parking at Whittier College?
- Extremely limited spots for students and commuters, made worse by Science Building construction. Start looking 15 to 20 minutes before class, and go slow on the bordering residential streets, where Whittier Police wait to ticket speeders.
- What are Whittier's two dining options?
- The Campus Inn, the typical cafeteria with breakfast, weekend brunch, lunch, and dinner, and The Spot, a café open when the C.I. is not. With a meal plan, eat on campus; the C.I. food can be mixed and matched into very delicious options.
Sources
- Whittier College, official site (linked in the original post)