Q: “what do you know about all girl colleges, especially ones that are not near coed colleges? can you still have a fun college experience? my parents want me to go so i can focus and get good grades, but i also want to have fun in school. i guess i really want to go to graduate school also, so should i think about all girl schools and remember that my future is #1?”
A. there has been a debate raging in education in the past decade or so about the importance (some say necessity) of single sex schools, especially for women. proponents argue that such environments are more supportive of their students. this argument tends to be used in the case of female environments, where the absence of males is supposed to empower women to speak their minds more freely and become who they really are rather than who they think guys want them to be. such schools also boast that their female students have higher self-esteems than the women at coed college. opponents of single sex colleges argue that such homogeneous environments actually hinder the growth and professional development of its students because they aren’t prepared to deal with the opposite sex once they enter the working world. (interestingly, these same arguments are often used in debates about historically black colleges and universities [HBCUs].)
while both sides make valid points, it is important to understand where your personal strengths and weaknesses lie before making the decision of going to a single sex college. if you can’t stand being around all females all the time, then you may not want to go to an all women college, especially one that isn’t close to a coed one. some women (myself included) need a ‘guy vibe’ to balance out the insanity that interacting with other women sometimes brings about [opinion!]. on the other hand, if you are intimidated by guys and know that it is hard for you to be yourself around them in an academic setting, then maybe an all female school is a good place for you. (i emphasized ‘academic setting’ because being shy around guys socially is normal, and doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t learn around them.)
also, recognize your motives in seeking out a single sex environment. do you want to go because you want to be around intellectual women or because you think that an all female setting will help you “focus and get good grades”? remember, guys aren’t the only distractions that college brings about, so a homogeneous environment doesn’t automatically equate to academic success. both single sex and coed schools can be the most enjoyable experience in the world or quite the opposite, depending on the school itself. no matter where you go, it will be important to make sure that it fits your needs and has the support systems in place for you to do well. if grad school is in your future, any academically rigorous setting will be a great preparation, regardless of the population.
