Stanford!sam - Tumblr Posts
College Sam Thoughts/Research
So, I've been having some major college Sam feels lately. Probably going to funnel some of this into my current series but I wanted to share some insights I've found doing research. I’ve also worked in US Higher Education industry for quite some time as well as obtained degrees at multiple levels of education, so a lot of this insight is from real life experience. Hopefully, this gives a little more info than what you will find in US media.
Disclaimer: I haven’t worked for Stanford University directly, so a lot of that info is from their current website.
University and Dorm Life
California operates in quarters, not tri-semesters. This means they have a fall/autumn, winter, spring, and summer term schedule. Some states will follow the tri-semester schedule and will combine the spring and summer semesters into one term. Depending on the academic calendar, schools will typically have 1-3 weeks between terms. The largest is typically winter break which can be 2-3 weeks long due to all the holidays. Spring break is the weird one that can happen in the middle of a term for many colleges. Stanford appears to set Spring break as the small week between Winter and Spring term. They do not require students to move from the dorms during this break.
Summer quarter is typically optional and may require a special application to stay in the dorms during the term. Unlike skipping the other semesters, skipping summer term is not held against you academically and does not require a student to have to re-enroll into their program or risk losing a scholarship. Colleges may also move students to a specific dorm hall during this term.
A lot of students will take summer semester off, but I could see Sam taking this term to keep his housing. Getting an apartment during this term wouldn’t be covered under a full-time scholarship if he decided to skip it. As it is also optional for many academic programs, it’s possible it might not be covered under a full-time scholarship. I know many state colleges likely wouldn’t cover it unless there were specific conditions in the scholarship terms. Stanford might be different as they have more private funding to support students.
Conversely, a lot of colleges will actually kick students out of the dorms if they are not taking classes during the summer or will have students commute for their summer classes (i.e. can’t stay in the dorms). This is how a lot of colleges complete renovation, construction, and technology projects in the dorms during this quieter period. There is actually a lot of ceremony involved in moving the students in during fall and back out again in the spring for many colleges. For most schools, students don’t have to move their stuff during holiday breaks or between semester breaks during the regular academic year. However, I did find Stanford does force its students to move out for their winter break so Sam would need to find housing during this period (usually 2-3 weeks). This would not be covered by a full-ride scholarship so Sam would have to find a way to cover this himself or stay with a friend.
Upside to taking summer semester, Sam would likely get further into his degree program than he would normally. This may explain why he was interviewing with law schools so early in his 4th year at Stanford. There is actually some debate on how long he was at Stanford for. I personally believe he was there for 3 years and was just starting his 4th year in his fall semester when the Pilot occurred.
Another thing to note about dorms, some schools will have specific restrictions on dorms and when they can be used. Some schools will require freshmen to stay in the dorms for their first academic year while others will have it as optional. Some schools may require students to stay in the dorms till they are 21 (though it’s become less common). Others will organize students based on declared major while others will completely randomize the process. Some dorm halls may be completely dedicated to upperclassmen while others may be freshmen only.
Outside of the dorm halls, there are usually onsite campus apartments that students can apply for. However, I’m not sure if this would be covered by the full-time scholarship as they are often pricier than a regular dorm. These accommodations typically come with a small kitchen, living room, bathroom, and a dedicated bedroom. Students can also live off campus for cheaper(usually), but this wouldn’t be covered under a full-time scholarship.
A college or university will have multiple dorms and/or student halls dotted across their campus. The quality and design will largely depend on the age of the dorm, the capacity of the college, and whether the school in question is offering larger, better facilities as a recruitment tool to boost attendance at the school. From my experience, a school will often have many different types of dorms, from many different eras, available on their campus. Some may even be over a hundred years old depending on the age of the campus. Colleges will typically raze, renovate, or build new dorms as funding becomes available, the the shape/quality of the dorm in question, and the priorities of the college.
A traditional dorm room usually houses two students is typically a small to medium sized room with two beds (separate or bunk beds depending on the space), two small desks, and a small closet space (possibly a small dresser or two if you are lucky). Some halls will have a dorm space with a common living room and a shared bedroom with multiple bunk beds that can house up to 4 students. Students can often request to be roomed with a specific person or people, but this is largely determined by seniority and a first come, first served basis. Freshmen being the lowest grade, typically have to go with the luck of the draw unless space opens up later in the term. Some schools may also offer single dorm rooms but from what I’ve seen, these are typically rare. They would also be highly sought after and might be held at a higher price point than a shared space (i.e. might not be eligible for scholarship students). They would also be small rooms as colleges like to maximize space in order to house as many students as possible.
Each dorm will typically have one or more resident assistants (RAs) assigned to each floor. The job of the RA is to handle any conflicts within the dorm, help with room assignments, and act as advisor and mentor when needed. This position is typically paid and is held by an upper classman. Upside to being an RA is you usually get your own room. You may also get a discount on housing. RAs also often organize many of the events that are held at the dorms. They also often act as the first form of security at the dorm and will report any suspicious activity to campus security. Depending on the dorm, access may be restricted similar to an apartment building where you need to be a resident or be invited in by a resident to gain access (be buzzed in or have an access card). This has become especially true in the US with the prevalence of on-campus violence that has occurred in the last two decades. In Sam’s time, it likely would have been laxer.
When it comes to the bathroom situation, it largely depends on the dorm or hall, but these are often shared with the other students on the same floor. It’s typically a large room with dedicated areas for showering, toilets, and sinks. Depending on the age of the facility, they may be coed or have dedicated rooms for males and females. Students will typically have a shower caddy, a pair of flip flops or shower shoes (optional), and towels that they take to the showering area. Some may also take a change of clothes and change in the shower room. Shower stalls are typically small stalls that have privacy curtains for each person. Again, use is on a first come, first served basis.
Some dorms might also have laundry facilities available for use in the basement but often students are expected to use laundromats available off campus. Some students will also often take their laundry back home if they or their parents live nearby.
Other items of note in the dorms may be communal sitting areas, usually found on the first floor but there may be other sitting areas on each floor that allow this. Each dorm would also likely have multiple vending machines available. During Sam’s time, you would also often see multiple pay phones available throughout the dorm to be used by students. Students may also have access to a dedicated landline connection in their dorm that they would have to pay for at the end of the month. Cable TV may also be available for an extra fee or be included as a part of tuition. Many of the communal sitting spaces will have a shared tv for entertainment purposes that the college covers. There may also be a microwave available to reheat or prepare food. Microwaves might be allowed in the dorm rooms, but it depends on the school if they allow them or not. The dorm rooms might also be too small to try to house and operate them safely.
During the early 2000s, cell phones were available but not super prevalent. A lot of people still relied on landline connections or pay phones to make calls. Cellular coverage could also be spotty and expensive. Wi-Fi would largely be non-existent in dorms and would be restricted to computer labs and selective classrooms at best. If you wanted an internet connection in the dorms, it would likely be an ethernet connection that had to be plugged in manually to a laptop or computer tower. Depending on the dorm/school, this might also be an extra charge similar to the landline bill. For mail service, many schools have a dedicated mailing center that a student can use to collect their mail. Again, depending on the school, this service might be part of their tuition or an extra service.
Fraternities and sororities would be housed separately from the dorms but are typically still on school grounds or near to the school. Fraternities and sororities largely have their own rules for membership and housing but still need to operate within school bylaws. Otherwise, they would be disbanded and shut down from operating. And yes, they are often a place for partying. You’ll typically see pledging and a lot of recruitment activities happening at the beginning of the school year. Welcome back activities are also very common at the beginning of the academic year during the fall semester.
Other than the dorms, most colleges act like a small city with a food hall, smaller cafes, libraries, computer labs, and a health center. Most colleges will have a dedicated food hall or café for student use along with other independent cafes and coffeeshops available onsite or near the college campus. You will also likely see at least one dedicated college bookstore that sells textbooks, school supplies, and college memorabilia/swag to the populace. Sam would likely have a small stipend to use at the bookstore for school supplies and textbooks as a part of his full ride.
Outside of these locations, you have the buildings that house the academic classrooms, labs, art, industrial buildings, etc. The type and variety of these buildings and classroom depends largely on what academic programs the university teaches. For example, a college I worked for had dedicated spaces to automotive, welding, construction, CNC, drafting/engineering, medical fields, chemical and bio engineering, hospitality, and art. We also had a small observatory for our astronomy classes. This didn’t include all the other programs and classes that could be taught in a traditional classroom space or lecture hall. I also attended a school that had a large number of agricultural sciences programs that had many dedicated areas for animal husbandry and farming. Again, it can vary wildly between schools.
Depending on the school, many colleges have meal plans that students may use to help cover the cost of food. This typically comes as part of their aid package or will be paid out of pocket by the student themselves (or a parent). Some of these meal plans might restrict students to a certain dollar amount for the full term or to be used x times a day (breakfast/lunch/dinner for example). Sam, as a full-ride student, may have a meal plan as part of his covered fees to attend. However, it’s likely restricted to only the main food hall and would not cover extras like the coffee shops or other cafes. These meal plans would also likely only be active when school is in session. A lot of schools restrict or close these food halls during breaks. This would mean during semester breaks; students would need to find other ways to access food. In my career, I actually talked with a student that found a school she was planning to attend that closed their main food hall during the weekends and expected students to cover their own food (outside a meal plan) during this time.
Student Organizations, Festivals, Celebrations
Student life on a college or university campus can be very active. Throughout the year, different celebrations and events will occur for various reasons. Some celebrations might be due to various holidays, institution initiatives, or awareness campaigns. One thing many institutions do is hold various activities that follow the national themes set for each month of the calendar year. To give a few examples; September is suicide prevention month, November is Native American Heritage month, and March is Women’s History month. Some months might have multiple themes being highlighted.
During these celebrations, there is often signage bringing awareness to the initiative as well as different events scheduled. The institution may organize student awareness as well as invite guest speakers to highlight the issue. Along with these activities, student organizations might hold their own events that might tie into the larger ongoing initiative or have nothing to do with it.
Along with these activities, various fairs and festivals may be held throughout the year for the students to take part in. A common set of activities that is held by an institution would be welcome back activities at the beginning of academic year (typically in the fall) which are used to welcome the new and returning students back to the institution and get them accustomed to the environment. Activities that might be held during this time could include scavenger hunts, ice cream/pizza socials, concerts, bake sales, campus tours, etc. Some events may be university-wide while others might be restricted to specific colleges, departments, or dorms. An institution may also hold similar activities at the beginning of each term after the short breaks. Student organizations will often hold recruitment and awareness activities during this time as well.
University Structure and Different Types of Institutions
While the terms university and college may be used interchangeably to describe institutions in the higher education industry, there are distinct differences in the U.S. Universities are typically 4-year program institutions that give out various degrees for completing educational programs. The most common of these is a bachelor’s degree program but some may also offer various certificate and associate degree programs as well. Many of these institutions are also accredited to give out graduate and professional academic degrees like doctorates.
A university is also comprised of multiple, smaller colleges that focus on a specific field of study. For example, a university might have a separate college for education, business, engineering, science, liberal arts/humanities, etc. Each degree program offered by the institution will be associated to one of these colleges. These colleges will often make requirements for their programs that a student needs to complete in order to graduate from their college. This would be required for all students at this college regardless of the degree being pursued. For example, a college of business might require students to complete various business and marketing classes whereas a college of engineering may require their students to take a large amount of math and science classes.
Along with the internal colleges, an institution may also have separate schools for very rigorous fields of study such as law school or medical school. These schools typically require a separate application and admission process to attend. They also usually require an applicant to have completed or be close to completing a 4-year degree before they can apply. Some may also require the completion of an aptitude test in that field of study in order to be considered.
Conversely, a college is typically a 2-year institution that offers associate degree or certificate programs for students to complete. A college will not have other internal colleges in its institutional structure but will have departments that operate very similarly in its support structure. Common 2-year institutions are community colleges and private colleges.
A major difference between college and university degrees will be the number of credits needed to obtain a degree. Associate degrees typically require 60-75 credits to complete whereas a bachelor's degree will require around 120 credits to complete. A graduate degree typically requires 2-3 years to complete while a doctoral degree can take 4-6 years to complete.
Public vs Private
The higher education industry in the U.S. is comprised of a mixture of private and public institutions. Stanford would be an example of a private university. This basically means they receive little to no funding from the government and largely operate from private funding such as donations, tuition, and fees. Due to being private, Stanford has a large amount of leeway in how they operate and teach but they are still required to adhere to various state and federal laws as well as various standard committees in order to receive accreditation in their fields of study. There are many private universities other than the Ivy League schools that operate in the U.S. Most are very expensive when compared to their public counterparts.
Outside of private institutions, public universities are also very popular. Many of these state universities receive funding from the state government they are operating in, the federal government, private donations, and student tuition. For state universities, they have to adhere to state and federal standards in order to continue to receive funding. They must also be much more transparent in their yearly activities and budget than their private counterparts. These institutions are also required to give a break on the cost of tuition for in-state students versus out-of-state and international students.
For colleges, private and public 2-year colleges operate very similarly to their 4-year counterparts. The main difference comes into play for community colleges. Community colleges receive funding from the communities they are based in in the form of millages. These millages are voted on by the taxpayers and largely fund these colleges along with the state and federal funding received through financial aid. Many community colleges will offer tuition discounts to the communities they have active millages in. These communities will also vote for members to the college board of trustees who hold a lot of power in how the college is run.
End of Semester and Finals Week
End of Semester activities typically start a couple of weeks before a class officially ends. Most instructors will assign end of term projects and/or a final exam for the class. Sometimes these projects will be group projects where a small group of students might have to complete a presentation, paper, or project in order to pass the class. Ergo, you actually see the stress from finals start to occur 2-3 weeks before finals week.
Finals week is the last week of the academic term. It can be a very stressful, chaotic, and sometimes hilarious time for students. Many universities will hold various activities to help students destress from finals. Many dorms will hold parties or activities near the end of the week (when most tests are completed) to also celebrate the end of semester. To give examples, I’ve seen colleges bring in animals in to help students destress, host concerts in a courtyard, video game tournaments, or yard game competitions, etc. And yes, finals can be a highly stressful time and I have seen students have mental breakdowns over a grade. At the Ivy League level, this would be even more present. Sam as a scholarship student would be under immense pressure to maintain his good grades in order to maintain his place at the institution. He may also have to reapply for his scholarship every year as a part of his financial aid application. If he dipped below a certain grade point average or didn’t maintain his full-time status, he would likely lose his full-ride scholarship.
Academic Advising
Most colleges have a counseling and advising office that is tasked with helping students with academic advising. They may also offer supportive services like a traditional counseling office including help with family issues, stress management, drug/addiction management, etc. Advisors may be assigned to a pool of students, to specific areas of study/degree programs, or may be assigned depending on availability to a waiting student.
Depending on the college or university, students may have to meet with a counselor or academic advisor before they are able to sign up for term classes. Other institutions may allow students to sign up for classes without formal advising but will make it a requirement if the student is trying to overload on classes for a term (typically more than 12-15 credits for a term). Either way, if a student wanted to make a change to their classes, they would be able to do so by working through an advisor. An advisor also has the power to waive different requirements for classes or co-register a student for classes so they can complete multiple requirements for a program at once. For example, say a student wants to take a creative writing class that has English 101 as a prerequisite. Normally, a student wouldn’t be able to register for the writing class until the prerequisite is completed but an advisor might be able to co-register a student to both English 101 and the creative writing class to be taken at the same time.
Outside of the counseling office, most college programs will often have an instructor/professor set as an overall program advisor. Their job is to answer student questions on the program, help advise on what classes a student needs to take to complete the program, mentor students, and work as a program advocate/administrator in the greater college system. Counselors may reach out to the program advisor when they have questions, need approval from the program advisor to register a student for a specific class, etc.
Majors
When a prospective student applies to a college or university, it is often asked what degree or program they plan to pursue. Back in the 90s and early 2000s, it was very common to remain undeclared as a major. These students typically would spend a year or two (or more), pursuing general education credits before they would declare a major. This gives students the opportunity to explore various classes and programs before deciding whether to focus on one specific course of study or not. Some universities may even offer general education programs that students can fulfill before deciding to transfer or pursue further education in another field or school. It’s also not uncommon for students to change their mind several times on what degree and career to pursue in school while attending. This is true even today.
During the late 90s and early 2000s, there was a change of mindset that occurred in the higher education industry. Back then, higher education was still regarded of as a way to enrich the mind and better oneself in order to prepare for adulthood. Career education was often considered secondary (depending on the mindset of the institution) and traditional academics were often pushed and pursued by universities. It was also common to think that having a college degree would guarantee success later in life and could open the door to many career fields.
However, with the rising cost of education and the onset of the Great Recession in 2008, many college students found themselves unable to find work after graduating as the market became saturated with those who had been laid off or without a job due to economy turmoil. Universities were pushed to focus more and more heavily on career education over traditional academics. In 2012, further restrictions were imposed on Pell Grant recipients that added a lifetime limit on how long students could apply for federal aid for higher education (approx. 6 years). Prior, students could continually apply for grants as long as they attended an institution and were in good standing. These restrictions were further added to recently where students now must focus only on classes that are within their declared program in order to be covered by federal aid. This is to curb higher education costs that may go “unused” by a student to obtain a credential.
Now personally, I feel like Sam would have been an undeclared or general studies major for his few years at Stanford University. I feel like when he applied to the institution, he didn’t have a clear idea on what he wanted to pursue as a career, he just wanted “out” of the hunting life and pursuing college was the way to do that. The want to pursue law school came later and may have been an influence from Jess or his friends in college.
Sam’s need for safety and using college to obtain it reminds me of a book called, “A Chance in the World”, where the author Steve Pemberton describes in his memoir of using college as a way to escape his hellish foster care situation. Like Sam, Steve was able to defy the odds and made it successfully to college through hard work and determination. College for him meant a place of safety and hope (which I very much see reflected in Sam).
Class Schedules and Academic Standing
When attending classes, most universities follow a credit hour system. Credit hours are assigned to classes based upon how much time the institution feels a student will be dedicating to the academic course. 1 unit is equal to 3 hours of work performed by the average student per week. So, if a academic course is assigned 3 credit hours, a student is expected to dedicate at least 9 hours of work to that course (most of which would be outside the classroom) per week. Generally, higher level courses are considered more rigorous than lower-level courses.
In my experience, the reality is heavily dependent on the course and how it is designed as well as the subject matter. I’ve experienced one credit courses that were harder and more time-consuming than 3 credit courses. Time and effort requirements can also vary from student to student. Instructors heavily play a factor in the level of difficulty for a course as well. Additionally, the quality of education at an institutional level at a university is very dependent on the level and excellence of its faculty.
Most students will sign up for 4-6 courses for a term (depending on the various credit levels assigned) in order to be considered enrolled full-time. Generally, anything under 12 credits is considered part-time. If a student is receiving aid (whether from an institution or federally), they are often expected to maintain a full-time status with the institution along with a good grade point average. For federal financial aid, the threshold is a 2.0 GPA, but scholarships and full-ride programs often have higher thresholds to maintain or for reapplication of the scholarship at the end of academic year. If the student should dip below full-time status, they often will see their aid reduced or removed entirely (depending on the terms and conditions of the aid given). Students may also decide to overload classes (typically 15 credits or more) in order to complete their degree quicker or to complete other credentials within the institution (dual majors, minors, certificates, honors, etc.). Often times, institutions will require a student to meet with an advisor before they will be able to overload on classes.
If a student’s GPA should dip below a certain level, they may be put on academic probation and risk losing their aid, or having it withheld until they complete measures to come back into good standing. Some factors may be considered (such as a loss of a family member, serious illness, hardship, etc) on a student’s academic standing but its generally considered that the student has the responsibility to inform their instructors and the college of their circumstances before it affects their academic standing. Students have options to change their grade to a pass or fail, drop, or withdraw from a class before it permanently affects their standing within a college.
Financial Aid and Scholarships
One of the major hurdles that students need to complete in order to attend a higher education institution is finding a way to pay for it. As most higher education institutions are extremely expensive to attend, most will try to pay for their education through either financial aid or scholarships. Financial aid usually refers to the monetary aid offered to a student from the state and federal government. Currently, this is requested via the FAFSA application (which has been in use since 1992). Depending on the student’s calculated need score (which is calculated based on available funds and assets from the student and their family), the student may be offered grants or access to low interest loans in order to pay for college. If these sources do not fully cover the cost, a student may apply for other scholarships, institutional aid, or private loans for additional money. Grants and scholarships do not need to be paid back by the student while loans do.
Scholarships are typically gifts of money that are given in order for a student to afford to attend a higher education institution. These funds can be offered by an institution, private entity, foundation, or person that wishes to help a student or group of students. Scholarships are typically awarded on a mixture of merit and need to a student. Some require separate applications to be submitted or will be included as part of the aid package awarded to an incoming student to an institution. Many of these scholarships will have conditions in how the money may be spent and what will be covered by the scholarship. Full ride scholarships are unique in the fact they often cover all the major expenses a student may incur in attending the institution that is offering the scholarship. However, even with full ride scholarships, many will have requirements for reapplication or to stay in the scholarship program year after year. This may include a minimum GPA, reporting of end of term grades, academic good standing, and/or other conditions such as an essay component to be submitted.
Registration
In order to take classes at an institution, a student must first register for them. Registration is basically a formal agreement between a student and the institution that covers how much a class will cost, when it will be held, and that the student registering will pay for and attend the course. A student can register for classes in various ways, including via phone, mail, computer, internet, counselor, or in person meeting. Nowadays, many students register via the internet. However, during the period Sam would have been attending, internet registration may not have been available or was very new to higher education.
For incoming freshmen, many institutions may require other goals to be completed in order for freshmen students to register for classes. This can include completing an orientation session and/or meeting with an academic advisor before their course list is finalized. Some courses may also have prerequisites needed in order to successfully enroll in a course. These prerequisites may include test scores or other classes to be taken first before a student can be enrolled.
Many institutions may also restrict when registration is available for future terms. For example, when opening registration, many institutions will open access based on how many credits a student has completed overall at an institution. This structure allows the institution to group students and control the flow of registration for a term. It also allows the upperclassmen the best chance to register and complete the classes they may need for graduation. Freshmen are often the last group allowed to register as they have the most flexibility when it comes to what courses they have left to complete. Conversely, instead of using registration groups, some institutions may also participate in what is called open registration where students are registered on a first come, first served basis where the entire student body has an equal chance of registering for a course. I’ve heard this technique referred to as “cattle call” registration as its similar to ringing bell to bring in cattle for dinner.
When registering and planning courses, most students will follow a recommended degree plan. This degree plan will detail what courses are needed to be taken in order to complete the degree to graduate. Some degree requirements might have flexibility in how they are completed. For example, some degree programs will have a humanities or culture requirement where a student has to complete x number of courses to complete (often 3 classes or more). The list of available courses that might be used to complete this requirement might be a pool of 10 classes or more, giving students an option in what courses they can take to fulfill the requirement. Other requirements, like core classes of a degree, may not be as flexible.
Depending on the level of detail offered, the degree plan will often have information on what classes can be substituted, which have prerequisites, and what classes might be offered when if they are classes that are only held during specific terms. It may also detail what are requirements from the institution, which are requirements from the college (if a 4-year institution), and what are requirements from the degree program itself.
Outside of completing academic courses, many degree programs may have requirements to complete industry certifications, complete volunteer hours, or gain work experience before completing a degree.
Forbidden Items and Activities
Many institutions will restrict what items are allowed on campus. In particular, campuses often forbid any type of weaponry from being housed or carried on a college campus. However, some state laws can supersede these restrictions when come to concealed carry of firearms. Other than weaponry, some institutions will restrict cooking items from dorm rooms. Latex can also be restricted due to allergy considerations.
Some activities may also be restricted or forbidden on a campus. This is often the case when it comes to consuming alcohol, taking drugs, or smoking. Any type of violence is also forbidden and can get participants fined and/or kicked out of school. Specific areas of the campus may also be restricted to specific personnel or students attending. For example, many universities participate in sensitive research grants that might be restricted to specific faculty and graduate level students participating in the study or project.
Ok so... many lubes are water-based. So, could a person make holy water-based lube? And if they could...
Imagine Dean and bloodfreak!Sam using holy water-based lube because it gives Sammy a spicy tingle that makes things better.
Imagine demon!Dean and Sam using it because Dean finally gets why Sam loved it so much back in his bloodsucking days.
Imagine all the fun those two freaky brotherfuckers could have with it.
Mwahahahahaaaaa! YES!
[source]