Skip to main content Skip to secondary navigation

Student Perspectives

Main content start

SLE seems like a lot of units.  How will I fit in my other classes?

Although SLE does constitute about half of your units for your first year, you'll have plenty of room to explore other classes, or get started in your major.  Even if you're planning on majoring in a subject with a large number of required classes, like some Engineering majors, you'll have time to get everything done!

Gabriel - Can You Balance SLE with Other Courses?

Are SLE students isolated from the rest of the frosh class?

This is a common myth about SLE.  The truth is, one-third of the frosh class lives somewhere besides the frosh dorms in Wilbur and Stern (living in Florence Moore, Roble, and Lagunita, for example).  Although SLE students have their lectures and discussion sections in their residence, they take other classes elsewhere on campus, just as other first year students do.  And SLE students tend to be very active in theater, the Band, The Stanford Daily, student gov’t, intramurals -- pretty much anything on campus other students do with the exception of varsity athletics.  All varsity sports have practices in the late afternoons, which conflicts with the SLE schedule.  Students who aren’t in SLE may have the impression that SLE students are somehow isolated, but SLE students will assure you otherwise.

Erica - Are SLE Students Isolated?

Emily - Are SLE Students Isolated?

Kyla - Are SLE Students Isolated?

How do I decide if SLE is right for me?

In the end, you can judge best if SLE is right for you depending on two main things: 1) Are you excited about studying the ‘big questions’ in a year-long curriculum of great works?  2)  Do you like the idea of living with the people you are studying with and letting course conversations spill into dorm life (and vice versa)?  If your answers are “yes”, SLE might very well be for you.

Salil - Why I Chose SLE

Julia - Why I Chose SLE

See Also