The Amazing Honor Code: How it influences academics and social life
One of things I absolutely adore about this school is the honor code. I was doubtful that all students were really a true mirror of the code, but after visiting, I can definitely tell they’re all dedicated to it. Many of the exams are take-home (all finals are take-home and also self-scheduled), and every other test is un-proctored. I found out that if someone asks you if you thought the test was easy or hard, you must simply say, “it’s over.” If you discuss the difficulty of tests or mention anything about your grades, you are looked down upon and would get a ton of trouble if you continued to do it. There are absolutely no class ranks at all, so no one is in competition with each other. I love this so so much. This means that no one would ever even want to cheat because there’s no way to get ahead. Everyone’s diploma is going to say that she’s a graduate of Haverford and not number six or number 296.
Another good thing about the code is the school’s drinking policy, which is written entirely by students (along with most other documents). Students can basically do whatever they want because there aren’t any RAs, and the honor code trusts them to drink responsibly. I witnessed this last night when seniors and freshman alike were drinking outside in the middle of lawns and comfortably playing beer pong in front of security guards. Apparently, security doesn’t mind if you’re under-aged, and they’ll actually help you if you’re sick. People also genuinely care about one other, and they’re obligated to confront someone if things are getting out of hand. That makes me feel really safe. I also like the fact that everyone is invited to every party and that the drinks are free. (not that I'm a huge drinking person at all, but I don't know about next year)
I asked about really wealthy private school kids too, and they said that no one flaunts their wealth at all. Most people are actually embarrassed to talk about their money, and I think this is definitely a consequence of the honor code.
Another good thing about the code is the school’s drinking policy, which is written entirely by students (along with most other documents). Students can basically do whatever they want because there aren’t any RAs, and the honor code trusts them to drink responsibly. I witnessed this last night when seniors and freshman alike were drinking outside in the middle of lawns and comfortably playing beer pong in front of security guards. Apparently, security doesn’t mind if you’re under-aged, and they’ll actually help you if you’re sick. People also genuinely care about one other, and they’re obligated to confront someone if things are getting out of hand. That makes me feel really safe. I also like the fact that everyone is invited to every party and that the drinks are free. (not that I'm a huge drinking person at all, but I don't know about next year)
I asked about really wealthy private school kids too, and they said that no one flaunts their wealth at all. Most people are actually embarrassed to talk about their money, and I think this is definitely a consequence of the honor code.