How will you live?
What's it like to be a civilian student at a Senior Military College?
Although Norwich is famous for its Corps of Cadets and military lifestyle, civilian students thrive here, too. In this video, two students talk academics and campus life.
Aleia Manning, a senior criminal justice major, and Patrick Boucher, a sophomore mechanical engineering major, said they both enjoyed the blend of military and nonmilitary lifestyles. Both said Norwich offers plenty of interesting clubs and activities. Manning is in student government and the Model United Nations. Boucher balances resident adviser duties and captaining n esports team.
Juggling coursework and activities takes practice, Manning said, especially because not all classwork happens in class. Science majors will have labs, for example; nurses will have practicums. However, students who put academics first will be fine, she said.
Norwich’s small size enables highly personalized education, Manning and Boucher said; students and professors interact in class and out, sometimes collaborating on research. Also, Manning said, Norwich’s programs poise students for career success. She’s considering jobs in federal law enforcement or intelligence and met people in those careers through Norwich activities, including a spring break trip to Washington, D.C.
Boucher said students bond — especially as roommates — and cohorts mix amicably. Classes and extracurriculars enable frequent, friendly interaction for international, civilian and Corps students.
“In my opinion, the only thing separating our (civilian) side and the Corps side is a bridge,” Boucher said, referring to the structure linking the civilian dormitories to the Corps barracks. “There’s really that much seclusion.”
