Sciurus academicus

According to the Campus Squirrel Listing, "The quality of an institution of higher learning can often be determined by the size, health and behavior of the squirrel population on campus." This is a sentiment I couldn't agree with more!

Squirrels (and other critters) are a vital and distinguished part of the college experience. Squirrel-watching was a time-honored pasttime at my alma mater, and, judging by the CSL, many others. (There was also a population of fish and a turtle or two in a pond on my campus. I used to love to go and just watch the fish bobbing just below the surface, looking for insects to grab, or the turtle sunning itself. I found it incredibly relaxing.) There's just something so incongruous, yet so wonderfully natural, about wild animals in an academic setting. (You can supply your own jokes about college-students-as-wild-beasts if you wish!)

To any college-bound readers, a tip you'll not find in any book or from any counselor: check out the squirrels! They tell you a lot about the campus. If you want a gritty, urban experience, look out for what my one friend (who went to school just across from NYC) called, "Nasty, scarred city squirrels who look like rats." If, on the other hand, you're searching for a more genial environment, look for healthy, happy gray squirrels with big, bushy tails.