Ever wonder what Stanford looks like to an outsider? We found the answer in Audi Max, a German magazine on the World Wide Web. Under the headline, "Palms, Parties, Cramming," Tim Schönauer describes the six months he spent on the Farm working toward his doctorate in electrical engineering. He warns web surfers that just because Stanford is in California, they shouldn't expect to find beaches, bikinis or, he's sorry to say, Baywatch. "You'll fit in better with your laptop, textbook and roller blades," he advises.
Schönauer, 26, says Stanford's lavish athletic facilites and windsurfing classes "would make many a Club Med manager blanch." He marvels at lecture halls so laden with technology (microphones, cameras hanging from the ceilings) that "you think you are in Hollywood." He notes the popularity of 24-hour study rooms--but warns that too much academics can be hazardous to one's health. "Roaming nocturnal animals like raccoons and skunks are a common sight (or smell) for those who study at the library until late in the night." And we thought that was just at the frat houses.
