The Rochester Institute of Technology

Academics:
While I knew RIT wasn't going to be any Cornell, I expected to be a little bit more intellectually stimulating than it has been so far. While some classes such as physics are challenging just for the sake of being challenging, others are laughably easy. The learning curve for some sequences seem strange (Comp Sci I is ridiculously slow and rudientary compared to the amount of confusing subjects introduced in CS II), and the courses here don't coincide with most other sequences at other universities, so transferring can be tricky, as my film friend and I both learned. In fact, my old high school math teacher got quite a laugh out of the idea of doing a whole quarter of series and sequences in Calc III. While RIT says that most of the 10-week courses here teach the same amount as a 15-week semester class at another university, that really only applies to the higher-level classes; one 15-week semester of physics I at the local community college equals two quarters of physics here. I was still doing simple motion in my physics when my friends at Cornell were studying forces in gyroscopic systems. However, RIT is a bit stingy with AP credit at times, as they do it strictly by the numbers; They only gave me one credit worth of English for my 5 on the AP English Literature Exam.

One of RIT's selling points is that all classes are taught by professors, which can either be a good or bad thing. Obviously, professors differ just as any other people, and my friends have had a lot of trouble with professors who are constantly behind, or don't care. As I mentioned before, some professors make their course ridiculously difficult to do well in even when the subject matter is not challenging, and tend to teach the course in illogical, unbalanced methods.

One thing you must keep in mind is that this is that this is a tech school, and each degree is quite specific. Don't expect any sort of expansive liberal arts programs; I made that mistake. Many classes, especially as you continue on, get extremely focused on your course of study and liberal arts fall to the wayside. Supposedly as part of RIT's initiative to increase its abysmal retention rate, the colleges are cutting down on liberal arts requirements so the techies around here can get decent GPAs. As a person who appreciates the arts and literature, I find this a letdown, though most of my hallmates are rejoicing.

Campus Life/Population:

While there are things to do here and there on campus and various routines come here every so often, there isn't any sort of great social life or anything really to do on any given weekend. There are various game rooms and things, but they're not promoted extensively, and the usual weekend activites on my floor usually fall into one of three things: crowding in a room and drinking your ass off then puking it all up, going clubbing and watching whorey women dance, or, for those of more modest natures, sitting around doing absolutely nothing and trying to ignore the drunks. You really need a car to get off-campus as the bus system is lacking; if you ride the bus your choices really come down to the mall, target, wal-mart or wegman's.

Also, the lack of girls isn't something to take lightly, even if you aren't big on trying to get "hooked up", it certainly changes the perspective. If nothing else, it highlights the amount of strange guys here, which is another gripe I have about this place. Call me sterotypical, but it's as if all those outcast people from high school congregated to RIT. There's an overabundance of emo kids with goodwill suits, nerdy anime freaks, fake-goths who think they're in the Matrix, and general slackers. There's not even any "smart" techs like what you'd imagine to see at MIT (button-down shirts with khakis and pocket protectors) - just a lot of deluded grubby white boys who want to live in Japan and make video games. Trying to find someone to have an intelligent conversation with (outside of tech talk) is next to impossible; most of my friends here run and hide when I say the word "literature".

Campus/Aestetics:

The campus is, quite frankly, ugly as sin. One time when we got lost on the bus system and ended up at U of R, I spent most of the time scraping my jaw off the pavement - U of R looks a thousand times better than RIT. Sure, it's just a backdrop, but walking through a brick canyon to class every day is a bit depressing.

It also gets snowy, which, being from around this area, doesn't bother me too much, but some people find it incredibly horrendous. The real problem with the snow is that it locks people inside.

In Review...
Bad Things:
Strange classes with no transferable credit
Strange student body
Nothing to do
Snow
Bad food
Bad bus system
No real fun things to do in town
Overpopulation
Good Things:
Sushi Tuesday
Nice New Gym & Field House (for those who go)
Fast internet & lots of illegal programs on the DC++ hub
Free computer help (from your hallmates)
Friends (if you are emo, goth or wannabe Japanese)
Gracie's (if you like eating pig slop)
No Liberal Arts (a plus if you are a tech geek)
None of that crappy "school spirit"... because we have no football team