The Rochester Institute of Technology

RIT is a school for a specific type of student. If you fit the RIT mold, you will love it; or at least tolerate it. If not, you probably won't have a very good time. Additionally, as it is a big school, some aspects rely on the luck of the draw - being in a big dorm, getting good classes first quarter (or, even other quarters, as the registration system ended up being fairly random for newer students).

I finished one year as a software engineering major before transferring out. I was extremely displeased with the school, on nearly every point. However, that isn't to say it is without merit.

My first comment is on social life. People who say that there is no social life aren't entirely correct, but people who say that the lack of social life is a lie also aren't correct. There is a specific style of social life found at RIT. Unfortunately, if you don't mesh well with it (which, does generally involve playing video games and such), then you will most likely see it as nonexistent. There are a number of clubs, but they tend to feel as though they are mostly centered around the same genre of activity (big clubs include the electronic gaming club, and the anime club), while the smaller, more diverse clubs, can often feel intimidating if you aren't good friends with the standing members. I understand frats and sports teams are good ways to meet people, but if they aren't your thing, then you're out of luck on that regard. Add into this climate a really cold winter, and cabin fever, and it's not hard to see why many people don't like it. If you do find a good group of friends, though, it would be easy to see that it would be bearable or even fun.

I came from a great high school, where although I didn't like all my classes, I at least could tell I was learning things in them. This was not the case here. I noticed my best classes were almost entirely taught by adjunct (not professors, but other professionals teaching classes in their own field). The most dismaying problem with my classes, though, was the ineptitude of teachers in the technical fields. To this day, I still don't know of a good math professor at RIT. My CS professors were also jokes - my first quarter professor didn't actually know the language he was teaching (JAVA), and my second quarter teacher couldn't answer questions asked of him in/after class.

While RIT does tend to treat you like a number if you let it, there is something to be said if you make the effort to try to speak to anyone. Most everyone I approached (with the exception of my technical professors) were extreemly helpful; a number of them helped me with the transfer process, even though I was leaving their school.All in all, make sure you are a student that would like RIT before you go there. My biggest issue was the number of students who seemed just to be going to RIT so they could use it's name to get a job. RIT, to me, isn't a place to learn, it's a place to get a diploma.

1st Year Male -- Class 2011

Campus Maintenance: A, Education Quality: F

See, RIT is a tech school. Bare that in mind when you come in here. I am a first year... (yes just started) and I love this place. I live in the NTID dorm- Ellingson. Most people complain how there is no social life at RIT... Are you exploring well enough? There are many events, clubs, and things to go on. If you have a lounge, be in there whenever you are in the dorm. Leave your door open. Do anything. If you are in the lounge in front of the elevator, wave to everyone that comes off of it. Sure, you'll get comments bout being weird, but hey, thats a great way to know people. I know many on my floor through that way. Expect the classwork to be hard. No duh, this is college, it aint high school anymore. But yeah :D RIT Is awesome i guess. except the fact that Camp po are walking down our floors -_-.... xD Come here, and you'll enjoy it xD If you dont.... :P I guess you aren't "nerdy" enough to be here. (Oh, btw- USP is a great program to be in, but you just bare in mind- you have to do the search... the advisers are just gonna help you but not guide you to your decision.

1st Year Female -- Class 2015

Extracurricular Activities: A+, Surrounding City: D

I was a freshman at RIT in the ad. photo program this year, and just took a leave of absence, most likely for good. There were a lot of different reasons as to why i didnt finish out the school year, but basically i was miserable and was planning on leaving after this quarter ended.

rit isnt a party campus. for me that was alright at first, but after the first few weeks you'll find yourself asking "now what?". 90% of the students there are some type of computer or engineering major, so they all like to sit in their rooms and play dungeons and dragons or world of warcraft... like, to the point where ive walked in on strategy meetings in some of the lounges and was kicked out incase i was a spy... yeahhh.... so for the other 10% there really isnt a whole lot to do, which is why they go and get high out in the woods or apartment buildings. don't get me wrong, i have friends that like to smoke and theyre a lot of fun to hang out with, but thats not my scene every night of the week.

this school is also known for the amount of stress the students face, mostly because of the quarter system and how the course work is so condensed. this is prolly one of the biggest reasons as to why there is a good amount of drugs at the school, but also a fair suicidal rate. the night i came home i got a phone call at 1 in the morning about a possibly armed suicidal student who was tasered in front of my old dorm building. not cool. the school isnt going to go out and tell you about these kinds of things, but its in the fine print when they tell you the students are usually under a lot of pressure.

another thing that they try to make seem all wonderful and perfect is NTID (school for the deaf and hearing impared). i think it's great that these resources are offered to people who have trouble hearing, but to say that the campus isnt segregated is completely not true. my first dorm room in the first quarter was on a hearing/deaf floor. there was nothing going on and so it was hard to meet people, or i would hear loud noises and crashes at 3 in the morning from the deaf neighbors who didnt know they were being really loud. also, for the most part the deaf students dont really try to socialize with the hearing students after awhile because they get impatient with the communication barrier.

i moved to photo house after my first quarter because of the lack of social life, trying to give rit another chance in that matter, and it was a great choice. photo house has its issues with some drama, but hey, we're artists what do you expect? i loved how most of us had the same classes and could learn from each other and help with projects. what i realized though was that after my freshman year was over, there would be new incoming freshman and this social situation wasn't going to last for the next 4 years.

and im the kind of person who loves to go out and just find something to do with ppl, whether that be seeing a movie, partying, going to the hookah lounge, seeing a concert, whatever. but rit pretty much didnt let me get to experience any of those things, the things that youre supposed to in college. this was because of the lack of ways to get from there to some other place. unless you had a car, or a friend who would drive you anytime you wanted, it was impossible to go anywhere besides barnes and noble or the local strip mall. the bus transportation sucks, and so youre stranded on campus, especially in the winter. for photo majors you're required to take shots off of the campus, which obviously is nearly impossible.

the photo department has a high reputation for helpful staff, which it does, and its equipment, which is amazing. as long as you have a camera and tripod youre good to go pretty much. it definatly helps to have an apple laptlop and harddrive as well. what i didnt like was 1) how your first year doesnt focus on core classes like 2d design, drawing, etc like most other schools do, so its hard to transfer credits now, and 2) how technical the teaching style is; it's important to learn the basics of your craft, but i never felt like they were trying to help me develope as an artist and further explore my style as an individual, but instead told me what to shoot and how to shoot it if i wanted an A.

lastly, im a girl. there aren't many there, so all the boys take the chance to hit on a girl whenever they get the chance and think they're hot shit. that's false. theyre mostly socially awkward dudes, which if youre into that then great, youll find your man here. i however, have a high school sweetheart, and he wasnt exactly crazy about the idea of tons of odd guys hitting on me at "parties". my first dorm (with the deaf kids) i was one of 3 hearing girls, the other 2 ive never seen. all of my friends that i hung out with from there were 9 guys, who im still really close friends with and i love them to death, but im lucky that they all ended up being like my older brothers and not a bunch of guys looking for a little somethinsomethin. my advice as a girl would be to make some really close guy friends, because i know that if i ever was in trouble mine would have my back, and i know my bf was glad that i had them too.so basically if youre a person who keeps to themselves, loves to work hard, and is ok with not much to do other than computer games and smoke/drink with a few people, then this is youre place to go. :)

1st Year Female -- Class 2013

Useful Schoolwork: A, University Resource Use/ spending: F