The University of Chicago

Date: May 13 2009
Major: History/Histories (art history/etc.) (This Major's Salary over time)
As I'm finishing up my first year at the University of Chicago, and reflecting on it, I've definitely had a mixed experience, that I'll take lessons from coming into next year. I'm going to divide my comments into three areas: academic, social, and "university" (including safety and location):

Academic: The academics here are very, very difficult. At first, I thought that I would be able to do all of my reading, attend every class, and do a fantastic job on every assignment, but, as time wore on, I came to realize that if I were to be a "big fish" and extremely grade focused, I would have no life otherwise. There's some point where almost every first year student collapses from stress; there's an extreme pressure to work hard and to absorb oneself in academics. Also, lots of people here start out trying to do majors for a career-based goal or to seem impressive (e.g, economics.) The extreme theoretical focus and traditionalism of many of the classes is hard to get past, and the snootiness and argumentativeness-for-the-sake-of-argumentativeness one can find in the student body (these are known as "that kids.") My experience with the core was very mixed. My social sciences class was mostly wonderful, but my statistics class felt like I was in a community college with a professor who spoke insufficient English and the bottom of the barrel kids of the student body, my core bio class was impossible to keep track of, and my hum class first quarter was insulting to my intelligence. But, I have most certainly learned more in my first year here, and had my mind expanded more academically, than I probably could have anywhere else. Basically, you're sent to academic boot camp, and will be doing work as a first year that third and fourth years do elsewhere. Instead of reading text books, you read primary texts. In spite of the amount of complaining you're liable to do when your overall high expectations are dashed, if you find the right professors and the right classes, your experience will be enlightening and change your understanding of the world. I came to this spring quarter, probably.

Social: This is the weakest aspect of the school. One major problem is cliquishness. Some residences (including the one I was in) are extremely insular due to the house system. Residents of a particular house cluster, and it prevents you from taking the extra step to meet people in the wider sphere of the university. I fell into the trap of being hyper-involved in my house fall quarter, only to be disenchanted by the insularity of it in the rest of the year, and to wish, in some ways, I had ended up elsewhere, even though I met a few close friends. The students, though, fall into all types, except they're a little more UChicago (quirky, passionate): hipsters, jocks, fratboys, type-A volunteer nuts, hyper-academics, pre-meds, etc. But, generally, the social structure of the school makes it hard to meet people, along with the heavy workload. Parties tend not to be great (particularly frat parties) and RSOs are oftentimes just social groups for a clique of friends. Also, people here aren't always friendly. In retrospect, I wish I had made more efforts this year to meet people outside my house…but I still have been consistently "wowed" by the caliber of people I have met, and made several close friends. Overall, that's more common here than having a wide circle of casual friends. Also, the dating scene is just as bad as you've heard.

The "University": Arguably the strongest feature of the school. There is an infinite variety of dorms, most of which are wonderful. I got a 10x13 single my freshman year. The buildings are uniformly beautiful and architecturally fascinating, and you're in a location near the beach. And, there's downtown Chicago - which, if you make the effort to get out to, can really liven up and alter your experience at this school. Particularly in the winter months, I found it necessary to get out of the south side three times a week to do homework in a coffee shop. Lots of students don't take proper advantage of the transportation (which is improving), are phobic of walking, and afraid of Chicago. The University has a contradictory attitude towards the city - promoting Hyde Park as a neo-suburban environment and at the same stroke, trying, with a mediocre level of success, to integrate the school with the city. Safety is decent. People tend either to overrate or underrate the safety (by underrating, I mean never walking anywhere at night - even to the quads), and a disgustingly low number of people actually base their notions of where crime occurs on campus on the daily crime reports the UCPD releases. There's an occasional mugging or burglary, but those occur, for the most part, in the student ghetto around 54th street away from the dorms. Also, there's a wonderful abundance of coffee shops, the food is decent…and the plantings and architecture are just lovely. The experience of being in Chicago and the South Side is just educational.

There's going to be a period where you want to transfer, and then a moment where, in the library, or on the quads, in the middle of Foucault or Dante, you remember why you came to this school - to expand your mind and your horizons. You'll meet people from all over the country and the world, reinterpret the entirety of your life from Sosc, and come to get a freedom found in urban living. Just don't be a student who relegates themselves to the ivory tower and never leaves Hyde Park, or somebody who gets stuck in a major they dislike. The University of Chicago is a battle - but when you win it, it's rewarding. Just remember to meet people outside of your house and to get the hell out of Hyde Park at least twice a week.