5 Things I Love about the University of Rochester
Now that I’m back for my second semester here at Rochester, I feel like I should start off the new year by talking about the things I have come to enjoy and appreciate about the school. Here’s a list of my five favorite things about the University of Rochester, in no particular order.
1. Academic freedom
I’m sure you guys are probably tired of hearing about the open curriculum here at Rochester, but you’ll have to hear it one more time. I think that the academic freedom that comes with being a Rochester student is a wonderful thing; I’m shocked most colleges haven’t adopted a similar system yet. Of course, there are a few restrictions: every student must take a writing class, and every student (with a few exceptions—read more about clusters) must fulfill two clusters, which are basically three-course “mini minors” in other disciplines. For example, I’m a computer science major, so I’m taking a cluster in linguistics and another cluster in music theory. But these requirements are nowhere near as limiting or comprehensive as those at most schools; while my friends at other colleges have to take courses they basically took in high school to fulfill general education requirements, I get to take things I’m interested in. The academic opportunities at Rochester were definitely a driving factor in my choice to come here.
2. Clubs and organizations
In addition to the freedom in choosing classes, there are hundreds of clubs and organizations to get involved with on campus. For reference, I’m involved with the Mini Baja Team (read about my experiences), the Computer Science Undergraduate Council (aka Rochack), and the Undergraduate Musicians’ Council (check us out on SoundCloud). In addition to these clubs, here are a few other things Rochester offers: an Indian dance team, a robotics club working on a braille e-reader, sports teams, bands and orchestras, and a school newspaper. It’s definitely worth it to get as involved as possible in these organizations. For instance, a student who graduated a few years ago got a job designing the Corvette at GM, because of the experience he gained from Baja.
3. The people
I have literally met no person that I dislike so far. My faculty advisers are kind and helpful, I have made great friends, and I like my professors. What more can you ask for than that?
4. Musical opportunities
There are many musical groups on campus, including a pep band, two orchestras, several jazz combos, rock, percussion, brass ensembles, ten or so vocal groups, and then the countless student-run music groups and bands. You don’t have to get into Eastman to be a part of the musical culture in Rochester. I’m involved with the Chamber Orchestra, Jazz Ensemble, and the Musicians’ Council, and last semester I took free clarinet lessons at Eastman. No matter what your level of experience is, and no matter what kind of music you love, there’s something you can be involved in on the River Campus. If you want to read more about music scene here, check out my blog about music on campus!
5. The little things
I’ll just list these:
- The fact that all the buildings are made of brick makes the campus very pretty.
- There are some great restaurants around Rochester.
- Rochester is very good about meeting students’ financial need.