<p>Hi there.
"When I go to a US University, I want the typical college experience- work hard/party hard. (Probably party harder…haha!)
Well, how do you like the parties at UChicago?
I heard and read (e.g. Princeton Review) some bad stuff about the UChicago Social Scene.
90%nerds and ultra competetive....
Is that true?"</p>
<p>--> To be honest, we may not party as hard as, say, some of the larger state universities. But here you can party as much or as little as you want. Some people party all the time, some never do. So while it's not a campus where everyone gets smashed every night, some people do (and some don't). We have a reputation for being very anti-social, but that's outdated and false :). And it's not academically competitive--the person next to you in class will almost always be more interested in working together to understand the materials better rather than sabotaging your grade.</p>
<p>"And how do you like Chicago? Is it a long way to the hot spots from UChicago and are there any buses or tubes that go there?(I certainly do not want to buy a car....)
I’m gonna be 21 when I start studying and I wonder if there are many students who are as old as I am? By the way..
Clubbing and drinking is prohibited under 21 in the US, right? So will my classmates have problems going out on the WE?"</p>
<p>-->Chicago is a very fun city. Getting to downtown with public transport (buses, subway, trains) takes only 20-25 minutes; add 15 minutes or more to get to some of the other neighborhoods. But it's fairly simple to figure out how to get around, and there are lots of great places to go.
I think a fair number of the international students are a few years older than the average US students...several that I know are in the 20-22 range (and are first years); some US students are that age as well. So while most first years won't be as old as you, some will, and of course the upper year students will be close to your age (and it's common for people of different years to mix).
About the clubbing and drinking: Your classmates who are not 21 won't be able to go to bars or clubs, but on-campus parties happen all the time and they do not check ID so underage students who want to go out (mostly 1-2 years) will go out all the time on weekends, but mostly to on-campus events (frat parties, apartment parties, dorm-room parties, etc.) You'll still be able to party with them no problem. Just not at clubs in the city.</p>