CMU. What is it like?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Carnegie Mellon University
1

<p>Hi everyone, </p>

<p>First I have to give it to people who make this forum really great. I have been reading college forums like crazy for the last week and this really is the one like most (The atmosphere is so nice, xoxo sucks for example)</p>

<p>Anyway,</p>

<p>Here is the situation. I am an international student coming from a fairly prestigious school in my country. I did not look for fin. aid. </p>

<p>I got into Carnegie Mellon (SCS and CIT), Northwestern and waitlisted on Brown and Columbia. I have been aiming for Carnegie Mellon for a long time and am glad that I got in. In fact I would apply early there but I did not. And that is very the problem is stemmed from.</p>

<p>The reason why I did not do early there is that I talked with some people there and they all said the atmosphere at CMU is so dull. For example they said there is noone around and most of the people are studying in their rooms most of the time. To make the matters worse, I am thinking about studying Computer Science there. </p>

<p>Now although I am seriously computer inclined and have a past of doing some serious CS by myself, I am by no means a antisocial geek (Although I adore them. They know it all, seriously. They have got the answers). I have been very very involved in my school with various activities like debate, politics even.</p>

<p>That is why I did not do early at CMU. I did not want to lock myself down to there only. I took a serious risk in fact by not doing early anywhere. </p>

<p>So I would be very glad if some people at CMU would comment on what the school and the daily life is like. What do people do after class, for example? What is the social life like.</p>

<p>Although CMU is one of the best when it comes to CS, I am not sure if that is where I truly belong. I think I would much more happy at some place like Brown. I agree, getting into Brown from their waitlist might be hard but not impossible.</p>

<p>I am anxiously waiting for your on this people. I need some people to convince me either that CMU is a place where an active student can in fact be happy or that unless I would lock myself into my room, I would suck. I am so in the middle now.</p>

2

<p>I bumped the "Social life really sucks?" thread for you so you can read about how the rumors about the social life being dull is untrue. </p>

<p>You have to realize that the only people that would complain online about CMU are the actual nerds and (ugly kids) who have no social life. I suggest you come visit or have a sleeping bag Sunday. </p>

<p>I can also disprove such rumors by sending you a list of AIM (Do you use this?) screennames so you could talk to friends of mine who are current CMU students.</p>

<p>Here is my daily schedule on Mon/Wed/Fri</p>

<ol>
<li>Wake up around 7am</li>
<li>Grab a coffee at Wean and a bagel</li>
<li>Go to class at 8:30am. Trade looks with this hot chick who sits across from me. Laugh at the crazy bulgarian chick if she talks (you'd have to see her to understand why).</li>
<li>Go to my next class. I put all my classes in a row so I can get them over with. Go to next class... I'm done with classes by around 12:30pm</li>
<li>Go get lunch with friends</li>
<li>Hang out with friends or take a nap</li>
<li>Around 3pm or so I start studying</li>
<li>Finish around 7pm or so. Either hang out with my gf or go out to dinner. Usually the frats have food but I haven't gone there lately.</li>
<li>Do nothing and sleep around midnight.</li>
</ol>

<p>Tues/Thurs
1. Wake up at 8:30, classes at 9:30 and in the afternoon.
2. I only have 2 classes on Tues/Thurs so I just do homework due on other days and then just hang out.
3. I basically do nothing....</p>

<p>Friday night and Saturday
1. party
2. party
3. party
4. sleep
5. party</p>

<p>Sunday:
Do work and prepare for the next week
Take huge naps 'cause of not sleeping on the other days</p>

<p>PS: I have a 3.8 so far</p>

<p>So I hope that helps.</p>

3

<p>I do alot more work than AcceptedAlready, it seems. I'm a freshman CS major, and second semester of freshman year is supposed to be the hardest semester for CS majors, because of "Great Theoretical Ideas of Computer Science," although I'm having more issues with physics and calc in 3D. I also seem to always end up with more class time than anyone else I know.</p>

<p>M/W/F
8:45 - wake up, grab food on the way to class and eat it while walking
9:30 - sit in on a class that I took last semester that I am a Course Assistant for this semester
10:30 to 1:30 - go to three classes, physics, recitation for something, and calc in 3D (on friday I only have 2)
1:30 - lunch
2:30 - Cognitive Psychology (interesting class, fairly easy)
3:30 - go back to my room, try to get work done, but probably get distracted for some time
7:30 - dinner
9:00 - actually do work until 11:30, go to sleep between 12 and 1:30</p>

<p>T/R
8:45 - wake up, grab food on the way to class and eat it while walking
9:30 - calc recitation I don't always go to
10:30 - physics recitation
11:30 - half hour of free time, spent talking to people, throwing around frisbee etc.
12:00 - programming lecture
1:30 - lunch, killing time by talking to people while trying to do homework but never succeeeding
3:00 - class
4:30 - get out of class, possibly do a hour of homework before going to a club meeting and then working for an hour or so
6:00 - after this time the same as M/W/F</p>

<p>I work about 10 hours a week, and play in the campus orchestra (2 hours on Sunday nights). It seems like I do alot of work, but I often get distracted and don't work very efficiently. For instance, I really should be studying for a psych test now, but I'm not. On weekends I usually go out to dinner with friends and possibly catch a movie on campus or go shopping at the Waterfront. Also I usually end up doing about 5 hours of grading on Saturday nights. Sundays I usually do homework that's due Tuesday.</p>

<p>Don't come to CMU if what you're looking for is a real party school, but you can have fun. My roommate, also a CS major, spends alot of time playing Ultimate Frisbee (she's on the club team) and often goes to parties on the weekends, but she doesn't actually drink. Often she does her homework with 2-3 of her friends, so they have as much fun as possible while doing homework. Also, a friend of mine that is a sophomore or junior (not sure which), is applying to some internship in DC, so don't assume that just because you're a CS major you can't do political things. Another guy I know is active in College Democrats. What you depends on how you prioritize class, activities, and sleep.</p>

4

<p>KrazyKow, would you say that as one gets into higher-level classes, the workload is more in-class or outside of class? I know the higher-level classes are considerably smaller than intro classes (most of the time?), and also that professors encourage group cooperation. During my 3rd or 4th (or even 2nd) year at CMU, I'm hoping to look for an internship or some sort of on-campus research opportunity (by the way, are there many, particular for chemistry?). However, I'm afraid I may not have enough time to juggle all of that around.</p>

5

<p>I believe that as you get into higher classes, there is less time in class. Many intro classes have lectures three times a week, and recitations (led by a TA, sometimes groupwork, clarifications about anything, practice problems- depends on the class) two days a week. In higher level classes, there often aren't recitations, and lectures may be 2 times a week for an hour and a half rather than 3 times a week for 50 minutes. Opinions on groupwork vary between professors.</p>

<p>I have no idea how many research opportunities there are in chemistry, but I have two friends that as CS freshmen are doing CS-y research. One did alot of science fair and research in high school, and just went and talked to professors as soon as he got here; the other is on a 2-3 year graduation plan and also talked to professors as soon as he got here.</p>

<p>I've observed that if you want to do something, you'll find time to do it, whether it's taking a crazy 7 class courseload and doing research (at the expense of sleep) or being active in many organizations on campus.</p>

6

<p>KrazyKow": "Also I usually end up doing about 5 hours of grading on Saturday nights. </p>

<p>Are you doing TA? (Is that possible for undergrad.?)</p>