<p>While I've read that everybody loves Rice's residential college system, I feel like that it could be a negative. I also have some questions. If you become really good friends with a group of people from a different college, it seems like it would be harder to hang out with them. Would you ever be able to dorm with them on campus after your freshman year? Are a lot of people good friends with people from other colleges or do many people just stick within their college?
Also apparently when you are accepted, they just RANDOMLY choose what college you are put into?
Thanks.</p>
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<p>yes.</p>
<p>You cannot live with people from other colleges on campus unless you specifically transfer there. Transferring is hard (sometimes) and generally you will not get housing.</p>
<p>You can move off campus though.</p>
<p>Regarding the college system in general - it is a lot of fun for the first couple of years. Freshman and sophomore years it was great as it helped get to know people well and instill a sense of “community”. it gets a little old after a while, in my opinion, but there could be much worse.</p>
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This is not necessarily true, but it’s probably not good to plan on living in a college to which you don’t belong, as it’s a rather uncommon circumstance.</p>
<p>The college system will only limit you if you let it do so. It is very easy to have good friends at other colleges, although some people who don’t take the effort end up being fairly limited to people within their own. It is also possible to transfer to a different college if you really feel like you would be happier there, but for most people this is not an issue. And yes, the placement is mostly random, with a few exceptions (first legacy students are placed if they chose to be in the same college as their sibling/parent/whomever, and then if I’m the administration tries to evenly distribute the varsity athletes and the architecture students among the colleges).</p>
<p>thanks for the responses. And when you say that it gets old to you, do you mean that you get tired of living around the same people for 2 years? Do most people move off campus after 2 years?
Also another question. Since its mostly random, are most of the colleges pretty similar? Like I’m saying for example that not one college is a bigger party college than another?
Or not necessarily lol</p>
<p>Everything varies from person to person. But I think the majority of students choose to live on campus their senior year, even if they have been forced to move off previously. And as far as the people in each college, yes, you should get a pretty similar spread. Different colleges develop certain reputations over the years, but when you get down to it the demographics are pretty similar.</p>
<p>What I meant about the 2 years is that the system can be limiting. This does not mean that you are limited in terms of friends etc.</p>
<p>At Wiess for example, I was tired of some of the decisions our college “government” made. We wasted money on the same ludicrious stuff every year. In addition, some colleges are bad at sports and some are good. Some people I know want out because their college takes beer bike or powderpuff lightly and they want to compete.</p>
<p>The residential college system is definitely what you make of it. Especially as a freshman, it’s a fantastic way to have a “family” here on campus–it’s a diverse group of individuals who will become your closest friends and support you in all you do. The Masters and RAs are also fantastic sources of support and life advice throughout many of the freshman year transitions.</p>
<p>I’m a sophomore right now and still in love with my college. I miss it when I go home for breaks, and I’ve been getting more and more involved in its government. However, like all close-knit groups, it can at times get to be a bit much–which is why I would strongly recommend involving yourself in various non-college-related activities around campus (religious groups, sports, extracurriculars, etc.) Also, it’s easy for your residential college to become your entire social circle, which is tempting but also it’s not really making the most of your Rice experience. My best friend at Rice is actually from a different college–we have the same major and minor, so we spend most of our days together She’s introduced me to her friends at her own college, while I introduce her to my friends at my college.</p>
<p>There are a few people who never really “gel” with their college, and wind up living off campus or hanging out more with people outside their college. I know I was nervous about this happening to me, as I wasn’t really the school spirit type of person in high school. However, all the colleges are really accepting and as long as you are at least a little bit social/open to new experiences, you will be fine.</p>
<p>And yes, the colleges are completely random. They all have an assortment of engineers, athletes, musicians, etc. I would say some colleges have “personalities” that bring out those traits in their students. For instance, some colleges are really competitive at sports, some are more involved in university student government, etc. However, no matter who you are, you have a place in your college because diversity is really what keeps things exciting and what makes the system what it is.</p>
<p>It is true that the college system CAN limit who you become friends with. However, I have been at Rice for barely over two months now and, even as a mild introvert, I know many people (freshmen and upperclassmen) from almost all of the other colleges. Between classes, clubs, parties, and friends-of-friends, you are definitely not limited to your own college. It’s not that long of a walk to other colleges - I’m at Sid Rich (one of the southernmost colleges), and often walk up to Duncan to eat or study with friends (one of the northernmost colleges). I think it only ever takes 5 or 10 minutes max to walk up there - while not next door, still much better than at many larger universities.</p>
<p>That being said, having a college where everybody was accepting of me and truly like a family, to the point of being unconditionally helpful when I had no idea what was going on, made me feel like I had the best dorm in the country.</p>
<p>In response to the “horror stories” of people who really don’t gel with their college, I have heard that it’s possible, though rare, to request a transfer. For the most part, in order to seriously consider a transfer request, there needs to be some strong legitimate reason why your college is just not working out.</p>
<p>DD’s current roommate was not a fit for her first college, requested a transfer and it was granted. It maybe rare, but she was able to demonstrate that she participated more in the other college than in the one she was assigned to.</p>
<p>thanks everybody for the helpful responses. sounds like the college system is awesome</p>
<p>It is a good experience. Don’t think about it, just let it happen when you arrive. Getting caught up in the whirlwind of your college during O-Week is amazing</p>