<p>Hi ZeGraduator,</p>
<p>I am a 1L grad student at Cornell and may venture to tell you about my experience so far. I did my undergrad in Cali, my point of reference.</p>
<p>First, let me begin by telling you some positive things about it. Despite all the ******** people give you, most of Cornell stories are myths. Yes, the weather is coldER, but it's warmer and nicer than many parts of the Midwest. It's mid April, and I think it hit 65 already. The winter did not start last year until early December. I was spoiled by California, but it was nice to see seasons. Yes, it is somewhat isolated. But guess what? The little town of Ithaca has everything you need (Walmart kind of things, McDonald's kind of things, movie theaters, art exhibition and performances), and you wouldn't have much time for anything more were you to live in, e.g., NYC anyway. Moreover, there are lots of hiking places--falls, trails, lakes, etc. During the summer it turns into some sort of a resort. Again, you won't have a lot of time for those, but you could. I don't know. Graduate school is a lot of work.</p>
<p>People are in general very friendly. There is something about cold weather and Midwest and being in the country side, I think. People treated strangers like s*** in an East Coast city where I spent some time in the past. Here, the atmosphere is generally friendly.</p>
<p>Now some negative things. The town is very quiet. If you are used to living in a noisy city, then this will be a big change for you. It might stimulate depression if you are prone to feel lonely. Sure, there are lots of students, but mostly undergraduates, and graduate students--I'd say at 90% of the time--do not mingle with undergraduates. They are like dogs and cats.</p>
<p>Let me tell you what I think. If you are good with people and making friends, you will be fine. You will adjust well, meet very intelligent and interesting friends, enjoy your learning experience, and you will get a doctoral degree from a prestigious university. If you need some institutional or environmental help in establishing your social networks, you won't get it. I've experienced two other universities so far, and Cornell as a whole does not care much about graduate students. The general feeling is that graduate students are often neglected by the university, and you'll read stories about those in school newspapers. However, this can be made up by supportive departments. Yes, they give you a good stipend package; yes, the libraries are excellent; yes, their research facilities and faculty are top-notch. But: they will do little to facilitate your social adjustment. You are on your own, at least from my experience. And remember, as you seem to sense already, your social success will play a crucial role in your academic success (in other words, your mental health leads to your academic well-being).</p>
<p>So the condition of your social life will really depend on your field, department, and your sociability. If you would like to hear more, I guess you can PM me or something. Hope this helps.</p>