<p>Alright, I realize that the amount of suicides at Cornell is not above the average....but that does not mean that people are not more miserable. My question is this, would you say because of the cloudiness and cold weather in the winter would you say that people at Cornell are miserable? Is the snow more peaceful and relaxing or is it more sleeting and windy? Would you say the isolation at Cornell makes people depressed or are the natural surroundings really that beautiful? You do not have to answer any of these questions individually, just write about anything you want regarding dealing with the weather, isolation, and depression at Cornell or anything related.</p>
<p>I think the answer to your question is dependent on what kind of weather you have lived in and what kind of weather you prefer or whether you want a change from what you've been used to. If you are from the West Coast and love West Coast weather, you may find the cold, long winters in Ithaca and the Northeast to be a bit hard to take. If on the other hand you've grown up with that kind of weather, it's just more of what you are used to. I grew up on the East Coast and so I took Ithaca weather in stride. However, now that I've lived on the West Coast for a while, I would find it difficult to ever live back East again. I did not feel isolated at Cornell and rarely left Ithaca during my years there. There was always something to do on campus, I really liked being there. I don't necessarily think the beauty of the campus compensates for the weather, if you hate the kind of weather Ithaca gets. If you hate Ithaca weather, you may not really care how beautiful the campus is. So, it's really a matter of individual preference.</p>
<p>People like to complain about the weather. These past couple of days have been pretty brutal (negative wind chills). It's just something people tolerate. By deciding to go to Cornell, you know that the weather is something you're going to deal with. If weather is the number one priority on your criteria in picking schools, then Cornell is not the right school for you if you want to avoid snow and freezing temperatures.</p>
<p>That being said, I have friends from the West Coast who always roll their eyes whenever people ask, "Why are you here? Did you know that it gets cold in the winter?" It's something everybody likes to joke about. Really, Ithaca isn't worse than other places in the Northeast. It's definitely tamer than Buffalo or the northern Midwest states. I've lived all around the country, and Ithaca is fine.</p>
<p>Personally, I only enjoy the first snowfall. I hate slush and dirty snow. I can't stand the cold (especially when it's windy), and I don't like putting on extra layers of clothing. I plan to live on the West Coast once I settle down after graduation. But even though I don't like the weather here, I love Cornell. I haven't come across anybody who hates the weather so much that they regret coming here.</p>
<p>Also, I wouldn't say Ithaca is "isolated." Ithaca is a city, believe it or not. True, it's in a rural area. But the people at Cornell are so vibrant and fun that I don't feel like I'm lacking in my social life. You really don't have to worry. Yes, there are depressed people at Cornell, but that goes for any college. Of course, the weather can get you down sometimes, but it's not a major factor in most people's lives. People have more important things to think about.</p>
<p>As for depression, Cornell students deal with the same issues as people from other colleges: academics, social life, and personal issues. Some people can't handle their classes or workload. Some people don't make friends. Some people have stuff to deal with from their past on top of thinking about their academics and social life. While these are serious problems, you shouldn't stress out over this now. It sounds like you aren't a student here yet, so just wait until you come to campus. Before coming to Cornell, I was a little skeptical about how much I'd like it. I was also worried about it being isolated and whether I'd be sucked into depression. Now that I'm here, I realize that those worries were ridiculous. As long as you take advantage of what's available to you, you shouldn't feel alone.</p>
<p>And yes, Ithaca is beautiful. You kind of stop appreciating it after being here for a while, but every so often, it still takes your breath away.</p>
<p>Sorry I practically wrote an essay, but I think that prospective students and their parents focus too much on the weather in Ithaca. If people from Kenya can survive in Ithaca, you probably can as well.</p>
<p>cornellpride10- thank you so much for that post. When my friends and family here in California try and "warn" me about the weather, it always makes me roll my eyes (in my mind..hahha) as well.</p>
<p>I have not experienced the winters firsthand myself yet, but I think of it like this: "If 13,000 other kids can do it, so can I." Also, consider the thousands and thousands of students coming from warm/hot weather areas that have attended Cornell. I'm sure the majority of them didn't let the weather get in their way of having a great Cornell experience.</p>
<p>My daughter hates the cold. Weather was one of top criterias when she was applying to schools. Fate has it that she ended up at Cornell. I didn't even realize it was so cold up there until I read above post. I spoke with my daughter everyday this week because of the rush week. We spoke at length, but not once did she mention the weather. This is her first year there and she is loving it. She has made many good friends already. I think this semester she may have further to walk between two of her classes, so I may hear more abut it in a week or two.</p>
<p>there are those that sit around and complain about the weather ... and there are also those who get up, get out, and have fun outside</p>
<p>lol gomestar was so proud of himself after writing that post</p>
<p>Hasn't Cornell and Cornell students done a lot to battle the depression? I know that "mental floss" was started there or something like that...</p>
<p>the health service is quite extensive on campus - there's signs/fliers/ad in the paper/everything else all over the place.</p>
<p>People need to remember that all schools in the northeast (for example, Harvard, Yale) have their share of true winter weather -- blizzards, wind chills, etc. </p>
<p>I agree with those who recommend learning to enjoy the snow. Take skiing or snowboarding to meet your PE requirement. You will think more positively about winter weather and snow after that.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that winter break runs from mid-Dec to mid-Jan so students miss at least a month of winter weather.</p>
<p>The cold makes my GF feel sorry for me and give me some extra comfort. Therefore I don't mind it too much.</p>
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As for depression, Cornell students deal with the same issues as people from other colleges: academics, social life, and personal issues. Some people can't handle their classes or workload. Some people don't make friends. Some people have stuff to deal with from their past on top of thinking about their academics and social life. While these are serious problems, you shouldn't stress out over this now. It sounds like you aren't a student here yet, so just wait until you come to campus. Before coming to Cornell, I was a little skeptical about how much I'd like it. I was also worried about it being isolated and whether I'd be sucked into depression. Now that I'm here, I realize that those worries were ridiculous. As long as you take advantage of what's available to you, you shouldn't feel alone.
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<p>Thanks for this post. I've been worrying on and off about how Cornell would be for me after I got in during ED, but you're right. I shouldn't be worrying about this now. Thanks for helping me realize that.</p>
<p>It all matters by personal preference. One of my best friends currently attends Cornell and loves it. His sister attended Cornell as well but found it to be stressing and depressing.
However
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But the people at Cornell are so vibrant and fun that I don't feel like I'm lacking in my social life.
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, the impression I get from people who go to Cornell is that it is an extremely cliquish school.
Especially from the 'greek guys and gals' group.. these people are exclusive and boring for the most part. However, Cornell is a big school and I'm sure there are a lot of vibrant and fun people around.</p>
<p>Cornell is a big school of 13,000 undergraduates, and Mondo, you simply can't categorize 13,000 students as all being cliquish and/or boring. More than 8,000 students do not join frats/sororities. And many of those who do join have interests and activities outside of greek life, and through these activities and their classes, they make friendships with students outside of their particular frat or sorority.</p>
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Cornell is a big school of 13,000 undergraduates, and Mondo, you simply can't categorize 13,000 students as all being cliquish and/or boring. More than 8,000 students do not join frats/sororities. And many of those who do join have interests and activities outside of greek life, and through these activities and their classes, they make friendships with students outside of their particular frat or sorority.
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However, Cornell is a big school and I'm sure there are a lot of vibrant and fun people around.
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<p>I acknowledge this in my post, there are a lot of interesting and non-cliquish people in the frats and sororities as well BUT it isn't like that number is zero and everyone knows that.</p>
<p>lmao i found it funny that u called frat/sorority people boring seeing as how they are some of the most exciting people on campus and are in countless clubs and sports as well as throw countless parties and charity events. Interesting perspective to say the least...</p>
<p>^those are usually the people who are leading the frats, those who desire to make the campus a better place, these people I'll admit are often very interesting. However, many just join for the 'social status' and are boring people overall though.</p>
<p>boring/exclusive = mondo probably didn't get into a house and is disgruntled</p>
<p>While some people do join frats/sororities for the exclusivity and perceived social status of the social group, it is a vast overstatement to generalize this intent to all 4,000-ish students who go greek. There are far too many kids at Cornell to make categorical statements. The beauty of Cornell is that it presents an opportunity to meet all sorts of people who have a wide variety of interests.</p>
<p>I think the same criticism could be leveled at the fraternity/sorority scene at any school, including Duke for that matter. Some people may join frats and sororities because of the perceived status, but there are a lot of people who join for other reasons. I think Cornell is large and diverse enough to find all sort of people with all sorts of interests.</p>