<p>“Is it windy there?”</p>
<p>It can get pretty windy, especially in the winter. UChicago is pretty close to the lake, so we do get lake effect weather frequently.</p>
<p>“Are the RAs cool and let you do what you want?”</p>
<p>That depends, I think. No one is going to let you play your music super loud at 4 in the morning. However, there are no room checks, and no one is going to get on your case for drinking in your room or throwing a party.</p>
<p>“Does the Core limit the student’s opportunities to take non-major classes that he or she is truly interested in due to the highly structured prescriptions of the Core (not included in the list of Core courses/A, B, C, or D + E, F, G, or H courses in the same subject so that a student can’t choose A and B or G and H)?”</p>
<p>I really don’t know what you mean re: all those letters, so I’ll just address the first part of your question. The Core will limit what you can and can’t take, but the Core isn’t so boring that you’ll really regret your schedules. There are tons of cool classes, and while I sometimes get a little put out that I can’t have exactly the schedule that I want all the time, I’ve never gotten depressed about it. Also, your major is going to restrict classes that you can take, so keep that in mind. You’re never going to be able to take everything that you want to take whenever you want it.</p>
<p>For example: If you are a bio major, you have to take several introductory sequences, like bio, chem, calculus, etc, beyond that which would be expected of a non-science major. If you’re a poli sci major, you have to start taking the intro sequence before you finish your second year, I believe. Those are restrictions on your time just like the Core.</p>
<p>There are several options you can take to make the Core more flexible as well. I took Sosc during the summer, which I wouldn’t recommend unless you’re willing to work really hard, but it freed up a lot of time during the year. You can also take Civ abroad over the course of one quarter. I know a lot of people who do this and it seems to work for them.</p>
<p>I would also recommend taking Core classes that interest you.</p>
<p>But long story short: You won’t be able to take everything, but I’ve never cared. There are always new classes the next quarter.</p>
<p>“What proportion of the courses are taught by real professors and TAs respectively? (esp. Econ, Math, History, Philosophy)”</p>
<p>I don’t know much about history or philosophy, though I think generally they have more classes taught by professors vs. grad students than the econ or math majors. The reason behind that is that econ and math both have intro sequences that a grad student can teach easily. Generally speaking, professors teach higher-level econ classes in the sequence, or they teach electives.</p>
<p>“How nerdy/geeky are students at UChicago? Are intellectual discussions outside of classes actually common/prevalent?”</p>
<p>There’s a general slant towards nerdiness in the population of students here. To give you an idea: my roommate is practically the antithesis of nerdy in every respect, but our day to day conversations consist of whining about being alienated from our labor (Marx), racism/supremacism in the US, third-wave feminism, economic policy decisions, and Victorian literature. I don’t even study vic lit. She just likes it for some reason.</p>
<p>My favorite part of UChicago culture is the fact that the nerdy/geekiness is a cooperative one. Anyone who’s not an ******* will be more than happy to explain their areas of research or study to you. It’s really cool, and I’ve learned a lot just by talking to people outside of class.</p>