<p>OK so i drove in @ 1 am and saw, on the way, after binghamton, lots of snowmobile and tractor crossing signs. when i got into collegetown, there were mad drunk kids in the streets @ 1...that's sure alot more happening that Princeton is @ 1...ithaca seems like an awesome place, and I anticipate having tons of fun here over the next 4 years.</p>
<p>What are YOUR first impressions?</p>
<p>Everyone here is incredible. I got a 1550 on my SATs, and I have met people whose smarts have already blown me away! The food is great, the activities are great, the residence halls (JAM) are awesome, what else can I say?</p>
<p>BTW, I KNEW that spart was going to put up one of these threads. Well done!</p>
<p>Cornell is the ****.</p>
<p>I'm a bit overwhelmed....there's so much to do but so little time. I'm actually looking forward a bit to the end of orientation just because I'll actually have time to breathe...</p>
<p>Yet I still found time to get on CC....I guess I'm really addicted...</p>
<p>I hate this addiction. Anyways Cornell is really great so far. I really enjoy all the walking (not being sarcastic), and classes are just around the corner and I can't wait. So far everyone is helpful. The only thing that is overwhelming for me is finding my niche of friends. I figure once we get settled into classes, I'll find people who we seem to coincide with schedule and friendship will sort of happen. Anyways Cornell is great so far.</p>
<p>Geez, I've met so many people so far. I may have gotten to know one of you guys and I don't even know it. I've seen Adam (sparticus) walking around a bunch, but as you guys know, I've been really busy whenever I am out of my dorm. So much to do....What did you guys think of the comic? I laughed quite a bit.</p>
<p>Few things I have noticed. It is a bit true that A LOT of kids chose Cornell because they did not get accepted to other schools. Then again, I've met people that have turned down Rice, Chicago, Duke, etc. </p>
<p>Funny story- from an obsessive CCer, I know A LOT about colleges. My roommate is the opposite to the extent that he has not even HEARD of Duke. "Duke, never even heard of it. It's a college?" He applied in one day to all of the colleges that The Collegeboard recommended on their auto-recommend program thing. That was his only source of info on applying to colleges. Nice guy though. Very, very quiet.</p>
<p>Yeah I have heard of a few people saying they applied to all the colleges they saw on top 10 lists for what they were interested in. I listened to another kid telling me that Cornell was no different than Texas Tech (I held it in). And yes, I have heard that people have come here because they didn't get in to the other schools.</p>
<p>Wow spart, sounds like you are having a lot of fun! I haven't been doing anything too wild, but I have gotten to know TONS of kids. Among them include:</p>
<p>A guy from Nigeria who speaks four languages and came in as a freshman with almost a college degree already.</p>
<p>Numerous outstanding musicians, including one who can play the flight of the bumble bee and fantasy-impromptu up to tempo. It was incredible.</p>
<p>A student who will be beginning his freshman year with 400 and 600 (graduate) level math courses.</p>
<p>Russia's only double-gold medalist in physics.</p>
<p>An incredible banjoist.</p>
<p>List goes on, but you get the idea.</p>
<p>Haven't been to any parties yet, or gone to collegetown, but I have been driving around Ithaca a few times with various kids with cars. (Yeah, make friends with them!)</p>
<p>JEREW IS REFERRING TO THIS POST: I DELETED THE OLD ONE AND THIS ONE IS LONGER/MORE COMPLETE.</p>
<p>Yeah comments on the "sucky things at cornell."</p>
<p>The "big campus:" Oh no, all that walking! As it turns out the walking is really enjoyable (until it gets cold probably :)) but the weather here this month is beautiful. The walking is very satisfying, and the campus is not THAT big. it's probably less than a quarter mile to the arts quad from north campus (the res. halls). That's really close. Theres even a shuttle bus.</p>
<p>The "too many people:" You may feel overwhelmed at first, but think of how it breaks down. First off theres your college/courses. That means you have an instant bond with people. Theres also your class (freshman are nice to each other...in fact everyone is nice, upperclassmen are really friendly, even at parties where they don't want any more guys coming in...definitely no "eww, freshmen" stigma). There is also your dorm/hall/floor. You see them every day, the same faces. We also had something called OL groups. OL stands for orientation leader. This is a group of 8 or 10 freshmen plus an upperclassman leader who you meet with most days of orientation week. We started playing icebreakers the first meeting. 5 days later we've progressed to chillin', walking to collegetown for food, bridge jumping into beebe lake, and even him screaming "MANDATORY OL MEETING IN MY ROOM, RIGHT NOW!" when a dozen kids from our hall shows up at his frat. Yes, he did give us liquor...:) Lets keep that on the DL though, OK guys, he probably wasn't supposed to haha.</p>
<p>The "girls are ugly:" This is just flat out wrong. There are 12000 students here. Suppose only 10% are hot: oh no...1200 hot chicks walking around, cry me a river... The volume of attractive people is so great that ratios don't matter. It's not like the hot people pair off and there will be none left for you. It's more like everyone make friends. One particularly attractive girl told me last night, "yea, he's a really nice guy," referring to the guy we had just been hanging out with for several hours. This guy was one who did not look like the type of guy your typical *****y, clique-ey, hot, HS girl would be hanging out with. Intelligence helps people transcend the boundaries of the physical and superficial.</p>
<p>It's :cold/rainy/snowey all year:" Right now the grass is dead because they've gotten a half an inch of rain all summer. We'll see if this holds out...:p</p>
<p>Theres "nothing to do:" more like theres no time. If you don't have a calander/datebook/PDA, you're EFFED. It's been nonstop meetings, parties, purchasing books, eating, sleeping, chillin', playing frisbee, etc. If I want something to do, I will be able to find it. There is SOO MUCH TO DO.</p>
<p>Cornell is "cutthroat:" Just shut up people, you haven't been here. Everyone is exceedingly nice. I have so many friends, friendly aquantences, or just people i don't know who I smile to when i'm walking through campus. How any of these people, who weren't cutthroat in HS, could suddenly become notestealing bookburning gunslinging (kidding!) psychos who want to push you into the gorge, is beyond me. Just, shut up, yea, everyone is nice. :)</p>
<p>You "will commit suicide:" just how ****ed up would you have to be do that? (sorry for being insensitive, I actually understand how it's possible) But if you're level headed now you'll be ok. Theres actually a really good support system i've been made aware of in just a few days. First off, you've got your friends. We look out for each other. one will obviously notice if another is shutting out the world etc. I already had to get a (very drunk) girl to self-hypnotize/meditate when she was hyperventilating. There was someone there to give me a bag later in the evening when i wasn't feeling so good. You get the point. Even now, people are already more than eager to help each other. Theres also the Tatkon Center, which has easy counseling services, even anonymous stuff. Also, you have your academic advisor...mine is really kind and nurturing and friendly, even after I slept through our scheduled meeting and had to reschedule. This woman couldn't be anything closer to a mom. Her job is to help you get through the department requirements, but it is also to be some ears for when you come in completely wrecked from getting behind in your work halfway through the semester.</p>
<p>Cornell is a "safety school:" yes, it is true there are many students here who wanted to go to somewhere else. There are also many ED students. some things they have in common: they're all incredibly smart; they all love cornell now that they're here. This place reminds me of something called CTY but 30 times bigger. CTY was "nerd camp:" many of the kids were cool though. You get in by scoring high on your SAT in, get this, 7th and 8th grade haha. but yeah, that's the level of intelligence I see here.</p>
<p>I love cornell guys...I thought I did before, but I didn't know a thing...</p>