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Colleges and Universities A-Z Cornell University
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<p>My retrospective analysis of orientation week, presented in the form of "why cornell sucks!" :p</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>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>The 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>The 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>The 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>

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<p>Believe it or not, it'll only get better from here on out... I'm totally jealous of the journey that you have just barely started.</p>

<p>Wharf</p>

<p>GO BIG RED!</p>

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<p>rock on! i agree with everything. I can't imagine being as happy at any other place. Forget HYP, go Big Red!!</p>

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<p>i can't wait to apply!:)</p>

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<p>great post sparticus......thanks for taking the time out to let everyone know how awesome Cornell is</p>

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<p>That was so perfect Spar!!! I LOVE THIS PLACE! All the professors I have met so far have made me excited for classes to start today.. and there's already 3 frat parties on Friday to choose from. :) Great balance, right? Plus there's tons of stuff to do on campus from the free movies (at least for orientation week) to listening to one of the amazing choral groups to "Sex Signals" seminars. I truly cannot say enough good things about Cornell.</p>

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<p>"The Cornell is a "safety school""</p>

<p>Yes but for my stats, itll be my top choice LOL</p>

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<p>Hey there Spar. . . .sounds about right.</p>

<p>I still haven't run into you yet, hope to see you around.</p>

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<p>I noticed that they are doing A LOT to make sure kids are not competing against each other and instead against themselves. For instance, there is the "study group" for engineers, led by a professor, that gives academic credit for working TOGETHER to solve problems. My Computer Science course (100 M) is NOT graded on a curve, and the professor is incredibly nice and is, quote, "fully prepared to give EVERY student who does A work an A. There is no quota."</p>

<p>These are instances in the engineering school (which I feel closer to as a CAS physics major than my own school). I'm sure they are everywhere.</p>

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<p>how are the clubs at cornell? I'm specifically interested in Tae Kwon Do</p>

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<p>For whom can Cornell be considered a safety school?</p>

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<p>Clubs In General: there are over 12000 undergrads here, there are more clubs than at most schools, especially schools of cornell's academic calibur. Clubs chalk the sidewalks to announce meetings...i'll just leave you with this: it seems as though they're running out of space on north campus (where the freshmen live) to chalk...</p>

<p>I'm on the taekwondo team; practice starts friday. I will be sure to fill you in. The team is awesome I hear; one of the best collegiate teams around.</p>

<p>Cornell can be considered a safety school for nobody, but it can be considered a backup/level type school for people who want to go to HPY and the a few of the other "bubbles resting on top of the cream."</p>

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<p>I am also a freshman, and I completely agree with everything Sparticus said. Well put!</p>

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<p>Go Big Red... and about CTY: Yeah I've been to that for 2 years (in 2000 and 2002), at the Lancaster site. It's Johns Hopkins University's Center for Talented Youth (entrance based on SAT scores in say 8th grade)</p>

<p>I can't wait to apply!</p>

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<p>ok... i am ready to get flame like hell.. because i am going to make few complaints about cornell... </p>

<p>first... there is nothing to do... parties? all the nothing-to-do schools have parties and thats the only thing they have.. trust me.. i am a transfer student and i know what a nothing-to-do school is like.. i know there are a lot of club meeting coming.. but there is no place(as far as i know) to look for them except those on the sidewalk... </p>

<p>second.. omg.. isnt the room small for you guys? except the people who got into a single... and the laundry is expensive.. at least compare to my old college... </p>

<p>third.. ok.. not really a problem.. 2gb bandwidth limit.. but it would be nice if they dont have a limit like that.. </p>

<p>everything else is cool here... yea... there are pretty girls around here..</p>

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<p>if you're bored it's your own fault. There's over 500 student organizations. I've only joined the cycling team and i've already booked up my next several weekend with rides and races.</p>

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<p>I'm busy as h***, and I haven't even had time to look into the party scene. The physics 116 class looks ridiculously scary (the textbook that takes out half of MIT advanced freshman physics is no longer acceptable here at Cornell for that class :s) </p>

<p>There are a lot of really nice and seemingly expensive opportunites for fun here. I am calling all my friends at other schools and am bragging. Needless to say, that can't come close to topping me, inside or out of the classroom, in their experience so far.</p>

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<p>Ti83, the experience is what you make it; you can definitely find things to do if you try. I don't know how you've had the time to be bored, I've been busy every day, like jerew said...just not too busy to party, but busy until dinner time.</p>

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<p>Half way through the semester you might not thing Cornell isnt cutthroat. Things get hectic...you've only had two days of classes so how can you really tell?</p>

<p>And, yes the girls arent that attractive...its more or less a fact.</p>

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<p>The RSO office in Willard Straight has information about every club. Go there, find information about the club or activity you are interested in, then contact someone in it to find out how to get involved.</p>

<p>If you rely on the sidewalk chalkings then you are screwed.</p>