<p>We have both the college of engineering and engineering technology here at RIT. Most major engineering degrees have an engineering and ET variety. From my understanding, the ET majors do a lot more hands-on work and don’t take the same kind of high-level coursework (linear algebra, university physics, multivariable calc) as regular engineers do. They specialize in hands-on experience. So if you feel that the coursework that comes with regular engineering would be difficult for you, ET isn’t a bad option.</p>
<p>I don’t know much about civil engineering specifically and the kinds of things that people need to know to be good at it. It does make sense that more experience is needed to be accredited, because the engineers are held to higher standards in college, so the ETs must be held to higher standards later. I am not familiar with how important accreditation is to job security in the field.</p>
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<li><p>I like the schedule, the teachers, the campus, the food choices, the atmosphere, the personality of the people, and the courseload. Of course, the schedule is changing to semesters in 2013 which many people aren’t too happy about here. I think the campus is beautiful and well maintained. It’s nice to be able to bring a car even as a freshmen, and we have pretty nice dorms as well.</p></li>
<li><p>I don’t really like the cold (although its better than the heat in my opinion). I also don’t like that the academic buildings are pretty far (5-15 mins) from the housing depending on where you live.</p></li>
<li><p>The meal plans are actually really nice. They are flexible, and there are food places scattered throughout campus. We have like 12 places to eat that take debit or meal options. Gracie’s isn’t bad but it gets old if you eat there too often.</p></li>
<li><p>Like i said, there are TONS of dining options on campus, but about 10 minutes away (walking) is Park Point, which has the campus bookstore as well as some other places to eat where you can pay with your RIT ID (with money you load yourself, not your meal plan money).</p></li>
<li><p>About 5 minutes down the main road is just about every store and restaurant you could think of. There is a large mall and its surrounded about a mile in every direction with department stores and restaurants. So if you wanted to go out and get food or shop, pretty much every store and restaurant chain you could think of is there. Further in towards the city there is even more to do.</p></li>
<li><p>I didn’t take engineering exploration, but I hear that the program here is good. It gives you a taste of the options while letting you take general classes that are required for all of them so you don’t get behind. Just FYI, I was also considering RIT and WPI. I overall liked RIT better for reasons I can’t really remember, it just clicked for me when I toured the campus. Plus I am studying Computer Engineering and here at RIT CE is it’s own department, unlike other colleges where it is part of Electrical Engineering.</p></li>
<li><p>We have a bus that runs friday and saturday nights into the city and kids go there and do things all the time. I don’t get into the city much myself but i hear there is lots to do.</p></li>
<li><p>I have a Toshiba personally. Compared to other campuses I have been to, RIT has a lot more Windows users compared to Mac users, at least in Engineering and Computing majors. As far as software goes, its a good idea to have office software. In the engineering program, the software you use is generally expensive so the school has it installed on the school machines and you use those. We have a VERY large number of computer labs on campus, and usually when you have a class where you need to do computer work the class is held in a room with computers.</p></li>
<li><p>Our co-op program is very strong. Everyone is required to take a co-op prep seminar where they explain to you the process and give you tips on how to get a job. There is a career fair every fall and spring where hundreds of companies come and meet students and some hold interviews as well. We also have an online website where employers post positions and you can apply with the click of a button. Usually your department also has relationships with companies and will send out emails with job opportunities often. We require 40-50 weeks of co-op for engineering majors, I am not sure how that is changing when we go to semesters. I am not sure of the requirements for other majors.</p></li>
<li><p>The campus is large but it is pretty easy to get around, and you learn where things are pretty quick. The tunnels can also be helpful when it is cold. They don’t connect everything but they do connect some key buildings, and also the dorms.</p></li>
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<p>Let me know if you have any other questions I am happy to help.</p>