The life of the mind is alive and well

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Chicago ✅
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<p>S called and told us how he spent a weekend night last night. (He does not have classes on Friday, so Thursday night is a weekend night). He had a writer's block, so around 8 PM, he went to the apartment of the Residential Head (or master?) - the faculty who lives in the dorm in an apartment. He stayed there till 1 AM. </p>

<p>For five hours, they read together, discussed things, and talked. S likes this faculty a lot and seems to spend a great deal of time with him - visiting him in his apartment in evenings, at the dining hall having meals together, etc. S has always been a voracious reader (he even reads computer game manuals cover to cover). But, he said, he realized he did not know how to "REALLY READ" until now. Spending much time with this faculty, he realizes that he is now learning how to truly read, and is delighted with this learning experience. </p>

<p>Mind you, he is the "dreaded pre-professional careerist" who wants to join the Wall Street straight out of college, and is not living like an ascetic monk either: one weekend, he called and said he suffered from a giant hangover all weekend. But, the fact that he can party all weekend one week, and then spend the whole weekend evening discussing reading, writing, and other "life of the mind" things with a faculty is amazing and wonderful. The fact that he can move effortlessly among a group of friends (some of them rowdy), and adults who engage him in a highly intellectual manner is beautiful.</p>

<p>I am sure not every kid seeks out a faculty and does a "communal life of the mind thing" with him, but the fact that the opportunity is there for those who are interested is truly a blessing. S says he still wants to remain an "unrepentant capitalist", but having the opportunity to explore great intellectual legacies of the world is priceless. He says, when he has his own kids, he would like to send them to a place where they can get education for the sake of education. </p>

<p>So, those of you who are afraid of the potential eventuality of having too many careerists around on campus and thus diluting the "life of the mind" purity, not to worry: even those can be initiated into the life of the mind cult ;) After all, the society will have the careerist and politicians anyway. Wouldn't you rather have them educated in a place like Chicago so that we have people in power with more nuanced, sophisticated, scientific, and intellectual view of the world, rather than those who believe global warming has nothing to do with human activities?</p>

<p>I don't know what it is like on other campuses, but I have a vague suspicion that it's more likely at Chicago that S found this combination. I am a happy parent.</p>

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<p>That’s great :-). You are a happy parent, I am a happy applicant.</p>

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<p>Wow, that sounds exactly like what I’ve been picturing. :D</p>

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<p>hyeonjlee: S1 went to Chicago with a pre-med focus, but has now abandoned that ambition for a more academic/intellectual career (unfortunately he had already finished most of the pre-med requirements before coming to this conclusion), so there is still hope for your son. :)</p>

<p>Kidding aside, S1 reports many such experience and now that he is a 4th year he is really beginning to fully appreciate his Chicago education.</p>

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<p>Thank you!!I really appreciate your showcasing your children’s enjoying their time in UofC!Some of my acquaintances are trying to tell me ,“You will find no fun there.”
But oh well,I don’t think that will be true.It all depends on how to define ‘fun’. XD</p>

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<p>gatitaz,</p>

<p>Hardcore party animals whose number one goal for college life is to have wild fun will not find U Chicago the most attractive place, for sure. But any kid who is good enough, worked hard enough during high school year, and focused enough for future plans to quality for top 10 level schools will have a plenty of fun in Chicago (at least it appears so based on what I am hearing from my son). </p>

<p>The whole “where fun comes to die” meme is getting quite old: it think it’s really in the realm of “urban myth” by now. It may have had a semblance of truth until some 10-15 years ago, but certainly does not appear to apply to the current scene. The current students (who seem to be of different make than their counterpart as a whole in the past) seem to wear it like a badge of honor and use it like a secret handshake of a gang member :wink: for the effect it has on unsuspecting outsiders. </p>

<p>You might want to check the posts on this board by Cue7 who was there during the 90’s where the “fun comes to die” may have been more applicable, and he acknowledges that Chicago seems to be a very different place now with a great balance between “fun” and serious intellectual pursuits.</p>

<p>As for me, I do take the “peer effect” phenomenon very seriously, and that’s why I wholeheartedly supported the idea of S going to U Chicago paying full tuition when he had an option of a full ride from another good school. </p>

<p>I noticed you are in China. I don’t know whether you are a Chinese or an expat, or whether you are a parent or a student, but here is a famous story I am always reminded of.</p>

<p>There was an ancient Chinese scholar. His mother (a widow) moved her family three times. First, they moved to a neighborhood where most of the people were working, one way or the other, in the funeral business. Soon enough, she noticed that her son was spending most of his time mimicking the funeral wails and other such antics. So, she moved her family to a new neighborhood. This time, most of the residents were merchants. Again, soon enough, her soon started to mimic the hollering of the merchants looking for customers. Again, she moved. This new neighborhood was full of scholars. There, her son started to emulate the behaviors he saw around. He grew up to be one of the most influential scholars, not only during his life time, and not only in China, but for hundreds of years and through out the whole region.</p>

<p>Your neighbors do matter. They matter even more for kids 18-22 who are away from home for the first time and spending all of their time in a modern version of a cloister (called dorms) in each other’s company. If you/your child have/has in you/him/her a desire to learn and to cultivate your/his/her intellect, while having the youthful fun at the same time (not the “extreme” version), U Chicago will be a terrific place. As for my son, he made it clear that as much as he wants to have all the “fun” he can have, he can’t really stand to be in an environment where intelligent conversation is not the norm. He is happy there.</p>

<p>Good luck!!!</p>

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<p>hyeonjlee </p>

<p>Sorry that I just looked back and found your reply!!(I will come back with a longer reply,as it’s getting late here :stuck_out_tongue: )
Thank you so much for your detailed rationale(sorry if I have the wrong usage of this word here,but I mean nothing bad XD)!And the story of Mencius’s Mother has the strong ethos and pathos to me,especially as I am a Chinese student.Glad that you said this little ancient touching yet educational story has its influence spread beyond China to the whole region. (Handshake!)
As an applicant,I shall say I feel no regret that I applied to U Chicago by all my research on the school and by reading your post about your real life experience. Also,the first talk with an alumnus(during the interview) shed more light on my understanding the atmosphere of the school.And luckily,I feel it is a place I would love to go to for its intellectual inspiration if I am fortunate enough to get in!(Now let me keep my fingers crossed on this.)
Again,I appreciate your sharing your son’s experience.I also wish your kid the BEST in school.And I have to say,you are a great parent!=)</p>

<p>Have a good one!!</p>