I was recently admitted to both the University of Florida and the Georgia Institute of Technology. However, I don’t know which to choose. I plan on majoring in Chemical Engineering, so academically, GT is the obvious choice (6th in the US). However, the UF engineering dept. is highly acclaimed as well.
I’m at a crossroads with what seems to be the balance of social life vs. academics. While GT has so much to offer academically, especially being in a hub like Atlanta, the notoriusness and infamousity of its extreme workloads and high stress levels are undoubtedly intimidating. And while it may be scornful to some that I’m adding the weight of partying and girls to my college decision, the “college experience” is something I do desire. At the end of the day, I just want to know whether a decision to enroll in GT will be a major regret of mine; I don’t just want to do “school” for the next 4 years. The balance of a very fun social life and academics offered by UF is enticing, but so is the career trajectory and intellectual challenge offered by Tech.
HELPPPP
Speaking as a Gator, while at college, the most fun I ever had was at a GT party.
You’ll find the workload in ChemE is about the same at UF and GT, but check out the curriculum to see if you have a preference of one over the other. In general, since both are ABET accredited programs, you’ll find that the BS curriculum will be very similar.
Urban vs. College Town, you’ll need to determine which is more appealing.
While UF has a far better ratio of females to males; Atlanta does have several other colleges. In fact my cousin, who graduated from Tech, met his wife while she was a student at Agnes Scott.
Whatever college you choose, make sure you join a few clubs as a freshman. Get engaged with campus, makes some friends and find your tribe. Don’t take too many classes your first semester, and have some fun.
Good Luck!
I am currently in electrical engineering at UF. I have to tell you that I absolutely HATE this school. Apparently, a lot of people love it, but I have no idea why. They must be papers, which I am not. I always got high grades in math and physics, until I made the mistake of coming to this swamp.
No one wants to help you learn here. UF is on a big push to become a top ten school, so many of the professors are focused on research and don’t make much time for students. My experience is that the professors at UF chuck a textbook at you and tell you to go learn the material because there will be a test in 2 weeks. No assigned homework/practice problems, and very little interest in the success of students. Excuse me?? I am paying for this education! I can sit at home and read a textbook, and learn all of this stuff for free, without the headache, if I want to! I PAID you to teach me because I thought it would make it a much more efficient experience. Looks like I’m the fool.
Furthermore, it seems that, at UF, the most mundane of tasks is always EXCESSIVELY difficult. For instance, I have to click through like 13 pages online to get to my lectures, to obtain my exams, I am expected to go to some other building I’ve never been to and find some TA whom I’ve never met, between certain hours, on a day when I’m not even necessarily on campus. Why can’t you just being the exams to class and have the TAs hand them out? It’s not THAT big of a class! Many regular assignments (i.e. weekly quizzes, etc) are due on the same day reach week, but at a different time - WTF? Just to be pricks, I guess. Apparently, making my life extra difficult is their goal here. They love to add stress just for the sake of adding stress and then tell you that in the real world, there will be deadlines to meet, so you’d better get used to it. That is no help at all to me. I neither need nor want that kind of treatment. In another class, the exam is given sometimes from 8-10 at night. Usually on a Friday, no less (the next one is at 7:30 am). Also, scratch passport for a Statics exam is not provided, and you must use green engineering paper for that. Oops, did I not announce that? I must have left it of of the list of things to bring to the exam in the lecture yesterday. Oh well, “Make a friend!” is exactly what we were told when at the exam.
The Circuits 1 lab TA often flat out REFUSES to answer my questions, then complains when half of the class can’t finish the lab in the 3-hr time allotted. It certainly is NOT an environment that facilitates learning. Are you starting to see the pattern? I’m getting ready to leave this loser of a communist school and go some place where there is a higher faculty-to-student ratio.
Also, going full time for an engineering degree will not be very conducive to having any kind of social life. Good luck man!
Apparently, UF isn’t for everyone. X_X