<p>The cost of the commuter dining plan for the current semester is $465.</p>
<p>All the yack about the snow in Rochester is just too funny. </p>
<p>This Saturday the mid-Atlantic states are going to get another 12+ inches. Soon we’ll be talking about the Chesapeake Bay effect here in DC…</p>
<p>I’d offer some more thoughts, but I gotta get to the store soon or all the milk and TP will be gone from the shelves!</p>
<p>Everyone knows that U of R is one of the most prestigious research universities in the country. Everyone knows that the U of R is typically ranked in the top 50 best colleges in the United States. Academically, this is one of the best places you can go. With a student to faculty ratio of 9:1, everyone has a chance to meet their professor proving you are not just a number here.</p>
<p>I think Rochester has something else to be proud of - Student Life!!!</p>
<p>I just graduated from the U of R last May, and the best part about being here was certainly the Student Life. Over 230 clubs are available (<a href=“https://sa.rochester.edu/clubs/index.php[/url]”>https://sa.rochester.edu/clubs/index.php</a>) with everything from Student Government, Athletic Club Teams, Dance Groups, A Capella Groups, Improv Comedy, Political Groups, Academic Councils in every subject, Community Service Groups, Fraternity/Sorority groups… the list goes on and on. With only 4,500 undergrads here, it is amazing to have over 230 clubs to join on campus.</p>
<p>Opportunities to be involved in groups outside of your freshman hall are visible everywhere! Many of these opportunities can lead to leadership positions and therefore resume builders!</p>
<p>Sure, there comes a time to study, but U of R students know how to have fun too. Here’s a few things that I did to have fun outside of the classroom…</p>
<p>Music: Concerts at the Eastman School of Music! It is one of the greatest music schools in the world. The U of R also has a fall and a spring concert on the main River Campus, I always went to them (as well as attending concerts at other nearby schools)! Played guitar / drums / trumpet at open mic nights. Performed at UR Idol (The U of R’s version of American Idol). Big bands such as Guster, Dave Matthews Band, Motion City Soundtrack, Third Eye Blind, All-American Rejects, Ben Folds, Dashboard Confessional, and others have played on campus or nearby over the last 4 years.</p>
<p>Athletics: I played on 5 intramural sports teams! Ultimate Frisbee, Soccer, Basketball, Flag Football, Floor hockey (there is volleyball too, but I never joined a team)! This a great thing to do with your freshman hallmates!!! I also played Varsity Tennis / ran XC and Track. I went to all varsity sporting events at least once! Going with your friends to basketball / soccer games is a must. Supporting the other teams was always fun too because all our sports are competitive and usually ranked nationally in Division III. Our Division I squash team is currently 4th in the nation!</p>
<p>Also, I would typically play sports at Fauver Stadium 2-3 nights a week with friends at night. They have the field lit well enough to play snow soccer / touch football all winter long in the snow! This is one of the nicest outdoor sports venues for Div. III in the country.</p>
<p>When I wasn’t on Fauver, I was in the Goergan Athletic center. The gym is awesome, you see so many students working out, everyone from the casual stretcher, the jogger, to the jacked body builder, everyone is welcome and there are SO MANY machines and treadmills!!! There is a lot of available court space to play everything from badminton to dodge ball in the athletic center. </p>
<p>Student Government: Class Council / Senate involvement helped me shape the undergraduate experience for my classmates. I planned events to minor league sporting games in downtown Rochester. Rochester is one of the most active minor league sports communities in the United States - baseball (Twins farmteam), basketball (ABA), football, hockey (Florida Panthers farmteam), lacrosse, soccer, etc. Planned school spirit events to attend U of R sporting games too. The Buffalo Bills, Buffalo Sabres, and all the opponents they face are only an hour’s drive away too if you like watching live NFL & NHL games.</p>
<p>Rochester area fun: The night life is pretty amazing. Bar nights for Juniors and Seniors are very popular. For freshman, the Frat Quad is also a fun outlet. There were days in the early fall and late spring when I would go up to Lake Ontario and hang out on the beach! (Yes, Rochester has a lot of beaches!!!) The Genesee Valley Park is a great place to study/unwind. It is adjacent to the campus (due south), and was designed by the same man who created Central Park in Manhattan, NYC. We also live near Bristol Ski Mountain, Niagara Falls, and Letchworth State Park - home of the “Grand Canyon of the East”. Rochester is a beautiful area. Getting off campus is easy with our free shuttle bus system.</p>
<p>I also loved going to Park Avenue, a street with tons and tons of restaurants near downtown. 2 local malls have everything you could ever need and are also just a shuttle bus away.</p>
<p>There are other local parks are fun to hang out in too… I cross country ski in Mendon Ponds Park and Highland Park. Highland park is right next to campus, Mendon is a 20 minute drive away. Highland Park also hosts the Lilac Festival in the spring and is absolutely amazing. Rochester is the city of Festivals, and they occur all year long.</p>
<p>Traditions: The main ones to know and care about…
Yellowjacket weekend (Labor day) - Go to the Soccer games!!! Go to the Activities Fair to sign up for Clubs and Activities!!!</p>
<p>Meliora Weekend (Oct) - We had STEPHEN COLBERT and Anderson Cooper my senior year. We’ve also had comedians Lewis Black, B.J. Novak (The Office), and Zach Galifianakis (The Hangover). We even had Kip and Pedro from Napolean Dynamite!</p>
<p>Winterfest Weekend (Jan) - GO TO THE BASKETBALL GAMES!!! Horse-drawn sleigh rides, fire pits on the quad with 'smore making supplies, pretty white lights on campus.</p>
<p>Dandelion Day (April) - The last chance for everyone to unwind before finals… Usually has an outdoor concert associated with it. This is a day you will not forget.</p>
<p>The University of Rochester campus is beautiful. The brick buildings coated with ivy give it the collegiate feel. Campus is very safe and getting off campus is very easy.</p>
<p>You will absolutely love your time here!</p>
<p>I have so much else to say but I think I’ve written too much!</p>
<p>Thanks for the post.</p>