Do University of Chicago students have any fun?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So where would a kid who wouldn't be caught dead at a football game and thinks kids who drink and smoke pot are losers fit in for college?

Teach your kid to be less judgmental; he/she will be happier in college and in life.

+1. Plenty of room in the bottom level of the library for the insufferable.

NP, but my kid is the same way (didn't get it from me; I had fun drinking in college and love team sports!). Was assuming they'd be best off at a smaller liberal arts school... without a football team.

Meh. My kid is nerdy and doesn’t like to drink, but he was raised to be a much nicer and less judgmental person than to call people “losers” if they make different choices than him. The vast majority of college students drink and or do drugs...if they’re all losers to your (PP’s) kid, then he’s going to have a really hard time in college and professionally.

I think there's a lot of fear-based, defensive posturing among teens. This "holier-than-thou embracing my nerd-ness" attitude will likely slough off by freshman spring as he/she has more interactions with real people rather than imagined "losers." Hopefully.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:i've heard from so many peers the bad rap U of Chicago has as the place fun goes to die. Is this still true? My DS is interested but also wants a fun college experience...

My friend who went to U of C says she had fun there. It was geeky, nerdy fun, but fun.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So where would a kid who wouldn't be caught dead at a football game and thinks kids who drink and smoke pot are losers fit in for college?

Teach your kid to be less judgmental; he/she will be happier in college and in life.

+1. Plenty of room in the bottom level of the library for the insufferable.

NP, but my kid is the same way (didn't get it from me; I had fun drinking in college and love team sports!). Was assuming they'd be best off at a smaller liberal arts school... without a football team.

Your kid thinks you’re a loser?

We are talking about teenagers here. Of course they do!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So where would a kid who wouldn't be caught dead at a football game and thinks kids who drink and smoke pot are losers fit in for college?

Teach your kid to be less judgmental; he/she will be happier in college and in life.

+1. Plenty of room in the bottom level of the library for the insufferable.

NP, but my kid is the same way (didn't get it from me; I had fun drinking in college and love team sports!). Was assuming they'd be best off at a smaller liberal arts school... without a football team.

Meh. My kid is nerdy and doesn’t like to drink, but he was raised to be a much nicer and less judgmental person than to call people “losers” if they make different choices than him. The vast majority of college students drink and or do drugs...if they’re all losers to your (PP’s) kid, then he’s going to have a really hard time in college and professionally.

Well said.

No, it isn't actually. These are teenagers, and while we may object to the language of the age (the partiers use far worse words to describe the straight laced kids, of course), the important point is that the actual judgement being made is that getting high and partying is not OK, and if they are strong enough in character to avoid the pressure to join in and are turned off by the kids who engage in that behavior, they are not going to have a hard time in college or professional life. They'll be fine.

[Anonymous]

The concept of nerdiness is overblown, IMO. 15 years ago, yes, very nerdy. The school changed in terms of a much more striver, pre-professional, far less intellectual vibe, so now the student base/experience seems to be much more like any other top 20 school. Really quite a loss.

[Anonymous]

There’s that weird “striver” word. Usually accompanies a dumb post. Yep, confirmed.

[Anonymous]

DC parties every night from Wednesday night to Saturday night.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There’s that weird “striver” word. Usually accompanies a dumb post. Yep, confirmed.

At least for your post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s that weird “striver” word. Usually accompanies a dumb post. Yep, confirmed.

At least for your post.

~crickets~

[Anonymous]

Son in law graduated from there. It is a very miserable, no fun, high pressured place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My child is there. So far very happy. But this is a smart, bookish kid who enjoys studying and learning- not frat parties or football games. Spends free time goin to films, museums, hanging out with like minded friends. Not a school for everyone. But perfect school for the right kid.

This

[Anonymous]

I went to U of C. That's not true. It's definitely a fun and interesting place, but it's not even close to a party school if that's what you're asking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child is there. So far very happy. But this is a smart, bookish kid who enjoys studying and learning- not frat parties or football games. Spends free time goin to films, museums, hanging out with like minded friends. Not a school for everyone. But perfect school for the right kid.

This

Either this is a meaningless statement (e.g. for every school, there is some kid who will find it perfect) and/or it begs the crucial questions (how many such kids/what profile). Abstractly, my kid (PhD bound, academically well-rounded and there for (rather than despite) the Core, appreciative of the undergrad cohort (smart, serious, friendly, interesting), engaged in a wide range of activities) is the right kid for UofC. But DC would be the first to tell you that the school is not perfect. Lots of undergrads feel really oppressed/pressured/depressed. DC is generally not one of them, but being surrounded by smart/serious/nice/interesting/engaged people who are routinely depressed and/or freaking out (and doing so in an environment where mental health services are relatively scarce and not very good) creates an environment that falls far short of perfection. UChicago can be a soul-crushing experience even for kids who came in as joyful nerds. This is DC’s perspective from the vantage point of 4th year. First year, DC’s reaction was “this is great!” but arguably “this” was college and the city of Chicago rather than the University per se.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My child is there. So far very happy. But this is a smart, bookish kid who enjoys studying and learning- not frat parties or football games. Spends free time goin to films, museums, hanging out with like minded friends. Not a school for everyone. But perfect school for the right kid.

Not a school for everyone. But perfect school for the right kid? It's more difficult to get into than most Ivy colleges.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nah. I went to a lacrosse game in sideways rain/sleet/snow. I was frozen solid but the crowd was pretty big and very enthusiastic, if extremely nerdy. Lots of laughter in the dining hall/cafe where we ate (I think it was a Pret a Manger). It isn’t at all like a big ten school but the kids we saw seemed happy. We also heard some of them discussing a 13th century poet, so there’s that.

Ironic, considering they used to be a Big Ten school.

so you believe that there are folks who fondly remember that days when Chicago was a member of the Big 10? Hint: the university left the conference in 1946