Rochester Institute of Technology | Student Reviews | Best College

Student Profile

MeliMidland

Class: Sophomore
Major: Art/Art History
Gender: F

High School:
Transfer Student: N

Big Picture

The best thing about RIT is that everyone is friendly and warm. Its the nicest group of people I've ever been around, as well as the most helpful. I would like to change the student outlook on the school. For many people, its the place that everyone loves to hate. and the more you hate it, the more other people hate it. And when everyone talks negatively about RIT, its not going to help anyone. The people with school pride are fierce. They have extreme loyalty. Though, these people are few in number. It really goes back to how people react and feel about RIT in general. The school is rather huge, but everyone finds their niche in their department or a club. A big school doesn't always equal a little fish in a big pond scenario. When I tell people I go to RIT, I often get a blank look. Honestly, though, educated individuals who are doctors, lawyers and engineers know RIT, but average people don't. And when they do know, I'm usually asked if I'm an engineer. The art program is phenomenal, but few people know it exists. College town is being build right now. People stay on campus a lot, because there is always something to do. The administration is undergoing a process of change due to a new president. I haven't had much contact with them. The old president, and the new president have a forum online where students can ask questions, and both times I've asked, I've gotten a response from the president himself. Its a great way he makes himself available to us. People say the campus is ugly, but i think its beautiful, honestly. There's never any trash or garbage, but at the same time, you never see maintenance cleaning it up. I swear there are invisible elves.

Academic Life

My classes are rather small, so the professors know my name. My favorite professor has 2 sections of a class with about 100 student each, and she knew everyone by name within the first 2 weeks of class. If your professor doesn't know you, its the students fault for blending into the crowd. My least favorite class was called "Creative Sources". The idea behind the class was great, but the professor was terrible (since then, she was fired). Some students are competitive, it all depends on the person. Personally, I freaked out when my GPA went down .1 whereas others are fine with C grades. The two most unique class have been dimensional illustration where we made paper sculpture and clay figures to illustrate topics that were up to interpretation, or contemporary drawing where we draw what we feel, such as "swirls of love". I still have 8 more classes of that, so I'm not sure what to expect. The professors are usually open to meet with student after class, though sometimes they need prodding. When they find the time, or respond to a students urging, they are usually helpful. RIT is aimed right at getting a job. Knowledge for knowledge's sake is a foreign idea.

Student Body

I'm the president of the Hillel, the jewish club on campus. We've yet to encounter direct anti-Semitism, and are currently planning programs with groups of other faiths. Campus Crusade for Christ and the Inter-varsity Christian Fellowship are really eager to have joint programs with us in the coming weeks. The GBLT club is fairly large and they have a lot of campus events. The notoriously hated group is the socialists. Even people who align themselves as socialists politically hate them. I've witnessed them steal money (anti socialist idea, isn't it?) The distribute fliers saying how Israelis are evil, and scream across campus. Infamous nut jobs. Most students are from the North East, though there is a large international and national population. People come from anywhere and everywhere. People range is economic status. One friend is the daughter of an immigrant from mexico where the source of money is a mother who makes five dollars an hour and live in a trailer. Another friend is the son of a prominent NYC lawyer and doctor with a house on Park Ave, NYC and a summer house in the Hamptons. Its a wide range here.