Rochester Institute of Technology | Student Reviews | Best College

Student Profile

Daniella

Class: Senior
Major: Film
Gender: F

High School: Southern Regional High School
Transfer Student: N

Big Picture

When I tell people I go to RIT, I get mixed reactions. Some people say, "Oh, cool! I had a [friend/relative] go there!" Others say, "Oh, where's that?" Once I say "...Institute of Technology" they assume I'm a tech person or an engineer. I'm technically an artist. I personally like the campus. Other students are tired of all the brick and like other campuses better, but I like the enclosed campus we have. Everything is together on one campus. If you live on campus you don't have to drive to class. I spend most of the time in the library, the labs, or the gym. If the weather is ever nice, I'll sit outside. I have a lot of friends, and sometimes we'll just sit around and discuss whatever.

Academic Life

The smaller departments will have more personalization than the larger departments. A lot of professors will take the time to know their students' names, especially if they have more than one class with that student. Most of the time a student needs to make an effort to get recognized in his or her department. Answering questions in class or turning in unique work will sometimes get one noticed. I am in the School of Film and Animation in the College of Imaging Arts and Sciences. There are not a lot of students in our degree, so the professors know most of us by name. Most of the classes are small and hands-on, so the professors will recognize students by their work as well. Rarely do I see professors outside of class, but most of them are adjunct, so you rarely see them. Most have office hours where you can pop in and just say "hi" or ask a question about an assignment (even if it's for another class).

Student Body

RIT has a very diverse campus. There are deaf and hard-of-hearing students from NTID. There are many international students. Most students come from New England or the mid-Atlantic states, but I know students from Washington state, Alaska, Texas, and Florida. I also know many students from out of the country who come here in the international program. One of the great things about RIT is that nobody could really feel out of place. We have groups and organizations that cater to every student, whether it be Dungeons & Dragons, martial arts, fencing, video games, academics, sports, Greek life--the list goes on. Most students don't care about what they wear to class, as long as it's warm. The weather here does not really allow for fashion, so nobody cares. The most noticeable thing to wear is shorts and flip-flops when it's 20 degrees and snowing. That will draw attention. A lot of students will wear clothes sporting their organizations on campus, such as fraternities, sororities, and special-interest groups.