Student Profile
Joe
- Class: Sophomore
- Major: Pre-Medical
- Gender: M
- High School: John Jay High School
- Transfer Student: Y
Big Picture
Syracuse is a very large, private, expensive, and amazing university! In my first year, I have experienced so much more than I probably ever would in high school and I am very grateful for the things I have learned along the way! The city of Syracuse is actually very different from the campus we live on. It is not the wealthiest of cities, nor the most well known; it is almost like two different worlds when being on campus versus "downtown". It is very nice, however, to step off campus and into the colorful avenues of the city, including: museums, restaurants (sushi is very popular), and nightlife.
Academic Life
For myself, I believe that you can learn more teaching yourself than going to class and falling asleep in the lecture halls. That isn't the case for every class, but for the majority of mine, I'd rather get an extra couple hours of sleep than to waste my time struggling to stay awake for a Chemistry slideshow (especially when the professors give you the powerpoints online!). If you are taking a very popular class, such as psychology or general biology, you will have a large lecture class, along with a recitation class which is held once a week with a teaching assistant ("TA"). These recitations are lifesavers if you are not understanding something being taught or if you need an another way of picking up your falling grade; usually recitations are 10% of your overall grade which helps a lot if you can do well in them. I cannot say for other students whether or not they are competitive, but for myself, I live on the competition! I strive to do better than others because, in the end, this is a competition to graduate with the higher GPA and the better resume. I believe Syracuse's academic requirements are very fair and realistic. The different colleges in the University are very structured and ordered, helping you in every way to reach your goal and getting the degree you desire. The education at Cuse, depending on the major or program you are in, is geared towards what you need in order to get a very good job but to also broaden student's awareness of all the different things they can learn and get out of their college education.
Student Body
I am gay and so I experience hate wherever I go. At Cuse, although there is a prominent gay population as well as organizations to help those in the LGBT community, there is still hate and discrimination. It is always guys, usually in fraternities that hold such hostility yet in order to grow, whatever environment you are in, you must hold your head up and look past their ignorance. As for any place you go, there is a wall between races. The black students at Cuse seem to congregate more on the South Campus- where apartments and sports facilities are located. They have many parties and if someone was to say we are going to a south party, you would immediately understand that it would probably be predominantly black and hispanic students attending. Who ever you are, if you come to Cuse, there will be a group of people that you click with and will have a good time with! There is such a large student body that there will be friends that you will go out with and party and get drunk with! Which, by the way, the parties at Cuse are AMAZINGGG!!!! Politically, Cuse is very diverse. I know that I am for the most part liberal, as are the majority of my friends- hey, i did say it is predominantly jewish! (okay that was a stereotype, but a true one at that!) There are those that are very religious and conservative but you just dont know who is who when you are having fun dancing and having a good time with eachother on the weekends-which, btw starts on thursdays ( and sometimes wednesdays: "wasted wednesdays").
The Best Things
Education/parties.
The Worst Things
Winter weather!!!!!
