Student Profile
Caroline
- Class: Alum
- Major: Chemistry
- Gender: F
- High School:
- Transfer Student: N
Big Picture
I think URI is a great size and it has a lot of great qualities. I could walk around campus at 2am and not feel like anyone was going to come after me and the people are very friendly. When I tell people I go to URI they get very jealous because they know how close it is to the beach... something URI students love and take advantage of. The one thing I'd change is the fact that it's a dry campus. I dont party much but since its a dry campus there are more accidents and problems with students drinking because they have to go off campus to do so. There is however a lot of school pride. We have a Rhody cheer that everyone yells at the sports games and on the quad or at one of URI's many school events. Though I am transferring from URI, I will always remember the great people I met there. Everyone is very friendly and its easy to make friends and have fun. Springfest week was the best time during the year... there were concerts or movies every night and events during the day like "mocktails" and a thing where you could make personal signs... it was a lot of fun.
Academic Life
Since I was a chemistry major I had a very small class which was nice because it was very close knit and we all became good friends. I wouldnt say students are competitive as much as they are willing to work together so they can all do well and there are a lot of resources around campus for help or tutoring as well. My psych class was about 800 people but the way the school breaks it up for recitations once a week still made it easy to have a one on one experience with a teacher. All of my classes encourages participation and sometimes it was even a decent part of the grade because the teachers felt it was very important and it helped them know whether or not everyone was understanding them . Another way they do this is by spending time outside of the classroom. I found it VERY easy to meet with professors outside of class. They were very helpful and encouraged students to come to their office without hesitation. I really enjoyed having this quality in my teachers and it showed me that the school really focuses on learning.
Student Body
If you dont like to party, dont go to URI. It is very difficult to find other students who dont like to party which is something I encountered...However, URI is great for sports, the beach, friendly interactions. It is very easy to meet people especially in your first year because everyone is excited for their first year at college. Everyone dresses comfortably and you never feel like you are being judged for what you look like or what you are interested in... differences are definately appreciated. URI encourages diversity a lot which is part of what makes the campus so comfortable. Everyone comes from different financial backgrounds. I never even found it an issue. I have no idea whether my closest friends there were rich or poor... it really doesnt make a difference at URI. Pretty much everyone is from Rhode Island but there are a lot of people from New Jersey and Massachusetts as well. Things such as politics and money arent discussed much at URI which I found nice because students are focused on their aspirations and living in the current moment to learn rather than trying to please people. Voting is definately encouraged though and the importance of government is noticed it just isnt really common in general conversation.
The Best Things
The campus because its gorgeous and the people you meet, because everyone is friendly and eager to meet people
