MizView

Introduction
Academics. Everything at CMU revolves around academics so if you decide to spend four years of your life here be prepared to study for four years. It seems that there aren't many activities around campus, besides the weak athletic programs, that don't promote academics and studying. I chose CMU because of the vast opportunities in different fields, its resources around Pittsburgh, and the career opportunities after graduation. If you are a person who requires a regular social life and yearns for a party every week or every other week, CMU is not the place for you. A relaxing party after a long week of hard work does not exist here.

Campus Life and Social Life
Social life seems to be restricted to the first few weeks of each semester during rush when fraternities hold events. The rest of the year is hit and miss, with an occasional party here and there but definitely not on a regular basis. Unless you have a lot of friends at the University of Pittsburgh, your weekends may not consist of a large social scene.

Sports are not CMU's strong point. Even when we have great varsity teams, the student body is usually unaware and uninterested. Intramural sports can be fun though--and there are a lot of them. Plenty of clubs and organizations can keep you occupied, but again, a lot of them are centered around CMU's academic aspect. Academics
Classes are tough. Every school requires you to put in a good amount of effort. Trust me, I've been in four of the seven colleges at CMU. Then again, if you were accepted into CMU, you should be able to handle the work. From my experience, biology, psychology, mechanical engineering, and business have offered pretty good courses with good professors while physics, math, philosophy, and electrical engineering have not done the same. Most professors and TAs are good resources outside the classroom and are usually available because they only teach one or two classes per semester.

Student Body
The typical student at CMU is focused on academics but is eager to skip a class or two frequently. Most seek help in one form or another in many of their classes and help is usually available--you just have to know where to look for it. The majority of students are members of one or two organizations that are usually a mix of an intramural team and an extracurricular club.

In Closing...
If you can't stand rainy days, CMU is not for you. It rains here a lot. If it's not raining, chances are that it's cloudy or cold. Be aware of the weather in Pittsburgh before you make any final decisions. Weather can be a big factor in something like this.