University Of Chicago

University of Chicago is not only a great academic institution, but it is also a great destination for art and architecture lovers, see the Smart Museum, Robie House and countless others. There is a lot of history surrounding the campus including the World’s Columbian Exposition.

University of Chicago is by all means a wonderful institution. I’m definitely enjoying a lot of the courses I’m taking, such as “Hurricane Katrina and American Politics” and “Genocide After WWII.” Classes are, depending on how careful you are about registering, very good.

Of course, the UofC is also famous for its Core Curriculum. When I was a first year, it was a great guiding template. However, after that, I pretty much knew what I wanted to do so I found the Core to be tedious and quite stupid; many courses I had to take to simply fulfill the general education requirement lowered my GPA for example.

Now, add all of that to the nonexistent social life and things get messy. The campus is pretty much dead in terms of debauchery. I pretty much escape Hyde Park into the city to enjoy life!

I went to college at University of Chicago for my undergraduate degree. I loved the Field Museum (has a free day every week) and the Lincoln Park Zoo (always free). I would get up early and bike by Lake Michigan with the birds. It is very windy and cold in winter but I like that. It helped me study for very long periods of time since getting around and having fun always meant exposure to the bone chilling weather. Crime was high on the sounth side, I’d always wonder if my car would be where I left it. A few times it had been “tampered” with but not badly. A few time I was even “harassed.” I even saw a gun bandied about. The take out and fastfood (even Wendy’s) have bullet proof glass. Even so, there is something smart, kind and friendly about the people in Chicago. People laugh out loud at each other in the street. The ribs and fried chicken were oddly fantastic and disgusting at the same time. The bookstores in Hyde Park are better than any I’ve ever been to anywhere else. Espcially the HP Coop. Good times. I would go back.

Got both my BA and PhD here, and am still teaching (occasionally) and doing post-doc research here.

.. and this university is not for the weak-minded.