[OT] a whiney Tulane student rant

[RichH]

[Q]Rich S Wrote:

Bottom line is that the environment is largely what you choose to make of it.  Anywhere.[/q]

Also well said.

Before any debasing comments are thrown at my namesake, I've been able to have some really good times in the North Country.  Hockey trips in general, as well as my formidable Ithaca years have really instilled an adventerous element in my personality.  I really enjoy traveling to lots of places...urban and rural.  My nomadic career has taken me everywhere from LA to Blacksburg, VA, and I've been able to enjoy my time at each stop.  I like seeking out and finding the out of the way holes-in-the-wall and sampling local culture.  I expect to do the same if I ever get to go to New Orleans.

[cth95]

I don't know if I would call this "similar", since it doesn't really express any opinion one way or the other and definitely doesn't totally bash Brown.  I did find it interesting that the author primarlily described parties and only briefly mentioned anything academic.  Since the descripiton of Brown academia only related to the unique course requirements and nothing specific, I would be curious to know if the Tulane students there found there classes easier than they had expected.

[A-ron]

Considering that I graduated from the architecture program just a year and a half ago, I really don't understand how this person found herself bored.  If she couldn't find some model to build or drawing to render, then she clearly didn't care enough about her studies.  You're not given take homes or prelims in architecture, you design something and represent your design through many different methods.  The professors, especially by fourth year, aren't going to hold your hand and tell you how many drawings, images, or models you should have to properly present your ideas.

As for being bored, architecture students had some of the craziest parties I've been to.  Maybe this girl wanted a personal invitation but I would have thought that the posters in Rand Hall advertising these parties would have been enough to tell her where to find a good time.

I especially liked her closing comment: "rankings be damned-Tiulane wins."  It may win in her mind, but those rankings are by architecture firms that rank from which universities they would most eagerly choose to hire graduates...looks like I win!

Oh yeah, Go Red!

[RichH]

Yeah, my impression of that Brown article:  

"Parties, traditions.  Oh, and they let you take whatever and it's pass-fail.  What a sweet deal."

It really made Brown seem like Slacker U.

[cth95]

     I know Cornell is well known for the Hotel School, but I have to say, ever since I first enrolled in 1990, everyone (family, friends, teachers, etc.) that found out was very impressed because of its overall reputation.  I am pretty sure that most of them didn't even know about the Hotel School.  I went there for Agriculture (specifically AnSci hoping to be a vet, quickly changed my mind like most students), and everyone I talked to knew the good reputation for this field.  Hotelies should be rightfully proud of their degrees and rep, but I have know idea how this author did not know that so many other colleges are also regarded very highly.
     It is only one example, but someone I knew that had transferred from Princeton thought that Cornell seemed easier to get into, but his classwork was more demanding than what he had experienced there.

[Liz '05]

[Q]ursaminor Wrote:

 A similar article by a Tulane student who spent the semester at Brown: [/q]

I think that proves that, much like Daily Sun writers, Hullabaloo writers have varying grasps of grammar (the Tulane/Brown student being much better than the Tulane/Cornell one).

[Liz '05]

[Q]Jason L Wrote:

 i understand that..but dont they have more of a commitment towards the students who are currently attending Tulane for an engineering degree to allow them to finish?  I can understand them not accepting any new students into the program, but how about at least giving current freshmen 4 years to finish the program?  
[/q]

Oooh, good point.  I hadn't looked at the date closely enough to realize that some current students wouldn't be able to finish their degree by then.  Agreed with your last sentence completely.

[redhair34]

[Q]cth95 Wrote:
     It is only one example, but someone I knew that had transferred from Princeton thought that Cornell seemed easier to get into, but his classwork was more demanding than what he had experienced there.[/q]

That reminds me of this statement (or some variation of it) which I've heard kicked around more than few times...

"Cornell is the easiest Ivy League school to get in to, but the hardest to get out of"

[cth95]

     I have to whole-heartedly agree with this.  Admittedly it would be more difficult for someone only there for a semester or two, especially if they are used to a big city, party-time environment, but it is not hard to have a good time almost anywhere if someone is willing to put just a little effort in.  Having spent most of my career as a dairy farmer, I have always lived in areas where I had to find or fun.  Ithaca is easy with Collegetown, fraternity parties, walks through the gorges and state parks near campus, trips to Syracuse or even NYC or Boston if you make some friends that live there.  This person apparently isn't much of a sports fan, but we do have a very expansive Division I slate if someone was interested in catching a few games in different sports.  We also have huge phys ed and intramural programs, a golf course (along with many nearby, low-cost courses), skating rinks, and even a bowling alley if someone wanted to play sports or just drink and have a good time.  
     I know I am preaching to the choir, but as I made my initial point, I just kept thinking of more and more things to do.

[cth95]

No grade inflation, either.  I can certainly attest to that due to my roller coaster semester GPA's as my focus came and went among school, work, and other matters.  :-)

[Bryan '06]

Did anyone else notice how he referenced the Faithful reading newspapers at the Harvard game and tossing objects on the ice?  I found that funny, because I don't remember a home Harvard game this semester, and we definitely weren't throwing objects on the ice in Lynah East.

 ::screwy::

[cth95]

     I never heard much about ornithology until recently.  I know it is a strong department, but is he trying to be facetious by saying we are known for a relatively little-known field, or has the recent news of the rediscovery of the Ivory Billed Woodpecker really brought ornithology this far to the forefront.  If so, I think our huge presence behind the unbelievably successful Mars rovers should give some pretty good clout that he seems to have missed.  

[cth95]

Apparently speaking second-hand on this one.  Good catch.  

(Pardon the pun--catch,fish, just realized it myself)  :-)

[ben03]

While I’m sure these students love their school, they have an interesting way of showing it by slighting the institutions that reached out and provided them a refuge. As much as these accounts run counter to my experience on the hill, I can only think one thing, “to each his own.” It does not surprise me to hear their recounts of dissatisfaction; after all they did not chose to come to ithaca under the best of circumstances. But both the articles left me with the feeling that the authors were in some way trying to rationalize themselves back into their reality of a better New Orleans and their beloved Tulane.

[Q]Rich S Wrote:
Interesting largely because a lot of Cornell folk routinely belittle the North Country environment on this forum.
Bottom line is that the environment is largely what you choose to make of it.  Anywhere.[/Q]
As a lifelong seasonal resident of the North Country, I agree with both RichS & RichH on this one. I absolutely love it up there and find myself out on the ice in January as much as in a boat in the middle of July.
[Q]A-ron Wrote:
As for being bored, architecture students had some of the craziest parties I've been to.  Maybe this girl wanted a personal invitation but I would have thought that the posters in Rand Hall advertising these parties would have been enough to tell her where to find a good time.[/q]
I was not an architect but was friends with a handful and can attest to this firsthand.

I guess it takes all kinds. :-)

[cth95]

     If Cornell was so bad, I don't think that we would have one of the most proud and bonded alumni group that I have ever seen, this board being a perfect example.  Almost every Cornellian I have ever met brags a little (or a lot) about our fair alma mater, and I can think of almost none that regret going there or even degrade the overall experience at all.  I know we all have gripes about specific issues and departments such as the annual Ticket Line fiasco, but have any of you ever met a Cornellian that wishes they had gone to another school?