In 2007, while I was searching for a school, the University of Chicago was ranked by the Princeton Review as having the number one “Undergraduate College Experience.”
When I got here, I bought many of the funny T-shirts that the U of C had to offer, from the self-deprecating to the smug to the self-deprecatingly smug (or smugly self-deprecating). I was so excited to be at the U of C that I could be proud to be from the school where “the only thing that goes down on you is your GPA,” where “the squirrels are prettier than the girls,” and where we assert that if we’d wanted an A, we would have gone to Harvard. I thought it was all in good fun, a celebration of what made us unique, and that the complaining was at best subtle boasting about how intelligent we really must be in order to attend such a difficult school and still laugh about it.
But I soon learned that the self-deprecation was more than a joke for many, and that the cynicism about the U of C was based on an earnest self-hatred. I was disappointed to learn that the joking inferiority complex displayed by so many wasn’t really a joke. At some point I began to feel that all of the complaining was actually keeping my fellow undergraduates from enjoying themselves.
Of course, I’ve done my share of complaining about some of the quirks of the U of C, such as the two-day reading period, the shortage of food options around Hyde Park, and the eternal mystery that were SOSC papers. But I disagree with the essentialist nature of many of the assumptions about life at the University of Chicago, and I especially lament the fact that they sometimes actually affect people’s experiences here.
I am sure that my success in having a fulfilling social life was in large part because I never accepted the idea that this was a boring campus and that there wasn’t anything to do. I’ve had my share of awkward experiences, from frat parties where guys and bodies far outnumber girls and alcohol, to parties among insular social groups where I hover with my drink by a corner and awkwardly introduce myself to anyone who looks even slightly friendly. But awkward experiences were the exception rather than the rule. I sought, and for the most part found, fun and exciting things to do.
These outings were more than frat parties and social parties. I modeled for MODA one weekend and had a Settlers of Catan tournament the next. I accidentally participated in an impromptu freestyle rap session, and had parties at my apartment dissolve into drunken men singing Russian pop songs. As head designer of the Maroon, I often saw the sun rise after production nights that could feel, really, like sleepovers with friends, if those sleepovers had happened to include hard work. I doubt I could have had any of these experiences if I had gone to another school, or if I had believed that this is the place where “fun goes to die.”
Ultimately, complaining about the rigors and idiosyncrasies of the U of C should only go so far as not to actually prevent the university’s population from having as fulfilling of an experience here as possible. Although the self-deprecating humor of the U of C lends to our quirky personality, I also think it can be actually damaging to our experiences here. Believing that there isn’t something to do on Saturday nights can lead you to spend them indoors watching television, or (perish the thought) actually doing homework.
So, repeat the jokes, and wear the T-shirts, and envy those at “party schools” or the Ivy League for their more definable allures. But my advice is to only go so far down this road. Incoming first-years or underclassmen, keep this in mind: You will get as much out of the U of C as you put into it. For upperclassmen and graduating seniors who have always envied those at party schools or the Ivy League, accept what you should have accepted years ago: For better or for worse, you came to the U of C.
My years here have been fulfilling academically and socially, although I am skeptical that these spheres could ever be fully divided. Life is life, and for me the “life of the mind” never stopped being lively.
Ivy Perez is a fourth-year in the College majoring in history and English.
The University of Chicago was ranked by the Princeton Review in the category of “Best Undergraduate Academic Experience,” not “Best Undergraduate Experience.” I am proud to claim the former ranking, as I think it is likely an accurate depiction of the school; the latter is hogwash. Perhaps if the Maroon spent a touch more energy fact-checking (and a touch less publishing the Greg Nance schlock), we would have ranked on “Best College Newspaper” as well.
Thank you, Amelia, for demonstrating the very reason why we could not have possibly won “Best Undergraduate Experience.” Perhaps if students at this school spent a touch more energy behaving like reasonable people (and a touch less niggling about Maroon Viewpoints articles), we’d actually have a shot at it.
I have to agree with Amelia. The Maroon does not fact check and frequently misquotes people. But that’s besides the point. The article raises a decent point, but I think it is reasonable to dislike the social life here. It does exist, but it isn’t spectacular when you compare it to the rest of Chicago. Also, the “academic rigor” can get extremely stressful to the point where everybody on campus is unpleasant and miserable. Do we love to hate this place? Absolutely. Is there no reason behind it? Not quite.
This article completely expresses how I feel about attending U of C. The summer before my first year I was incredibly intimidated by the school’s “where fun comes to die” reputation, and when I got on campus I was determined to defy the rep. That’s all it took, and I’ve just wrapped up the most exciting year of my life. Yeah, you can bitch and moan about how much the social scene sucks and how hard your classes are and even if you are the slightest bit justified, its all energy spent needlessly. At this point, I really have no sympathy for anyone who insists that going to U of C sucks. Go to the parties, meet some of the incredible people that attend this school, push the envelope on your social comfort zone, and for Christ’s sake, quit complaining about your classes. Yeah they’re difficult, but they’re not unmanageable. We’re here for a reason; we all can handle the workload and complaining about it is nothing short of pathetic and frivolous. We are attending one of the best colleges in the world, the least we can do is to quit whining and enjoy it.
I completely agree with the author. It is part of the culture at U of C to complain about how difficult your work/life is. It almost feels like a competition. I know people who would literally live in the library during finals week, while mostly just writing to each other on facebook about the fact that they had been in the library for so long. In my PhD program, I have just as much work, if not more, than I ever did at Chicago, but, unlike at Chicago, my peers’ facebook statuses rarely have to do with how much work they have, or how long they’ve been at the library that day. Sure, U of C is more work than most schools, but I think it’s mostly the attitude that gives people this impression.
if i’m bored, you’re weird