Info About Life at Case

WS17
Fri, 03 Feb 2006 11:13:31 +0000

Nitric63, I appreciate your comments and your candor.

I feel it is very important for new students to try to find activities outside of classes, esp for first year students. I hope you have tried to seek out clubs, sports, intramurals, greek life, etc. College should be fun and about making new friends. For example, I suspect anyone playing on a varsity sport at Case would have an entirely different view of their experience (in DivIII, anyone can try out). Also, if you live in a frat, you are out of the dorms and off the dining plan. I hope in a school as big as Case you can find people you can connect with. You can also look off-campus for activities.

My D is also a FR at Case. She is volunteering at University Hopsitals as well as being in a number of musical ensembles. She has a part time job with her department, and has opportunities for many more things to do and jobs she’d like to do (such as campus tour guide). There’s more to do than time for her and I’m afraid she’s not getting much sleep.

My D took one of the specialized SAGES sections last term. I didn’t hear any complaints about it. It was small, there were 2 teachers (a married professional couple). AFAIK, they spent a lot of time discussing and writing about what their career goals are and how their studies at Case fit in. The students in that class got to know each other very well from that experience and they started going out to group dinners occasionally. In the end, she came away with 2 professors who know her well and would be able to write a letter of recommendation if she needed it. She is not taking SAGES this term (and has loaded in science classes that interest her), as she plans to take another specialized SAGES (about opera) a year from now, which will be taught by her department advisor.

BTW, another of her professors had her and her classmates to his house for dinner last term.

Note that the undergraduate experience at Harvard and Stanford’s engineering does not produce much contact with professors. Undergrads mostly deal face-to-face with TAs; and having a prof know you enough to write a letter is not easy. If you maintain your grades at Case, you will have your choice of attending grad school at places like Harvard and Stanford (thats what I keep telling my D ), and you will be well prepared for it.

I also do not hear complaints about the Case dining hall, but you can get an option on your card to eat at off-campus restaurants. Once or twice a week, why not gather a friend or two and eat in Little Italy or Coventry?

For things to do, visit Tower City downtown, there is a Hard Rock next door, or take the bus out to that fancy mall near Beachwood. Do you like pro sports events? My D is not a sports fan, but has already been to an Indians game w/ Case friends. She’s been to the Orchestra many times and also the opera. Surely there are a lot more options for things to do around Case campus than they have in Potsdam, NY. If you can connect with some people who want to do things, you’re opinion might change.

Even if you decide to transfer, I would still recommend trying to join some activities at your new campus right away.