Very happy with Rhodes :)

curmudgeon
Wed, 31 Jan 2007 10:44:47 +0000

Just wanted to say to any who stumble on to this post that I am very happy with D’s school of choice. She is a second semester first-year who could have gone anywhere (almost literally;)) and she chose Rhodes for what appears to be very good reasons. The opportunities for an ambitious student are phenomenal. She is a science major (Bio or Chem or both :eek:) and she has found her Prof’s to be top rank and the research and volunteering opps beyond belief.

The campus is as pretty and well maintained as any I have ever seen. Truly outstanding facilities. Well planned , wonderful walking campus. Gorgeous.

Rhodes takes liberal arts education seriously and the Search program (required interdisciplinary) is a highlight of her week. She has had zero duds as Prof’s (although I know there has to be at least one). Grading is tough. Coursework is demanding. Grading is tough - did I already mention that? LOL Rhodes is not a place to go if you plan on sliding by on your intelligence alone. Rhodes also expects excellence in your academic writing and when a course is labeled as “writing intensive” you better believe it.

She was concerned about the sorority/frat influence but was repeatedly told that it wasn’t as exclusive as at most schools and that is the way it is working out. She did pledge and is having a great time but her best friends either did not pledge or are in other sororities . There is no difficulty maintaining those relationships.

Dining hall food leaves something to be desired but I think that is the norm at most places. So…big neg’s ? Well for a science major and potentially double major there are not enough spaces to take all the cool courses you want to outside your major field. D is taking Spanish in Spain to free up 3 slots. And this campus would be horrible for a kid who succumbs to temptation too easily. Memphis is “lively” entertainment-wise and the campus opportunities dwarf Memphis. I can see how kids don’t make it past Christmas (and there are more than a few each year that don’t.). I wouldn’t have made it, that’s for sure.

It has really been a great experience for my D so far and I don’t believe she can outgrow the opportunities that Rhodes has made and will make available to her over her four years. It’s just so difficult to pick from the cornucopia of choices, both academic and community sevice related. She is constantly fighting against becoming too involved - or maybe I should say, I am constantly fighting her against being too involved. Everybody needs a little down-time, a little me-time.

For a smart, charitable, ambitious kid with good standards of behavior and a healthy work ethic this may be as good as it gets.