What is the CMU experience like???

cmonyuk
Fri, 09 Mar 2007 13:25:21 +0000

First of all, don’t knock Pittsburgh. I used to complain that there was nothing to do or that it’s boring, but I soon realized that I was looking in all the wrong places. If you want some to do stuff you can go Southside, Squirrel Hill, U Pitt, the Strip, or even Station Square (although this one is usually for expensive dining). Buses (which are by far the most unreliable and worst thing about Pittsburgh) will take you anywhere if you take the 10 minutes to learn the local bus lines - 61, 67, 54C, 71, 500, 100, 59U, 28X, (within Southside the 51 lines run). Do your best to leave campus and explore Pittsburgh as much as possible. The only places I would avoid alone, at night are the Hill District, East Liberty, and Wilkensburgh (good luck finding a bus to get home from a Mr. Robot show). But ya, I love Pittsburgh now.

As far as CMU’s social scene, you’ll probably see the most parties during orientation week and the next week. Those were some pretty crazy weeks, and it’s a good opportunity to meet a lot of people really fast. (If you’re looking for a gf/bf, that probably the best time to strike.) But the rest of the year has a more laid-back social scene. A party will be thrown somewhere every week or two, but most aren’t that fun and aren’t free (in contrast to the beginning of the year). Now I find myself either hanging out in groups of 5 -10 people more often than partying, and frankly, it’s better. Although I wouldn’t recommend throwing a party because of cost and risk, my building threw a few parties first semester, and they worked out quite well.

If you have an interest, someone else shares that interest. Try to meet people in your classes, and join a club or two. If you’re quirky like most CS kids I know, you might end up spending more time with other CS kids because you’ll share interests … not just computers. I think the number one reason people spend time with others in their major is that they take a lot of the same classes and just see each other a lot.

So… CMU is not a party school, but there are parties if you seek them. Most cliques aren’t exclusive and will welcome you if you share interests. Although, I do find some truth in the notion that art students kind of segregate themselves from others. So make friends with that art stundent down the hall if you want to be a part of that whole art student scene.