University of Chicago Top Questions

Of course, most of us have heard the infamous saying, "University of Chicago - the place where fun comes to die." As true as that may have been in the past, currently the university has seen a dramatic shift in terms of the student population and sociability. Within the last decade, dozens of new buildings have been erected in UChicago's gorgeous Hyde Park campus, including: Gerald Ratner Athletic Center, Max Palevsky dormitory, South Campus dormitory and dining hall, the Gordon Center for Integrative Research, the Mansueto Library (endearingly called the "reg egg" after the Regenstein Library to which it is connected), and finally the brand new Logan Arts Center. Collectively, these additions have made UChicago a more appealing option for many prospective students and brought more viable resources to the campus. But to answer the original question at hand, at UChicago it is very difficult to pinpoint one stereotype. The university presents an international, eclectic mix of students; 10{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} are from Chicago while the remaining 90{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} are from all corners of the world, representing all 50 states and over 70 countries. Because of this cosmopolitan "melting pot," students frequently break through common stereotypes and work together on problem sets, play on intramural sports teams, and yes, go out together too. While it is only natural that students eventually form their own groups and such, the university does not reinforce the typical stereotypes of the jock, frat kid, or geek, but instead allows for ample opportunity to meet students from all walks of life. To some, it can be even seen as the place where "fun comes to thrive."

One of the sayings we love here at the University of Chicago is "where fun comes to die." Most people probably view people at the University of Chicago as nerds who are up all night studying in some masochistic hell in vain search of some ill-defined enlightenment called "the life of the mind." I'm not saying that's not true to some extent, but I do want to stress that while we do love learning here and while those sad nights in the Regenstein Library do happen (more often than most of us would like), most of us do know how to live a little and have fun! We're in a wonderful city filled with great things, and when we have the time (and even at times when we don't!), most of us love to explore it.

Some common stereotypes about UChicago students are that we are nerds, anti-social, and spend all of our time locked up in our room studying. This could not be farther from the truth! While it's true that most people here are nerds about one thing or another (and proud of it), there are plenty of social people and social events to attend every week. The work load here can be a bit heavy, but I don't know anyone who doesn't have at least a few hours every week for some fun. A much more accurate description of UChicago students would be to say that we love learning, we all have fun in our own way, and we take on our challenging schedules eagerly.

The typical stereotype for a "Uchicago kid" goes right along with the slogan that the university of Chicago is the place where "fun goes to die." Although i would be lying if I said there are not a good amount of geeks at this school, there is plenty of fun to be had. The nice thing about this school is you will not ever be lured into doing something you do not have to do. Because the curriculum here is indeed so challenging, if you have a midterm on the upcoming Monday and there is a party that Saturday night, everyone understands that you need to stay in and study and get some rest. With that said, there are three main fraternities that throw parties generally every Friday and Saturday which are all open any kid in the school. Personally I like this a lot, because I know at big schools such as Ohio State a lot of times the party's are invite only, and at apartments. With all of this taken into account, at Uchicago there are definitely plenty of kids whose only priority is school, but if you want to come here and still have a good time, there is a good time to be had.

I think that the stereotype of uchicago students is that we're too busy slaving away at our mammoth course-load to ever have any fun. After all, the unofficial slogan is that this the place "where fun comes to die." There is, unfortunately, some validity to this claim. Uchicago is hard, probably as hard as it gets. We do a lot of work, and have only limited free time. However, we make the most of what we get. Parties most certainly do happen here, and when I compare my notes with friends at other schools, it seems that if anything, ours are more intense, if more infrequent. The city of Chicago provides a number of exciting options, from world-class museums to excellent theatrical productions to fantastic food. When you get down to it, most uchicago students have a positive outlook, despite all the work.

I think that the stereotype of uchicago students is that we're too busy slaving away at our mammoth course-load to ever have any fun. After all, the unofficial slogan is that this the place "where fun comes to die." There is, unfortunately, some validity to this claim. Uchicago is hard, probably as hard as it gets. We do a lot of work, and have only limited free time. However, we make the most of what we get. Parties most certainly do happen here, and when I compare my notes with friends at other schools, it seems that if anything, ours are more intense, if more infrequent. The city of Chicago provides a number of exciting options, from world-class museums to excellent theatrical productions to fantastic food. When you get down to it, most uchicago students have a positive outlook, despite all the work.

Common stereotype: Nerds, hipsters, socially awkward True on the most part. There are a few fratty/sorority types, but the stereotype holds true in most cases.

UChicago has a very defined stereotype. We even put it on our T-shirts: Where Fun Goes To Die. According to the stereotype, we're boring, smelly, neurotic nerds who never do anything but study. Also, we talk about Marx and Plato for fun. Also, we're weird. There is some truth to the stereotype, of course. They're not kidding about the academic rigor, I promise. You will be stressed. You will be utterly miserable at times. You will turn down invitations because you have two hundred pages of Plato to read before the next morning and two papers to write over the weekend. And the kind of kids who are drawn to the sort of school that UChicago is are at least a little bit nerdy. Some are more overt about it, but many aren't. You can have the typical college experience at UChicago -- if that's what you want. There are parties in dorms, in frats, at apartments. But it's equally easy to completely avoid parties, if your idea of fun is more along the lines of watching bad movies with your friends or having arguments about philosophy until three in the morning. Fun doesn't die -- it just takes different forms.

The stereotype of students at the University of Chicago is that we are all a bunch of nerdy, freaky rich kids. The University gets the unkind motto: "Where fun comes to die." Although the students here are very smart, there is still a LOT of fun to be had at the University of Chicago. Obviously, at any good school, you are going to have your "weird" kids and "nerds" who do nothing but study in the library. But the overall student population is pretty social and smart, making it a good balance for everyone.

There typical stereotype for UChicago would definitely be "nerd." Or, "super nerd." Everyone has heard the famous slogans such as "Where fun comes to die" or my personal favorite, "Where the squirrels are prettier than the girls." I'll be honest, there are reasons why those stereotypes exist....they are based on truth...we study here, A LOT. That being said, I have been consistently impressed with the diversity in the student body despite the very clear cut UChicago "type." There are jocks (they mostly stick together), hipsters, nerds, stoners, divas, and etc. etc. and a mix of everything above. What's more, everyone is here for a reason...because they are SMART, so even if they do fit into a certain stereotype it is easy to have a meaningful conversation with anyone.