Elizabeth H.
For me, Cornell offered a great program for my major with an abundance of student organizations and opportunities. Although it is hard to transfer and start a new school as a sophomore, I was excited to challenge myself and also put myself out there to meet more people as well. Being from upstate New York, I also found the familiarity of Cornell, especially CALS, to be particularly comforting in that I could be closer to my family.
I love Big Red Barn, and I always get the Asian Chicken Sandwich.
In the Fall, I love going to the Ithaca Farmers Market with my friends. There are always a bunch of stalls with food, crafts, and produce, and it makes for a nice weekend trip to relax and grab food with friends. It's also nice to sit by the lake and talk with friends.
My favorite memory at Cornell was probably my first time watching a hockey game. My friends and I bought tickets even though none of us knew too much about the sport, but the energy was so fun, and it was nice learning all of the different chants and traditions.
I would say my family. Hearing stories from my parents of the effort they put into making everything that I have now possible always pushes me to work harder and try things outside of my comfort zone. Having an older brother also gives me a built-in role model, and I always look up to him for everything he's achieved.
My favorite class so far has been COMM 2010. It's called Oral Communication, and it focuses on applying the principles of speech in class while also being able to practice in our discussion sections. I've never been strong at public speaking, but this class truly helped me feel more comfortable with talking in front of people while also learning more about what it takes to convince and listen to someone.
I think that the Cornell experience is unique through the student body and their interests, passions, and aspirations. I've met so many people who have such different backgrounds and reasons for why they are studying what they are. Growing up, I hadn't explored certain areas of study, such as Food Science or Engineering, so it's always so interesting to talk to other people and understand what their goals are and how they intend to achieve them through what they're studying at Cornell. I think that I've been able to meet the most diverse group of people here, and that's what makes the experience unique.
I am still trying to decide if I would pursue a Masters in an adjacent field to my major but I would hope that after graduating that I am able to find my ideal profession that combines my academic interest in information science and technology with my personal aspirations of solving problems in the world to help people.
CALS is a great fit for me because it offers the major I wanted, Information Science, with a community/life sciences focus. I knew I wanted to do something technical, but also wanted to give back. I found that CALS' message to promote sustainability through an inclusive community resonated well with what I wanted.
My favorite place to study would probably be Big Red Barn. They always have good food, and I love being in the upstairs area, especially in the wintertime since the heaters are always on. It's a cozy area and is also close to the Ag quad, where a lot of my classes usually are, so I don't have to walk too far.
AlreadyFriendz, Kappa Theta Pi (Technology Pro-professional Fraternity), Society for Women in Business, Matcha Club, Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority
The opportunities to meet people across academics, clubs, professional aspirations, and personal interests. I've been able to meet so many people from different backgrounds, thanks to how large and diverse the university is.
I hope to understand the world a bit more through data analytics. Being able to learn all the technical tools through my major in Information Science has allowed me to build off and do projects where I can uncover patterns for why certain things are the way that they are.
I would say the office hours, especially by the TA's, for my classes. For some of my classes, I didn't realize how helpful they were until I decided to go one day for help on my statistics problem set. Since TA's have taken the course before, they were able to offer more digestible advice that actually made my work easier than when I only used what the professor taught.
I would say having teachers and peers look over your personal statement. As a senior in high school, I didn't realize how important it was to get another set of eyes on your writing overall application. It wasn't until I worked on my transfer application that I realized how nice it was to get feedback from my family, my advisor, and peers.
Although orientation week can be a lot, I tried to go to most of the events throughout the week and followed up with the people I met. I also used Instagram transfer pages to reach out to people who had similar interests to me. Although some of my friends were from that initial week, I met more throughout the semester through mutual friends and clubs.
My favorite spot in Ithaca would be Collegetown Bagels. When the weather is warm and sunny, I always like to sit outside with my friends. They also have seasonal lattes and the best sandwiches, so it's always a great spot to meet up with people.
Still need help? Look at the Frequently Asked Questions, or contact us.