The Barlett Quadrangle on a rainy Spring afternoon. Good luck with finals week! #uchicago #chicago #school #college #university #barlett #barlett quad #quad #quadrangle #barlettquadrangle #spring #afternoon #valencia #rainy #trees #purple #gothic #finals #finalsweek (at Bartlett Quad)

When I arrived to UChicago in September, almost two years ago, I had no idea what I wanted out of my Humanities Core sequence. They all sounded very interesting, but I wasn’t sure what exactly it was all about. So the day before meeting with my College Adviser during Orientation Week to plan my schedule, I read evaluations for a couple of professors in each sequence and ranked them. When I met with my adviser I felt like I had to make decisions fast, and when the first professor on my list had a spot in his class open I took it, without even thinking about what sequence I was getting into. After all, I have always thought that what matters most is the professor who teaches the course: a good teacher can make anything interesting, enjoyable and worthwhile.

I loved the first quarter of my Hum sequence, when we read the epics of antiquity: The Epic of Gilgamesh, The Odyssey (other sections also read The Iliad), The Mahabharata and the Bhagavad Gita, and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. My teacher was amazing, and it was fun and challenging to read these works. The second quarter was called Autobiography, and we read Augustine’s Confessions, Rousseau’s Confessions, Nabokov’s Speak, Memory, Harriet Jacob’s Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Wole Soyinka’s Ake: The Years of Childhood, and finally, Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic.  

What was really valuable about Hum, beyond reading interesting books and talking about them, was learning how to participate in class discussions and how to write college-level papers. Every quarter you attend at least three writing seminars, in which you meet with a smaller group within your class and learn about the process of writing a paper. Hum was also a helpful transition to taking college courses, because only first-year students are in your class. You’ll know that everyone else in the room is as nervous as you are when the first paper is handed back to you. It also means that every UChicago student has gone through a Hum sequence, and the core principles of inquiry, good writing and good thinking apply across all sequences.

Looking back, I wish I had taken a sequence where I could have read the classics of philosophical thought: Human Being and Citizen, Greek Thought and Literature, or Philosophical Perspectives. The books I read for my Readings in World Literature sequence were enriching, but reading the classics of philosophy is essential, and difficult to do on your own. To supplement this gap in my education, I am planning to take the History of Philosophy sequence in the Philosophy department: Ancient Philosophy, Medieval and Early Modern Philosophy, and Kant and the 19^th Century.

The third quarter of Hum is optional, and there are lots of options to choose from if you take Readings in World Literature. If you choose to take it, that means that you can take one less Civilizations or Art/Music/Drama course to complete your Humanities Core requirement. I chose not to take the third quarter of Hum because by spring of my first year I was ready to start taking electives to explore different majors. 

Look through the classes that are offered, and make your decision based on what you want out of Hum. Have you always wanted to tackle the classics of philosophy? Are you interested in literature, language, aesthetics? Or perhaps in culture? 

I’m sure you’ve heard about the squirrels, but you may not know that we also have bunnies here at UChicago! These are harder to spot than the squirrels, but if you pay attention you might find one. I’ve seen them near the Reg, right outside of Harper, on the Midway, on my way to Ratner, and outside of Bartlett. Every time I see one after a late night studying in the Reg I make a mental note to bring a carrot for my furry friends the next day, but I always forget. 

Also, check out the baby squirrel I found right outside of the Reg the other day! You know spring has arrived when these cute little baby animals are playing around campus. This baby squirrel played with my shoelaces for a bit, but I couldn’t get a better picture because it ran away too fast.

One of the best things about being a student at UChicago is the convenient access to the trendiest spots in the city. Whether you want to go shopping or visit an ethnic neighborhood, a short walk to the bus stop or train station will take you anywhere you could possibly dream of. Most naturally, this infectious wanderlust will inevitably include numerous trips to the myriad of restaurants that populate the city.

Protip #1: Even though you will be given a CTA card during O-Week to use Chicago’s public transportation, I would recommend ordering a Chicago Card Plus since the fees are automatically deducted from an online account. You do not have to waste time at the card machines every time the value in your card reaches 0!

Last week, I had dinner at Mindy’s Hot Chocolate to celebrate my friend’s birthday. Although the name of the restaurant seems more reminiscent of a café, Mindy’s Hot Chocolate offers brunch, lunch, and dinner! As soon as you walk in, you will immediately notice the aroma of chocolate lingering in the air, the luxurious bar to the right, and the candles upon the dark tables. The overall ambience was both enigmatic and comfortable. While the menu didn’t offer many items, the quality of the food certainly more than made up for it. From the steaks to the pork belly appetizer, each dish was abundant in flavor and everyone could not help but die of happiness. The Mediterranean seabass was so glorious that it would have cured me from an ulcer if I had one in the first place. Even though some of the restaurants in Chicago may be slightly pricey, it is worth splurging some money occasionally to taste the memorable concoctions created by the talented chefs of Chicago. If my post failed to convince you, perhaps these pictures will do the trick!

Protip #2: If you ever decide to go to Mindy’s Hot Chocolate, YOU HAVE TO GET THE HOT CHOCOLATE. As heavenly as your mom’s/dad’s/the local diner’s hot chocolate may be, I solemnly swear that Mindy’s Hot Chocolate is the best chocolate-y liquid you will ever drink in your entire life.

Every year, Student Government allocates resources from the Uncommon Fund, a pool of money whose purpose is to  support creative student projects and initiatives on campus. It’s like the UChicago version of Kickstarter. Here’s a snapshot of this year’s winners. Do any of them catch your eye? 

Yesterday was UChicago’s annual Summer Breeze, a Saturday filled with having fun outdoors. From 12-5, the student run Council on University Programming held the Summer Breeze Carnival on the Quad. There was so much food, like burgers, hot dogs, deep fried oreos (yum), caramelized apples, jamba juice, soft pretzels, and, my personal favorite, waffle on a stick:

There were carnival games too like rock climbing, a moon bounce, rodeo, a hypnotist and much more! 

At night, the Major Activities Board put on their concert. There were performances by Lunice, the Smith Westerns, and Nelly! As the sun went down people danced in Hutchinson Courtyard. It was truly a summer day to remember. 

As we near the final month of the school year, we shouldn’t get nostalgic quite yet. Here’s a checklist of all the great things to look forward to in Spring Quarter:

Summer Breeze: On Saturday, the day will be filled with cotton candy, bouncy castles, face paint and deep fried oreos on the Quad. The Carnival on the Quad never disappoints, with an endless amount of fun activities. It’s that’s not your style, you can always just frolic in the grass. At night, the Major Activities Board puts on a concert. This year we have araabMUZIK, LUNICE and, our headliner, Nelly!

Marion Talbot Day: On Memorial Day Weekend, Talbot House in Broadview Hall will be having a House-wide day of fun in honor of our namesake, Marion Talbot. We will have a BBQ by Lake Michigan and play games like trivia and hat wearing contests (Marion Talbot really liked hats).

Trip to the Dunes: Talbot House will also be having a trip to the Indiana Dunes (we really like trips). We’ll frolic in summer happiness, make smores, lay in the sand, and enjoy Spring Quarter as a House.

Architectural Boat Tour: Many dorms go on an annual boat tour around the Loop. A tour guide talks about all the beautiful architecture around Chicago. Many selfies are taken with a scenery in the background. This is possibly one of the best bonding experience there is.

End of the year dive into Lake Michigan: Just what it sounds like. This is last bookend of the year, complementing the first ceremonious dive on the first day of Fall Quarter. There is probably no less cold/bittersweet way to end the school year.

This is one of my favorite times of the year! Finals might be around the corner, stress of moving out might be piling up, but none of that matters when you take some time to enjoy Spring Quarter!

uchicagoadmissions:

Item #174: I’m sick and tired of giving directions to prospies. By Thursday morning at 9:00 a.m., erect a signpost somewhere on campus with arrows pointing in the direction of and giving the distance to: your Headquarters, three Hyde Park landmarks, and a city located on another continent. [21 points]

Photo by C. Smith

Congratulations to BrostompFM, winners of Scav 2013!

Studying isn’t so bad when you have libraries like these.