Written by Faith Birnbaum, Brown Alumni ’10
This is a short, private guide to Brown University, for those of you who have the opportunity to choose this institution. I graduated from Brown in May 2010, and I hope that sharing my experiences will help you make a more informed decision. I doubt you’ll be able to find the same information in session or campus info – only graduates who haven’t recruited you know what the school is about.
Curriculum
The most important part to consider is the open curriculum. In my experience, this set it apart from any other college in many ways. An open curriculum means that Brown doesn’t require core classes – this way, you could graduate without a single math class (like me). There are certain advantages and disadvantages for this system. It’s a huge advantage to have endless opportunities to take ownership of your education. No one tells you what’s important, so you’re the one to see it. Allows you to explore the fields; for example, my freshman-year, I took a class on Human Sacrifice—which seemed right.
Brown’s selection of genres is huge and incredibly interesting; subjects that you would normally ignore are expanded and turned into a full credit semester long class. Recent selections are aired such as “American Political Theater,” “Theory of Probability” and “Communication Biology” along with the usual Latinity, Science, English and Math fields. To see the full spectrum of classes, visit Mocha, a site often used by students to create course schedules: http://brown.mochacourses.com/mocha/main.jsp
If you don’t see a genre that appeals to you, you can also create your own; with the view of the professor, you can form an independent study. The freedom that an open curriculum provides results in a very different education, and those who study seriously.
This brings me to the obvious disadvantage of the course. your task is to challenge yourself with different things. If you’re not a self-motivated, motivating student, you’ll probably still do well at Brown, but it probably doesn’t have much to do with it. offer There are many concentrations (Brown does not use a major voice), and to a student without ambition and drive, it can seem too daunting. You don’t want to end your sophomore year – when you have to declare a concentration – you don’t know what to declare.
To be reminded is not the best at Brown; The administration has tried to make it better, but it still falls short of where it should be. Older students are supposed to talk to younger students about classes, and professors are supposed to meet more often with freshmen. There is also a Curriculum Development Center that can advise you on what classes to take if you are interested in a particular career. However, because there are so many choices, they can only help to advise, and ultimately it is the responsibility of the students to analyze and think through their choices.
Campus Life
Brown is a small campus with about 6,000 students, and believe me, at the end of senior year, it feels a lot smaller! If you’ve seen the face of an unfamiliar senior year, chances are high you know a few common ones. The students at Brown are very, very interesting, and for the most part, I loved the people I had. There are so many different groups and schools that it’s hard to pin down what kind of community Brown is; To put it differently is to say that it is different. There are students who like to go out drinking, those who like philosophy, music aficionados who prefer to stay and discuss, types who are introverted, withdrawn, family oriented, lost, outcasts, basically everything. The diversity of the community is a huge plus; if you are worthy enough of the people, you promise to find good friends.
The social life of the school is different. There are a few frats who throw parties once or twice a weekend. These parties are usually a big attraction for freshmen and sophomores, and are great for meeting new people. There are two sisters on campus as well (one of which I was a member of, Alpha Chi Omega), and she is certainly less social. as well Greek life is small, only 1% of the campus joins, so frats and sororities are very welcoming and friendly; definitely not stereotypical southerners.
If you prefer to avoid frat parties, there are many who just hang out in the dorm. Keene, a freshman dorm of 1,000 students, is huge and full of activity on the weekends. Many people leave door openers and it’s not unusual for you to wander into your neighbor’s room the first week. and introduce yourself. Thayer Street, a popular place for Brown students on the weekends, is full of bars and restaurants most of the night.
There is also an emphasis on culture at Brown, more so than I would expect from other schools. Clubs that celebrate heritage and culture are popular and often put on shows and events. Not involved in them, but if I could try to re-do my Brown, I would probably join.
Overall, I will be dealing with Brown University, and I expect your experience to be very different from mine. Brown is very eclectic, and encourages personal growth, development and analytical thinking. In the end, that’s what you want from a good college education. If Brown is on your option list, the best thing to do is contact the admissions department and arrange an overnight stay. They will connect you with a freshman, so you can spend the night on campus to get a feel for what it’s really like. Good luck in your search.
