Brown University - Liber Brunensis Yearbook (Providence, RI)

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This year, largely because of my course load, my social life has not been as active as last year. 1 do feel that I have more close friends this year, even though I go out less often Last year, living in Perkins, my entire social life was in the dorm. This year, I am in a cluster and my clustermates are becoming more and more like family. Therefore, I am meeting few new people in the dorm. I find that living in a frat provides for more diversions. Socially, I am more reclusive and less tolerant of bullshit. There are many cliques around that I find to be superficial, giddy support groups. Last year I used to go out with a group of friends and now I go out with one really special person. It's so much better! I don't do things with big groups of people as often. I also haven't met as many people this year. My dorm social life is non-existent this year. I find myself drinking less, seeing fewer females but having more sex. I don't feel as much like I have to do something on Saturday nights. I'm happy just to talk to friends, etc. I never go to frat parties if I can avoid it. I went a few times last year. Basically 1 do more what I want to do rather than just following what my friends are doing. The people I was friendly with my freshman year are living in various spots instead of all together. I have made many new friends. I have trouble accounting for my leisure time.I must spend a lot of it day dreaming. There are some things I'd ke e cle, lout - - Most of the time, I'm worrying about my work if I'm not doing it. I'm a member of the Chorus and I love it. It gives me something organized to do other than academics. My leisure time is not a distinct entity from my schoolwork time. I'm not organized enough. It's never quite clear to me what time I'm on, so I just mess around whenever I feel like it. Also, some of my courses coincide with my personal interests so the distinction becomes even foggier. My messing around includes reading, talking with friends, needlepointing, going out for a drink or dinner, an occasional getting-high, and a good several hours a week of staring at the wall. There ain't nothing like staring at the wall l spend my spare time socializing with friends, goofing off, and engaging in unorganized and very sporadic athletic activity. What leisure time? The fact is, I don't have very much leisure time. I find myself constantly working, for I have a very important goal to accomplish: going to medical school. l spend some time socializing and participating in political or social change oriented groups. I spend ten to twelve hours a week working in South Providence with a community organizing group and some time working at the Resource Center. l spend my free time with my girl friend, exercising, or both. I don't have that much leisure time' because I've usually wasted it before I get it. The understanding that I have gained through 'the changes has been great though I am not always happy with what I find myself understanding. My impression of Brown has changed for the better. Courses are more inspiring than I imagined they could be. I like Brown slightly better this year, because my room and courses are better and there seems to be some possibility of finding a regular ping-pong game. I have relatively few complaints against Brown. It's my fault that I dont like this place, not the school's. At first, I was overwhelmed by the whole idea of being in college. I now understand that there are some negative aspects to Brown. There is a pervasive disregard for learning on the part of the students here. tiring of the sterility of the academic environment. I don't enjoy working as hard as I am now and as I did last year. But I look at it this way: in the end, it will most likely be worth it. I have a hard time dealing with people's pseudo- intellectualism, their selfish values and pre-profes- sionalism. My tolerance of many of the people at Brown has decreased. I can, however, be optimistic about the place and system in terms of getting what I want. T a2

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26 I'm really learning better i.e. retaining more, gaining more insight, etc. 1 hod some academic couneling 1 wa pietiy helpful in that he told me what I wanted to hear. It's nice to know he's there. 1 choce Brown because 1 caw it on a pretty fall day, had an adorable interviewer and because it had a mystical reputation for being friendly and liberal. I'm very glad that came to Brown but lve discovered that a clear blue cky without any clouds does not dppeat more than once a month, I haven't seen my interviewer since my interview, this place is riendly but 20 are plenty of other schools and itc liberal in thal there are 0o dic tribution requirements but in other waye 5 no Mote liberal than any other comparable school Decpite the groundlessness of my selection, I love this place and am having a fantastic time here. my roommate, am embarasced when he does something unacceptable. The people next door and down the hall are much more considerate than the jocks who took over my hall last veat. really enjoy living in the frat. The brothers are very nice and considerate. My relationship with my roommate has made a lot of my life at Brown more worthwhile We are censitive to each other's needs and respect them. It is much more realistic living with someone you choose in terms of expecting to get along I live in a coop and find it much mote supportive and home like than a dorm T have the same roommate as last year and we were then and still are now the best of friends. I find that I have more privacy lin Chapinj than I had in West Quad last year. 1 don't feel a part of the dorm, as I did last year 1 suspect I'm fucking - up my education, but I SOPHOMORE SURVEY My roommate has many interests different from mine, yet we both entertain similar goale, thus our relationship is rather rewarding The living situation this year is quieter, calmer, easier, etc. Last year I was a lizard, my roommate a turtle it was bad news. I'm rooming with twoother kids Itseacier Dbecauee I have a higher tolerance for them. Don't get me wrong they e great guy: but they sometimes diive me up the wall.y D The fifth floor of Bronson is alittle cold and empty. At the end of last year my roommate and I were best friends. Since then, however, I think that we have grown apart somewhat. We are still friendly and polite toward each other. It is different to live with a roommate whom I choose in that I feel more responsible for his behavior. Last year, inasmuch ac was randonly assigned to my roommate, I felt no chagrin when he behaved badly. This vear I feel that because have chosen to room with don't think any sort of academic counseling would help that 1'd probably be better off at a school with course requirements. I feel that what I am learning is 'How To Be An Intellectual. This year I have so much work to do i.e. number of papers, amoung of reading that I am just trying to get it all done. Last year had more time to do assignments and therefore more time to think about what I was doing. enjoy my courses more this year because I was able to more accurately judge which course would be of interest to me. Both the quantity and quality of my workload have increased tremendously. Academically, Brown is a traditional school which loves to believe it isn't. Most of the academics here are traditional in terms of delivery . .. Sometimes the pressure of a science course i.e. pre-med is out of hand . . . . My work is more enjoyable because I've found a subject that I really like. I've enjoyed all my courses, but I find my overall happiness suffering this year because of the many hours spent in the library. This year is harder than last year. I take half of my classes SYNC. If it weren't for graduate school, I'd take them all that way. It's a healthier way to learn. 1 feel forced into a major. My studying here is such that I take a wide variety of courses . . . it seems deviant to declare a single discipline as a major.

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28 JUNIOR SURVEY The major difference is having a single! It's fantastic to have a place to retreat to, where you can always do what you want. You don't have to worry if your room- mate is studying, sleeping, or watching T.V.. Your room is really your castle. You can go to rot freely with- out trying to be nice to your roommate! And when the phone rings, you know it's for you! In a dorm where everyone basically has their own single, there's a tendency to develop territorial feelings and it's harder to get close to new people. For the first time, I have a single this year. The privacy I have wanted the past two years is at last mine. It's a great feeling to do whatever the hell I want to now. That's true especially because of my girlfriend. Perhaps there is one difference in relationships with people in the House: while my large double was a popular place last year, it's hard to entertain in a small single. This year's floor is pretty quiet. Last year and especially freshman year everyone kept their doors open and talked to you. A conversation now consists of a brisk 'good morning' as you're stepping into the shower. I guess everyone just wants to be left alone. My only regret about being off a meal contract is not seeing certain acquaintances as often but I find that the advantages good food are substantial. It was good to have company in a double, but by this year, I really needed my own room. Having my single makes me feel like much more of an individual. feel that I have become a bit more serious in terms of life devoted to work but I put less emphasis on actual grades. Lately I'm feeling pre-professional pressure, figuring out GPA's, etc. Very sad. At the same time I'd like to take a lot more courses since . . . know I can do the work, but I don't want grade pressures always hovering over me. Juniors and seniors are a hell of a lot less hysterical concerning grades. High school is two long years in the past and enough tests and papers have come and gone to enable one to get used to that 'I'm not the brightest thing around' realization. The natural extension of this becomes so what? and passing decently is the priority, not passing with flying colors. I still want to do well academically but realize that if something is not due on time it is not the end of the world- neither is doing poorly on a paper or exam. I feel much more confident about going to talk to professors about course work or questions- was rather intimidated in this manner freshman year. At the same time, I'm more realistic- the fun and games are over. The quantity of work has increased. Upper level courses prove more demanding in the areas I am taking. A realization that the time to make important decisions about future and career is nearing and the pressure is building to decide-i.e. possibility of med school or other fields. I am not as afraid to have a heavy workload and I'm not as interested in taking a course just because it's a gut. Knowing that I only have two years left makes me feel like I better make the most of it course-wise. I'm much more confident. I am not so intimidated by other people who seem to be so much smarter than me. I still panic and get nervous over my work at times but now I know that I can do it and it will get done. Freshman year, profs passed everyone who knew which end of the pencil to hold. My work load continues to be heavy. However my study habits are more refined so I have time to spend less time completing assignments. I am not satisfied with receiving an 'S after working my ass off on a course, I now take all my courses for a grade . . . . Generally, the quality of my workload is quite good- the material of courses gets better as the level gets highter. My attitude towards academics has changed in that now I see my courses in terms of the life ahead of me. They all relate in one way or another to the future world I will occupy. Rather than seeing a course as a 12 week venture, I now view it as an application to be used later. This semester I have a heavy courseload. I take almost all of my courses for a grade because I feel that grades will be important to future plans of grad school or jobs. Freshman year, I had an idealistic belief that I was studying for the sake of learning and that grades weren't important. I assumed that good grades would follow as it did with many of my friends who had this same belief. However, this approach didn't work for me. While I was studying for the sake of learning as much as possible, other students were studying for tests and were doing much better in terms of grades. Ideally, I would take all my courses SNC and would do work for the sake of learning and still have time for having fun outside of schoolwork. Unfortunately, this is inconsistent with the 'real world. Working is pretty rough. I think I now know what Icanand can tdo and what's reasonable for me to expect 1 take academics much more seriously now. Not like when it wasn't a matter of understanding but simply getting good grades. Now fight to understand and hope