The Best Thing: I'm a sophomore and I'm still meeting new people and doing what I want like starting NGO's and getting involved in new things.
What I would change: I would fast forward 20 years to when all the construction is done, we have a better endowment, and we have administrators who know how to run a school.
The size is perfect. I went to a small high school (about 1,000) and brandeis seems to be a good fit. I don't feel bewildered by new faces everyday, but there are enough people that i don't know so that I can constantly meet new people. Pretty much I can recognize people, but I don't know all of them. I would feel lost if I saw brand new people everyday.
Where I spend most of my time on campus: In various meetings and rehearsals. I like to stay active, and fortunately I've been able to fill my time with lots of worthwhile things, from VoiceMale, which is pretty much a semi-professional a cappella group) to F.R.E.S.H. Water, an NGO I started this semester. The key to being happy and successful is GETING OUT OF YOUR ROOM! I had a shitty freshman year because I stayed there all day and watched TV.
Peoples Reactions: 75{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} Impressed and they have a not-to-distant relative who went here. 15{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} Whatever. 10{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} What's Brandeis?
I guess waltham is out college down. It's a pain because it's not walking distance, so you have to take a campus escort (Branvan as we call it) or have a friend with a car). There's restaurants and a few nice public areas, but nothing that interesting. Boston, however, is a great town. I am only just beginning to appreciate it. There's tons to do and student events offers cheap tickets for everything from theater to the aquarium. I recommend trying to take some sort of Boston history or architecture course and then going to see what you learned first hand. Boston is an amazing city with tons to do... if you can get there. Once again, you need to take the campus shuttle to get there, which only runs thursdays through sundays. But monday-wednesday you'll probably have other stuff to do, so now big deal unless you area a compulsive city dweller like myself.
Brandeis Administration is not so great. Because it's a young university (relatively) there's still a lot of questions about its character and how it is run. There are good admins, but also bad. All in all, I don't deal with them much, so I can't really say.
Biggest recent controversy: An article in one of our humor magazines that depicted "blackjerry" a substitute for a blackberry that is essentially a black guy who does stuff for you. It was meant in good humor, but some people got offended. I personally thing the knee-jerk reaction from the student union is a symptom of the sometimes over-liberal sentiment on campus.
School pride is mediocre, but growing. This past year has seen events getting bigger and better, with lines outside school sponsored partied and sold out seats at concerts and shows. Don't come here if you need to root for a sports team or something. Come here if you want to make things better by actively engaging yourself, not sitting back and letting the school spirit engage you.
Unusual about brandeis: ugly building, constant construction, so I guess the aesthetic is lacking. But on the plus side, students are surprisingly engaged in various aspects of campus life. The most unusual thing is that you have to shape your own college experience. No one can do it for you.
One experience I'll always remember: Going on tour in California with my a cappella group. I've gone everywhere with them, from cali to arizona and north carolina. I'll never forget the california tour my freshman year. Amazing.
Most frequent complaints: Ugly campus, not engaged in campus life, not enough food options, crazy admins.