The size of Rochester is pretty amazing- small enough to give you personalized attention, but large enough to have decent resources and great aid. When I say I go to UR, most people, especially in academic circles, are really impressed. Alot of people not in academic circles think we're RIT. WE'RE NOT. We're way better.
There's a lot of school pride- maybe not in the traditional sense of athletics, but in our school itself. Students wear a ton of UR clothes, and are really proud to be here. It gives us a great sense of community.
On campus, I spend most of my time in Gleason, which is this awesome part of our library that was designed by students. It's technically a study area, but it's really more of a socializing/studying place. It's really fun, and really a great place to chill with friends and even maybe get some work done.
There's not really a college town feeling, but there's plenty to do in Rochester. We're home of the original garbage plate (if you've never had one, they sound completely disgusting. If you've had one, you know they're amazing), and have a great music and theatre scene. There's lots of cute little diners and coffee shops in the city, but none are really within walking distance. However, the bus system here is really amazing. I go off campus quite a bit, and it's not difficult at all to find buses. They're a great resource.
The only real complaint about Rochester (except maybe the price) is the meal plan. Our food is by no means great, and it's really expensive. But we do have some good places, and you learn where to go, and more importantly, where not to go pretty quickly. Hint: stay away from Danforth. Another hint: Douglass is pretty much the best place on campus to eat. Several people have told me we have the largest Starbuck's on a college campus- I'm not sure that's true, but it is a really nice one, and has pretty much all the options of a full Starbucks. Hillside, a little cafe in Sue B Residence Hall, now has panini's, which are delicious and made fresh when you order them, but because of that, there can sometimes be quite a line. That's new this year though, so maybe eventually they'll stop being so incredibly popular.
One experience I'll always remember..... there are a million. But my first really great memory was Yellowjacket weekend, which is sort of a kickoff to the school year. You get a free "jersey", and there's a full fledge carnival. It was really fun, and msot of the school shows up. Like I said, everyone's really happy to be here.