So, I’m less than 100 days away from graduation and I’m a mixed ball of emotions. RIT has been the high education learning I’ve always hoped for. The resources I have received have been like no other, the jobs I’ve had on campus have made me a better speaker and person. There will be tons of things on campus and in Rochester that I will miss, so here’s my top three! 

1. The People:

I will truly miss the RIT community. Here you can literally be whoever or whatever you want. Want to wear a dinosaur costume on a Tuesday? Go ahead, no one will judge you. I’ve met some of the coolest people here as well, people whom I also like to call my friends. When beginning college, you’ll notice that you will phase out of your high school friends (not in all circumstances, I’m still best friends with mine) and you’ll start to find your new group of friends and people you want to surround yourself with. I would say 80 percent of my friends are from RIT CIAS! 

2. The Facilities:

I have the honor of being a student in the College of Imaging Arts and Sciences. Like many of the colleges on campus, the facilities in the buildings that host this college are insanely amazing. The photo cage is basically a dream. The cage has tons of cameras from film to digital, a variety of brands, lighting, light modifiers, tripods, microphones and recorders, and literally anything else you can dream of. I am so blessed that I got to use this for four years and I will probably miss it more than anything. 

3. The Professors: 

I’ve had some amazing professors here at RIT, and not all of them were necessarily in CIAS. My minor is Advertising and Public Relations and the professors in COLA are hilarious and make class seem to go by super quick. In CIAS, some of the professors are still in the industry- one of my professors has photographed JayZ (!!!!) and some just have this amazing knowledge of photography that I don’t think I could get anywhere besides RIT. Also, I’ve been a teachers assistant for the past two semesters and working with these two professors has been such a privilege, manly because I would love to come back to RIT and be a professor! 

If you’re in the RIT system already or just starting out, you’ll understand this blog when you’re in your last semester. I know I’ll start to cry once May is upon us, but I'll be a proud Tiger always! 

Twas the night before career fair when all through RIT, not a student was sleeping, not even Ritchie, the mascot; The resumes were typed in folders so pretty in hopes that a future co-op would be waiting….  

Tomorrow, Wednesday to be specific, will be the career fair. One of the biggest events that RIT holds on campus and a year ago to date was my first career fair. I told myself that I was totally ready for it! My papers were all in order, my professional attire was laid out for the day and…..ok, I was far from what I have mentioned. I was a crazy mess! I thought the resume I had been constantly updating for the past year was not good enough, so I created a new one to be printed out the next day before the fair. When I arrived at school, I was scared and nervous and worried about throwing myself out there. It took about five to six people to calm me down, including a complete stranger who encouraged me to talk to any company just to get started. Although the words were comforting, I was nervous. The time was counting down and I knew that if I didn’t head over now, I may miss an opportunity. Walking over to the Gordon Field House was hard. Multiple times I had to remind myself to breathe and not pass out. On the bright side, I would have been by a blue box if I had passed out. Anyway, once I walked in, I quickly located one of my tour guide buddies who I decided to follow because I was a bundle of shaking nerves. We had our professional headshots taken, walked around, and then (by her urging and also a quick shove at a company) I began to talk.

The first company I talked with offered me an interview which was very exciting. After that I just kept going. I talked with about twelve companies and even a few more who were just starting to create a marketing/advertising/public relations sector. Two more companies I had talked to had an interest in me and strongly encouraged that I apply to their program. I was so excited and am still excited, years after the event.

Point is, career fair is super exciting and beneficial! Back then, I was only a second year and creating my own major; today I'm a third year still creating my own major. I still market the skills that I have developed and the fact that I am creating my own major receives applause from companies. The one thing that has changed is that this year I will be recruiting with the company I am currently interning at and will be able to see the career fair from "the other side" which will be pretty exciting.

Point is fter the whole thing is over, you have this sense of relief to go back to “normal” clothes, but at the same time it is a bit sad, for multiple reasons. For one, I won’t have the opportunity to attend another career fair for another six months. Second, it is really exciting and nerve-racking and spectacular to be at a professional career event where everyone gets dressed up and looks for possible employment. It sounds a bit odd, but the experience is hard to organize into words. I would highly recommend to be a part of the career fair as early as possible just to relieve yourself of some jitters and nervousness. You don’t have to be looking for a co-op, you could volunteer at the fair and assist companies in setting up. In summary: career fair is awesome and take advantage of the events that the career services offices holds. Until Next Time!  

Dressing for success is something we've all heard, but what is it like in terms of college?

There will come a time where everyone will have to "dress for success." This could be for an upcoming career fair, an interview, or a special presentation. There are two main categories that you will encounter: business casual, and business professional.

Business Casual

Luckily, the guys have it easy here. Business casual for men typically is a nice pair of dress pants (even khakis will do) and a button down shirt or nice polo. Whalah, you're set. Pair it with a nice pair of dress shoes and you're all set to go.

To all the ladies out there, we have a lot more options (pros and cons). For me personally, I attended a career fair geared towards artists and designers that was a business casual event. For such an event, you want to look very put together, fashionable, and professional - but without looking too businessy (it's a fine line). My go-to is a nice, colorful pant, solid shirt, and a blazer. One could also wear a dress, skirt, sweater, the list goes on and on.

Over the summer, I worked in a creative marketing agency in Rochester. When not meeting with clients, the dress code was business casual. Whenever we would be presenting to a client or an outside representative, we would step it up to business professional.

Business Professional

Once again, guys will have a much simpler time with this. A nice button down shirt, tie (bow tie if you're feeling it), dress slacks, a suit, and nice shoes are a classic combination. Pro tip: take it easy on patterns and colors, clashing won't do you any favors.

For all the girls, it may be time to break out the pant-suits. This is where you want to look as professional as possible, and having a nice blazer or jacket is something to invest in. Business profession for women typically involves professional dress slacks (often dark in color) or skirt paired with a nice shirt and jacket. Most pant-suit/skirt-suit combinations are black or grey, so having a solid, bold colored shirt to wear under the jacket can be a nice touch and allow you to show your personality a bit. If you have a nice pair of heels and are comfortable walking in them, do it! If you feel like you cannot walk normal and are self conscious about how you walk in heels, skip them and go with flats. The important part is that you feel confident.

Why Dress for Success?

You want to make a great first impression when meeting with someone for an interview or presentation. Show them that you can look the part, and they will be more easily able to picture you working alongside them in the workforce. Some studies say that when you look good, you feel good. I personally can attest that if I have a killing outfit on I 100% feel more confident. If you are worried about an interview, fake it until you make it.

Good luck, and keep it classy. 

As a student in your senior year, chances are you have heard of the term “senioritis” before. During this time of year it's a very common word. Think about it, you are almost done with school and you feel like you deserve a break so you reward yourself  with a slower-paced semester before you graduate. As seniors, the biggest problem many of us face is remaining productive and being as organized as possible to finish on a strong note. 

As a major in 3D Digital Design, if you stop working on projects or learning new relevant things, it is strongly reflected in your work that is presented to future employers. You are simply not learning as much if you feel the need to take is easy just because it’s your senior year. To make sure you are getting the most out of your education and keeping up with all your goals, you need to keep learning and improving. One way that I have been able to maintain my productivity is by staying organized; keeping a schedule and staying inspired are great ways to continue pushing forward with your work and feel like you are as time efficient as possible! 

Personally I liked to use Google Calendars to help me stay on top of when I have free time and when I’m busy with jobs, class or other obligations. It has great color coding options to help you separate different types of events as well, which is a great tool for visually organizing your schedule. 

Another valuable asset to add to your tool belt is a free application called Todoist. You can mark different tasks based on the day, time and if the task at hand is for work or personal merit. You can even use it in group projects where your group leaders can keep track of certain tasks that they’ve assigned to the rest of their teams. Should you have any late tasks, it will send e-mails and other reminders on your phone to make sure that you are on top of your work which is great for staying on the same page with the rest of your team. 

One of the best ways to curb your senioritis is to make sure you are giving yourself breaks and time to relax in between your day. While you do want to stay productive and make the most out of your time, you want to stay healthy and in the right mindset when you go back to work. Sometimes you are just a better worker after having gone to the gym or spent sometime away from staring at the same work you’ve been at for the last few hours. 

With these tips in mind, I hope everyone makes the most out of their last semester. Reaching your educational goals doesn’t stop after college and shouldn’t slow down at all your during senior year! 

Here is one of the projects that is in progress. I have been working on to help keep me creating and learning new things.

Weather in Rochester can go from one extreme to another, with sunny summers and chilly winters. For most international students coming from tropical climates, Rochester winters are completely a new experience. Here are a few things to keep in mind to prepare yourselves for the winter:

First up, don't be afraid of the winter! With the right clothing, you will do just fine.

Second, do not underestimate the cold! 

Invest in good winter gear
One way to prepare for the winter season is to have the right gear. If you are coming from a warmer climate, like I did, you may not have the right kind of clothes. I'd recommend that you buy it when you arrive in US. You will have a better time finding better quality winter gear made specifically for the weather here.

A list of winter gear you should definately have:
- A durable waterproof down feather jacket: Your normal woolen jackets will not be enough to survive Rochester winter! You require a good heavy jacket.
- Good snow boots: You wanna make sure your feet do not get wet and stay warm even in the snow.
- Gloves
- Scarves, hats (or earmuffs): Trust me when that wind hits, you need something covering your ears and face.
- Warm socks

Check your weather app before you leave your house
Always check your weather app for the day's forecast. Rochester weather can change by the hour! No kidding, there have been days when I go to class with a light jacket on. The sun's bright and it's not that cold. 2-3 hours later, I come out and everything is covered in snow.

Learn how to dress for the winters
Layer, layer, layer! I can not stress this enough! Layering allows you to keep warm and also be able to adjust to the varying temperatures. It's better to wear more clothes than less!

In India, we wear thermal inners because we do not have centrally heated houses. But, if you wear thermals here, you will heat up and sweat sitting inside the centrally heated buildings. Thus, wear layers over your clothes rather than inside. That way you can easily remove them once you are inside.

The wind is the killer
The wind feels like knives on your skin, a temperature of -7 will feel like -20. In many countries (such as India), winters do not get too windy, so woollen clothes will do the trick. But, just a jacket won't cut it. Get a hat that covers your ears, and a scarf that can cover your face and neck. Nothing but your eyes should be exposed.

The conversion struggle
You would need to deal with the conversion from celsius to Fahrenheit temperatures. To be honest, after two years at RIT I still struggle to understand weather in Fahrenheit.

Figure out what works for you
I have talked to so many international students, who are nervous about the winter. It does take time to get used to it. But, you figure it out! Like, some people feel extremely cold and require leg warmers underneath their pants. I personally have never needed thermal bottoms since I do not feel that cold in my legs.

BUT, the winter is absolutely gorgeous and fun too! Learn to have winter fun!
Do not lock yourself inside cause it's super cold out! Go play snowball fight with your friends, build a snowman or go sledding (seriously, it's so fun!). It's all about getting used to it. Learn how to dress up warm and you will be just fine!

Follow rititgers on instagram to see more of these awesome photos! #prettybricks

It is tough picking the college you want to go to. It's stressful, and you feel all this pressure to make the "right" decision. I had a hard enough time trying to pick a major; how was I going to pick the right school?

I remember starting my college search with my twin brother, Ben, the summer before our junior year (that may seem early to some, but it doesn't hurt to start looking early). Even though my brother and I had completely different majors in mind, it was great having someone to go through the process with. My family would go on mini road trips, visiting colleges on both of our lists. Sometimes I would go to a school that only my brother was interested in. If that school didn't have a major I wanted, sometimes I would make one up for the day and roll with it just for fun.

Even though I knew some of the schools I visited did not have a program I was interested in, I would use the visit to learn more about what I wanted in a school. I would compare housing, food, size, location, and all that other good stuff. Seeing a lot of schools helped me figure out a few things: I did not want a school in the middle of a city, I did not want a gigantic campus, I did not want a tiny campus, I wanted academic diversity and options, and I definitely wanted to be within a day's drive from home (or less).

By the end of junior year, I decided to major in Graphic Design. I started working on all the necessary pieces I would need for a portfolio, and signed up for extra art classes during my senior year. I continued looking into schools with a mix of design and engineering majors.

During my senior year, I began to seriously question if I should pursue "art" as a career and if I would be good enough in the design field. Math and physics were actually some of my stronger classes; how could I not go into engineering?!!! Almost immediately, I told my parents, teachers, counselors, and any school I had started the admission process with that I wanted to go into Civil Engineering (or Civil Engineering Technology, in RIT's case). This completely changed the schools I was looking at. From that point, my list focused on engineering schools. I visited a few more campuses, and even stayed overnight at one of them. One important criteria I looked for in these engineering schools was an opportunity to still take art classes. At least I always knew that I'd want art or design to be part of my college experience.

That's where RIT comes in. Not only did I have a good feeling when I stepped on campus for my first tour, but they had everything I wanted. RIT has top engineering programs as well as top programs in design. I knew that I could find that balance between art and engineering at RIT, unlike so many of the other schools I looked at.

As it turns out, I ended up switching out of engineering technology after my freshman year and into New Media Design – a true mix of art and technology. New Media Design is a unique program that focuses on applying principles and elements of design to user interfaces in things like websites and apps to make it more usable. I love the diversity in my classes. I've taken fine art classes, graphic design classes, and I've started to learn how to code. I absolutely love this unique major and am so happy I came to RIT.

In addition to having the right academics for me, RIT met all my other criteria for my "ideal" college. It's located in Henrietta, a suburb of the city of Rochester. I don't have to worry about crossing any streets or traffic when getting to class, and it is still close enough to enjoy different aspects of "city life." It's also conveniently close to home for me, making it easy for me not to miss out on big family events. RIT is also the perfect size. With 15,000 undergraduate students, there is always something going on, whether it's free movies, a capella or improv shows, juggling contests, hockey games, etc. At the same time, it's also small enough that I can still run into someone I know walking to class or when I'm grabbing something to eat.

I know it can be stressful trying to decide what school to pick. My best advice is to make a list of pros and cons and to try to visit each campus (I know it's kinda cliché, but it works). My gut feeling on campus really helped me make my decision. Think about what is best for your academics, and then whatever other factors are important to you. If you can't visit in person, do some research and find as much information as you can. In the end, go with what feels right to you. Good luck!

As graduation is coming up extremely soon, I’ve been thinking back on when I graduated high school and started my RIT career. Many of you reading this are in your senior year of high school and are wondering what college would be like and you may even be scared or nervous, especially about the residence hall life and how to find a roommate you will get along with. 

Finding a roommate is probably one of the hardest things you will do in your first two years. You want someone who you will get along with but will not distract you from the important work you will have to do. Maybe even someone in your major might be a good idea. 

I honestly found my roommate through Tumblr. We both posted something about needing a roommate and hash tagged “RIT” at the bottom, but there are tons of different ways you can search for your right roommate. We have the Facebook accepted students of 2017 group, the Loop, even Twitter and Snap chat could be a good idea.

Also, you have the option of letting RIT pair you up with someone. It works like this, after signing your housing contract and filling out a profile of questions, RIT can tell you if the roommate you have selected is a good match! There are questions like what time you like to go to bed and wake up, how much you like the window open, what type of music you listen to, or if you like to study in your room. Once you have made this profile, some candidates will show up and you can select one you’d think you would get along with based on the answers to the questions.

Once you have a selected roommate through RIT or one of our social media groups, you can select any open room you want! 

The process isn't that difficult and RIT wants to make sure your first year here is an easy transition. Who knows you might even room with someone you went to high school with! 

As an internation student from China, packing up for college was a challenge especially since my travel time is so long. If you want to check out what you should pack as an out of state student, Andrea, another student ambassador has written the packing list for RIT, you can check her blog at this link: https://www.rit.edu/emcs/admissions/bca/blog/item/a-rit-packing-list.

International travel definitely has more limitations and this post will provide some tips and tricks that I learned from my experience. The travel and packing situation might vary from other countries. 

The first thing to consider are the suitcases.  Usually you are limited with 2 free check-in bags and 1 carry-on bag.  However, some airlines only allow 1 free check-in bag. You can get the information from the airline website. 

Second, you will want to make sure that you have a large and sturdy suitcases since they will probably be “abused” during the international transition. Some airline companies will regulate the weight of each bag, so you should check this information before packing. Generally the rule of thumb is to bring larger suitcases rather than smaller ones. Filling the whole suitcase can overload the weight but you can counteract that by packing light items in the suitcase to balance them out.

The third tip I have is  to decide if you want to buy stuff or bring it with you. Andrea’s blog shares a comprehensive packing list. However, if you decide to travel lightly, my packing list might be a good reference as well. I would also like to point out that it is recommended to buy in the US since you won't have to bring as much and it might be cheaper. 

Personal Items:

• Your FAVORITE pieces of clothing
  • You really do not need to bring a lot of clothes because I believe buying clothes in the US is a lot cheaper than in China. Unless you have a petite body build, you would want to bring more clothes since the clothes size in the US tends to be larger. For petite girls, you also want to bring bras because of the larger clothing size.
• Winter clothes (jackets, boots, gloves, scarf, hat, etc.)
  • If you’re from a warm place that never experiences cold weather, I highly recommend you to buy winter clothes in Rochester since the clothes are a lot heavier and easier to find. You can also purchase winter gears in the U.S. if you don’t want to fit heavy clothes in your suitcases.
• Rain clothing (umbrella, rain jacket, and rain boots)
  • Can be also purchased in the U.S.
• Laptop with charger
  • I believe you can use the same MacBook charger in the U.S.. The US voltage is 110V. If you have another brand computer/laptop, you might need to look into if they can be used with 110 voltages.
• Phone and Phone charger
  • You can use any unlocked phones in the U.S.. The iphone charger from China can also be used in the U.S. but you might have to check chargers of other brands. 
• Anything that you have attachment of
  • Family pictures, pictures of your pet- it really helps your nostalgia when you are abroad.
• Glasses and extra contact lenses
  • In the U.S., you have to go to the doctor to get contact lenses prescription. I usually buy a bunch of extra ones and bring them. 

Bedroom items:

• Comforters and pillows
  • If you are used to your old comforters or pillows, you might want to bring them. However, if it is not a must do not bring them. You probably need a heavy comforter for Rochester’s winter weather.
• The bed size in RIT dorms is very different than in China (it’s XL twin size), so I suggested you to purchase bed sheets when you arrive. The bed size can be found in this link: https://www.rit.edu/fa/housing/content/your-room-express-yourself
• The items that you might need to purchase:
  • Desk lamp
  • Storage containers
  • Floor lamp
  • Fridge
  • TV (if you need one)
  • Any decorative items

Bathroom items

• Cosmetics and beauty products
• You can basically purchase any toiletry items in the U.S. Do not recommend to pack since the liquid product might leak or burst during the transition. However, if you use the certain brands that are not sold in the U.S., you might want to bring them. You rarely find Korean and Japanese beauty products in Rochester, so you can bring some of those.
• Things you might need to buy in the US:
  • Shower caddy
  • Towels
  • Toiletries
  • Slippers (or bring them)
  • Blow dryer (don’t bring this since the voltage is different)

Food items:

• Any home food that you will be missing
  • I wish I brought more Chinese snacks, however you can get some of them from the Asian market here. 

School supplies:

• Backpacks or purses
• Pens (recommend to buy pens in China since they are way cheaper and easy to pack)
• Art supplies (highly recommend to bring art supplies since they are a lot cheaper in China)

Medicines:

• Bring the ones that you use in a daily basis. You can get over the counter medicines in the U.S. However if you want specialized medicines like Chinese Herbal, it's hard to find in here. 
• It's not a MUST but you might want to bring a few common medicines that you are used to. You can use them until you get famarized with the drugs in the U.S.

Important things to remember for international student:

• I20 form (signed)
• Passport
• Some USD cash but not too much
• Ear plugs for the plane ride
• Do not bring the currency of your country to the U.S.

Generally speaking, it depends on how much you are willing to bring for traveling and your budget for expenses. The small items like school supplies are cheaper in China whereas clothing and other stuff are cheaper in the U.S.. If you decide to bring more than the limited free suitcase amount, you might need to pay extra money to check in the bags. It is usually very hard to travel when you bring a lot of bags. I wish I had not brought that much stuff since it is such a pain to transport them. 

College can be expensive. Costs for tuition, housing, textbooks, food, supplies, clothes, etc. add up. Here are a few things you should know about cutting costs in college.

Merit-based scholarship

The Undergraduate Admissions Office and the Scholarship Selection Committee automatically review your admission application for merit-based scholarship programs. If eligible, you will receive a notification letter from the Scholarship Selection Committee. 

Here is the List of scholarships that RIT offers.

On-campus Employment

There are paid on-campus jobs available for students interested in making a little money and engaging in learning. Most on-campus jobs are posted on the student employment office's website. Some jobs are also announced through emails, posters, and flyers on campus - so, be on the lookout for that! If you are interested in working in a specific department or area on campus, you can always email that department expressing your interest and intent to work. This is how I got my job as an International Student Ambassador at the undergraduate admissions office!

Need-based aid

Students can also apply for need-based aid. For US citizens the form is called FAFSA. If you are an international student, then you fill the form called ISFAA, which is basically like FAFSA for international students.

ISFAA

Maintaining scholarship

A lot of students are worried about the consequences of not being able to maintain their GPA. The cut off is 2.8 and if you do not achieve it 250$ is reduced every term only for the first year. If your GPA still falls below the cutoff for the next year/term your scholarship will remain at the reduced level( ie no further reductions will take place). If you do manage to get your GPA back up your scholarship will be renewed to original amount.

Having said this, work hard to keep your grades up and maintain your scholarship!

Pay less for textbooks

Before you buy your textbooks, here are a few things you should consider:

Consider waiting to buy textbooks until asking your professors: I never buy textbooks until after the first day. Sometimes professors use the textbook for only a couple of chapters, some classes require the book to be followed to the letter and others just suggest you have it as additional reference. I have had classes where professors gave us online PDF links for the book.

Textbooks aren't always required: Even though your schedule may say a textbook is required, the professor may have different intentions. Be sure to email your professor or wait until the first day of class.

Ask professor what version you need before buying: Books can have different versions and editions. I have had classes where the professor told us to buy a different edition than the one listed on the syllabus.

Compare prices of the textbooks: Check online for better prices. Amazon is a good site to start with. You may also find free PDF links for the book online.
If the professor only uses the book as a reference, you can always borrow it from the library.
Inter-Library Loan is also a thing, if you need a book that the library doesn't have, chances are they know a library that does and they can get it for you.
Used/Rent copies: Buying a used textbook or renting one is usually is cheaper than buying a new one. You can rent textbooks from Barnes and Nobles on campus as well.

Ask seniors: Chances are that you would find someone who has already taken the course willing to let you borrow the textbook or sell it at a cheaper price. Always ask around.

Facebook groups : There are facebook groups where students sell used textbooks.

Free amazon prime for 6 months for students

Students get six months free of Amazon Prime. Prime provides free 2-day shipping on many items – including some textbooks. You have to sign up with your RIT email id for the same. It times out perfectly if you wait until August to sign up for this-then you can order textbooks for both the fall and spring semester under a prime account!!Don't forget that you also get a $5 gift card for signing up!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DBYBNEE?_encoding=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0

Sell your textbooks at the end of the semester

Do you have a stack of textbooks that you have only used for one semester? You can always try to sell your textbooks if do not require them anymore. Barnes and Noble takes used textbooks and there are Facebook groups for the same.

Textbook Exchange
https://www.facebook.com/groups/286895931391526/
Free or for sale
https://www.facebook.com/groups/286895951391524/for_sale_search/?forsalesearchtype=for_sale&availability=available&query=textbook

Ask if there is a student discount before purchasing anything

If you don't ask, you don't get! Many retail stores, restaurants, coffee shops, etc. do not advertise the fact that they offer discounts for students. Always ask!

Take advantage of RIT's bus

RIT has a shuttle schedule that runs seven days a week, that you should definately take advantage of.

You can get free medical eye and ear checkups on campus. There is an 'Eye and Ear clinic' in LBJ Room 3758.
Look here for details - http://www.ntid.rit.edu/css/eye-ear-clinic

These are just a few of my tips to help you cut costs during college, here at RIT. Good luck!

As a 3D Digital Design major, 3D printers can be a valuable asset here on campus. Luckily for my major and the lot of us here at RIT, there are loads of resources for getting your things 3D printed here on campus at a variety of locations on a variety of different types of printers!

On the fourth floor of Institute Hall is the RIT Construct. We like to call it the "maker space" as it’s a lab filled with all sorts of rapid prototyping machinery. Students have access to 3D Printers, laser-cutters, and CNC machines. There’s also spaces in the lab for students to work on their electronics, metal and woodworking as well as CAD designs on computers. Students who are proficient on these machines can even work there to help provide guidance and keep the place running smoothly! My favorite part is that all students (regardless of what major you are in) have access to up to 500g of filament per semester as well as access to some free materials such as scrap parts, solder and spray paint.

In the College of Imaging Arts and Sciences, there are also tons of scattered 3D printers for students to access. I’ve even gone up last minute and used the Glass major’s makerbot 3D printer for extra credit on an assignment!

The Earl Brinkman Machine Tools and Manufacturing Laboratory, located inRIT’s Kate Gleason College of Engineering, is also a great state of the art facility. It’s filled with 3D printers and CNC machines there - more for the purpose of research and teaching of manufacturing, and students who use it are usually enrolled in specific classes.

From what I’ve heard from my friends over at Computer Science House, CSH also has a 3D printer that they use in their labs for certain projects.

There is also a 3D printer in the RIT Photo Store located in the middle of the quarter mile!

In addition to other 3D printing labs here on campus, there are also some majors who have a printer or two specifically for their major’s classes and work. To support all the use of these printers there are many tours, lectures and even classes on using these 3D printers offered here on campus depending on your major and relevant prerequisites.

Here’s an in-progress 3D print I worked on!

Your room

Most likely, you will share a room with other roommates in a double, a triple, or a quad room. The double rooms usually have 2 sizes: rectangular, 17 feet long by 10 feet wide or square, 12 feet by 14 feet wide. Each room comes with a desk, a chair, a bed, a mattress, and a drawer (as well as closet space). You can bring other furniture if you prefer to have them in your room.  The triple room and quad rooms have more space and tend to be more social.

Coming to college, you learn to share the room with others. It’s a nice thing to have roommates. You can eat meals with them, you always have people around to talk to, or you guys might even become best friends. However, sharing the space with someone can become challenging. The best ways to solve problems are through effective communications and avoiding passive aggressive methods. In the beginning of the school year, your RA will give you a Roommate Agreement. Don’t overlook this agreement. If you get into some conflicts with your roommate, this agreement is what you will base-off-of. You can always revisit the agreement with your roommate (roommates). Also, don’t feel bad to ask help from your RAs. They are there to help your first-year residential living experience. 

The bathroom

The bathroom is shared either with your floor mates or with your suite mates if you live in a suite style room layout. The bathroom is not co-ed, so don't worry! You also need a shower caddy and shower shoes (slippers) for showering. The shower stalls have a stall door on the outside, and another curtain on the inside, for a little more privacy.

The lounge

The lounge is where people hang out or study. Each floor at least has 1 lounge. Dorms do not typically have a kitchen, but there is a microwave in each lounge that you can use, just don’t set off the fire alarms at 3 am in the morning. If you are really in the mood to cook, there are a few kitchens in residence halls that can be signed out in advance. 

The laundry facilities

Laundry rooms are located in the tunnel of each dorm. Some dorms share one laundry room, and others have their own laundry room. You don’t need coins for doing laundry, it’s FREE! Although you will need to have your own laundry supplies. 

The tunnels

The dorm side of RIT is all connected through tunnels, so students don’t need to go outside in the winter for groceries and food. There are so many beautiful murals created by students in the tunnels that you can check out. Also, the main convenience stores are in the tunnels as well- corner store and sol’s underground. There is also a post office and all the mailboxes across to the corner store in the tunnel. 

Special interest housing and life style floors

You don’t have to feel obligated to apply for special interest housing. It’s fun to live on one. You will find people who have similar interests as you and usually these floors are more social. There are dues involved as living on special interest floor and some floors have kitchens (i-house and study abroad floor). You can find more information on each special interest floor at:

https://www.rit.edu/fa/housing/housing-option/special-interest-lifestyle-floors

Meals are definitely an important part of college, and choosing a proper meal plan to fit your college life is definitely a good idea! As a freshman at RIT, you have three types of meal plans that you can choose from. We have the Tiger 10, Tiger 14, and Tiger 20.

Each are quite similar, consisting of a specified amount of meals at our main dining hall, Gracie’s, a specified amount of meal exchanges to use at any of our other dining locations on campus. Each also contains a specified amount of food debit (aka "Dining Dollars") to use for smaller purchases where a whole meal isn’t necessary. Meal exchanges equate to a purchase of $8 in food. A quick breakdown of the meal options is below:

Tiger 10

Total Cost per semester: $2,645

Total Dining Dollars per semester: $725

Total Meals per Week: 10

Total Gracie’s Meals per Week: 5

Total Exchanges per Week: upt to 5

Tiger 14

Total Cost per semester: $2,762

Total Dining Dollars per semester: $525

Total Meals per Week: 14

Total Gracie’s Meals per Week: 8

Total Exchanges per Week: up tp 6

Tiger 20

Total Cost per semester: $2,879

Total Dining Dollars per semester: $325

Total Meals per Week: 20

Total Meals at Gracie's: 13

Total Exchanges per Week: up to 7

I personally found the Tiger 10 to fit my needs the most when I was a freshman. Another reason I chose the Tiger 10 was because I enjoyed the flexibility of having more Dining Dollars and not having to worry about making sure I used all of my meal exchanges for the week. I personally always recommend the Tiger 10 to most people because it’s still a great amount of food, costs the least and is the most flexible option of the three.

After your freshman year here at RIT, there are also some more flexible options for students to choose from who might still want a meal plan here at RIT. There are five new options in addition to the previous freshman options for people who are upperclassmen, transfer students or graduate students to choose from.

Tiger 5: Just like the freshman meal plans, they have 5 flexible meal options they can use per week and $1,325 dollars in Dining Dollars for a total cost of $2,645.

Orange: Strictly Dining Dollars: $2,762 per semester

Gold: Strictly Dining Dollars: $1,400 per semester

Silver: Strictly Dining Dollars: $1,000 per semester

Bronze: Strictly Dollars: $550 per semester

Dining Dollars are great in the fall semester, as they will roll over into your spring semester without disappearing and you can use any excess during the spring. At the end of every spring semester, however, you need to make sure that all of your Dining Dollars have been used up as it will not roll over into the next academic year. I personally found that if I ever had excess Dining Dollars as a freshman I would spend it on non-perishable groceries that I could store in my dorm for when I was too busy to get food elsewhere.

Overall I love all the options to eat here at RIT and having the flexibility to eat at all the places scattered through campus as well as being able to spend the Dining Dollars right through my RIT ID card was super convenient. I even could use it in the vending machines for late night snacking!

In addition to residence halls available for incoming freshman, RIT offers Special interest housing. Special interest housing (SIH) are houses for students who want to live around others that share common interests. The relationships with faculty, upperclassmen, and alumni are what makes SIH special. There are currently 7 special interest houses at RIT located on specific floors in the residence halls.

The 7 houses are: Art house, Photo house, Unity house, House of General Science, International house, Computer Science house, Engineering house.

Each offers different amenities, events, community and experience. Check out this website for detailed information on each.

Application Process

1. SIH Members are selected based on an initial written application process. It is not on a first-come, first-served basis. 
2. Applications are due by May 1 in order to be considered for fall membership.
3. Current SIH members are actively involved in the selection of new members with assistance from their Residential Life administrative advisor, Housing Operations staff, and academic advisor.
4. Once, accepted students can either opt for a random roommate, or choose a roommate of their choice, who has also been accepted in the same SIH.

Membership dues

All house members are expected to pay dues to support house activities and purchase supplies for the extra on-floor amenities available. Dues range from $45 to $105 per year depending on the house.

Special Interest Housing is a great way to get more involved on campus. You can also be apart of these groups even if you choose not to live there. Members who choose to live elsewhere (and who still can to be part of the SIH community) can still apply as an off-floor member and be an active part of the interest group.  

Since I was in high school, I knew I wanted to study design or something like design ...until I came to RIT.

When I was looking for art colleges, RIT definitely was a great option for me. RIT has one of the top industrial design programs, they have the second best photography major in the US, and all other art/design majors are in good rankings as well. Besdies looking at rankings, I also looked at the campus life at RIT like the student life, clubs, and student community. Althought I was also accepted by other art schools like Pratt and California College of Arts, I figured RIT has the most diversity of out all these art shcools. The institute has a variety of majors which attract people from all backgrounds. I would be able to take classes that are not from my major and meet people from different programs with different backgrounds. This is was something other art colleges could not offer.

RIT is an academic institute that has a lot more to offer from academic support to social life to student affairs, and athletic events. After my first year in industrial design, I found out that I was no longer passionate about Industrial Design. The resources at RIT gave me opportunities to explore different majors. I talked to career advisors, academic counselors, Deans from different colleges. There is also an individualized study program that allows students engage in several different fields. Changing my major was not difficult at all. Considering I was in College of Imaging Arts and Sciences, I thought I would have to take lots of additional classes if I change my major. In reality, I did not need to take any extra classes and all my credits from my first year classes were transferred to my new program.

The other reason I chose RIT is that it is a high tech campus. The WiFi on campus is fast and covers every inch. ITS is always helpful to trouble shoot and fix technology issues. The labs are nicely equipped with large screen Macs and some labs even have hardware and tools for students to use like the industrial design labs and workshops. Beyond the standard labs, RIT is also a leader in printing technology. We have 3D printers in the hub in the SAU (Student Alumni Union) and all across our campus. There's much more technology stuff related to certain majors that I don’t know about, but the general ideas is that RIT has advanced technology and facilities open for students.

Since I changed my major to packaging science, cooperative education has become a big part in my current major. For those who don’t know, the cooperative education program at RIT is full-time, paid employment directly related to your field of study. The length of a co-op can be a single term or 2 consecutive terms. Co-op gives you the opportunity to gain work experience, helps you further realize your career path and the value of what you are learning in the classroom. RIT office of career services and cooperative education organizes a huge career fair each semester that gives students opportunities to search for coops and network with future employers. This makes finding a co-op much easier and the Office of Career Services and Cooperative Education is always open to counseling and help. I was lucky enough to get a co-op with Ocean Spray this coming summer and fall through the co-op office.

All of these reasons and more are why RIT is a great fit for me!

Choosing a college is no easy decision. There are so many amazing universities that offer great programs and resources, that finding one that's a perfect fit for you can be a daunting process. I never thought that I (a Texas girl) would end up in Rochester, NY of all places for school—but RIT being the perfect fit for what I was looking for has really made me a more successful student than if I hadn't gone outside of my comfort zone. Here are the major reasons I made the big decision to move to New York for school:

Student Work
A major motivating factor for choosing RIT (especially as a graphic design major) was looking at the work that students are producing. A way to figure out if you will like the coursework is to see what kinds of projects students are currently working on. If you're looking into an art or design major, I would recommend heading over to creativity.cias.rit.edu. This site has links to a lot of student portfolio websites, which are cool to look at.

Imagine RIT
The first Saturday of May each year, 35,000 visitors come out to the RIT campus and see all of the amazing projects that students, faculty, and staff have worked on over the past year. Projects range from things like creating your own typeface with your handwriting, to start up businesses, to a robotic s'more machine, even giant roller coaster models. Imagine RIT summed up RIT and the types of people that I would be going to school with. The "nerdiness" of the school has just enhanced my experience here :)

My first time at Imagine RIT as a junior in high school.

Diverse Student Body
You can be in a dining hall and have an opportunity to sit down and talk with an Environmental Sustainability, Health, and Safety major, a Computer Science major, or an Illustration major. I have met students from all over the world (RIT is 10% international students) and deaf and hard of hearing students (over 1,500 students on campus). There is also a lot of diversity in the number of majors offered on campus, and the opportunity for collaboration on projects was a major plus for RIT!

Entrepreneurial Resources
My first time on RIT's campus was actually for a business plan competition. I was exposed to the resources that our Simone Center for Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship offers for students. Students have the opportunity to get funding for businesses, co-op credits for starting and running businesses over the summer. RIT has a Tiger Tank competition, business plan competitions, Hackathons, and a BUNCH of other awesome resources and things that you can do and utilize.

Non-traditional Art School
Since I am interested in business, web development, and advertising and public relations, having the opportunity to take classes in all of those disciplines was a big reason I chose RIT. If I was at a traditional art school I might not have had the opportunity to take classes in so many areas of study. My design classes are very similar and comparable to classes I might take at a college that focuses just on art majors, but at RIT I can pair that with business and computing, which is a really unique opportunity.

Big School Resources, Small School Feel
You have the big school feel with so many different types of people and resources, but small school feel in the classroom. Most of my classes (labs and studios) are less than 20 students, which means that I know everyone in my major really well, and I know my professors well also. RIT has over 250 clubs and organizations, so there is plenty to do around campus. You'll never be bored and you'll always have a variety of food options—that's where being at a big school was important to me. :)

While this is just my reasoning for choosing RIT, there are many other reasons why students choose RIT. Job opportunities, co-op experience, being able to participate in intramurals and/ or NCAA sports. RIT is a big place, so let me know if you have any other questions! I am more than glad to help. 

Choosing RIT was one of the best decisions I could have ever made! I am a 2nd year New Media Design student and I absolutely love my major and RIT. Here is why I chose to come to RIT.

Non-traditional art school
I did not want to go to a pure art college. I wanted a college where I could take not only design classes but classes like business, web development, psychology etc. And having the opportunity to take classes in all of those disciplines was a big reason I chose RIT. I am currently doing psychology as my immersion and web development as my minor. I might not have had that opportunity at a traditional art college.

One of a kind major
My major, New media Design, is the perfect blend of design and tech. One of the reasons why I chose RIT was that there weren't many colleges that offered a program as diverse as New Media Design - teaching us skills like 3D, motion, UI/UX, typography, illustration, web design and development.

Diverse Student Body
RIT has student body consists of students from more than 100 countries, tons of different majors, and deaf and hard of hearing students. You get just a great opportunity for multidisciplinary projects and to meet and learn from students from a variety of different cultures and majors.

Strong Co-op Program
RIT's co-op program is the one of the best and very helpful. We have a dedicated career services office that helps you through each step - writing emails, cover letters, drafting resumes, preparing for interviews etc.

Great Reviews and helpful student body
RIT was one the universities that had great online reviews along with very helpful current student body. I talked a few current students and alumni before I decided on choosing RIT, and they all had extremely positive experiences to talk about.

Cost

As an international student, the cost of tuition was a big factor for me. RIT offered both merit and need-based aid and fit well in my budget.

It's about that time in the year where you will be looking for your roommate(s) for you freshman year. Finding a roommate can seem a little daunting at first if you do not know anyone going to the same school as you. That's ok, a lot of people are in the same boat! Here are some tips on how to find a roommate.

Post in the Loop at RIT. The Loop is RIT's own private social network for accepted students. You can also post questions in the Loop, as it is often monitored by current RIT student ambassadors looking to answering any questions you may have.

Join the accepted student facebook page. This is a great place to find other incoming students and to introduce yourself. What's the risk in throwing your name out there? Search for the 2017 Accepted Class of 2017 group page!

Complete the housing survey. Once you put down your deposit, you should receive information about starting the housing contract. Through the housing StarRez portal, you can complete a survey about your housing and life-style preferences. Once completed, you will receive a list of usernames of people who had similar results to you. Pro tip - these usernames (ex: abc1234) are the first part a student's email; tack on @rit.edu and you can send that person an email!

If you do not have a preference and choose to forego the roommate selection process, you go in and get a random roommate. You will be assigned a housing selection time (which will typically be in mid-summer). This time slot allows you to go in and select the building, floor, and even specific room you want to live in. If you have a roommate already, whoever has the earlier time slot will choose for the both of you first - and then the next roommate(s) will confirm the room. If you do not have a roommate going into the selection process, you may choose any room with an available spot. You can choose a room that is already partially occupied, or you may select an empty one and someone else will add themselves to your room (random).

Having the housing selection process over the summer does give you a little time over the summer to connect with your future roommate and coordinate who will be bringing what.

Best of luck with the housing and roommate selection process! Check out the housing website for more info or ask questions in the groups listed above!

Well, it’s officially summer! Time sure flies. I remember this time last year, when I was just starting to think of all the things to pack into my 5 suitcases to make the trip from Dallas up to Rochester… I’m writing this blog post to give you a few packing tips and let you in on some insider secrets to residence halls life.

Aside from the “normal” packing list, I also brought the following (which really made my life so much easier!):

• USB Extension: I use the USB extension in my room, it means when my bed was bunked my phone could easily reach from the outlet to my bed!
• Portable Phone Charger: While we’re on the subject of charging our devices, I will definitely put a plug in for a portable charger. It’s great for the days you’re going to be gone all day and want to make sure that your phone doesn’t die.
• Curtains & Tension Rods:The closet can be a major eyesore. I brought curtains and a tension rod to cover the closet. Definitely one of the best decisions I made all year!
• Tools: The mini tool kit actually came in handy a few times throughout the year (when my bike broke, assembling furniture, etc.). At least bring a few essentials.
• Portable Hard Drives: Though these aren’t cheap, they were required for my classes. I have two hard drives, one for backing up my entire computer, the other for moving large files back and forth between classes. You’ll be glad to have backups of your school work when your computer breaks.
• Printer: I didn’t have a printer at the beginning of the year, but I decided to get one about halfway through my first semester. The convenience really paid off… Plus having a scanner and copier in my room is priceless.
• Extra storage: I lived in Ellingson my first year, and storage was definitely a problem. I actually purchased quite a few things for extra storage. A metal shelf that I set my fridge on, a bookshelf from Walmart, and storage bins). All of these made my life much easier throughout the year.
• Floor Lamp: I am not the biggest fan of the lighting in the residence halls—a floor lamp definitely made my room feel more homey, and it gave the room extra light for studying.
• Command strips to hang your posters.
• Surge protectors with long cables: I ended up setting up my room in a way where my desk was on the opposite side of my wall outlets. You might want to make the call when you move in to your room, but I definitely ended up needing power about 25ft from the outlet. (Ellingson room layouts seem to be the most flexible/different throughout the building).
• Batteries: You never know when you’re going to have something die. Having a few AA and AAA on hand will save you at least once during the year.
• Passport and Social Security Card: Canada is super close, you might want to go visit. If you’re applying for a job on campus you will need documents to prove your identity. Make sure you bring necessary documents.
• Earbuds: I bought a nice pair of earbuds for when I was sleeping and my roommate was awake. That worked really well to block out the noise (the Apple earbuds I had ended up really hurting my ears)!

Once you make it to RIT, here are a few tips to make your life in the residence halls a little easier:

1. Floor Plans: The floor plans and layouts of room can vary from room to room. Don’t assume anything! Go check out your room before you purchase a lot of additional storage. You don’t want to end up with giant storage bins that you have no good place for.
2. You’re going to collect a lot of stuff over the year: Do yourself a favor and don’t bring too much. You can always get other items at a later time.
3. Shaky bed?: Especially if you keep your bed lofted, there’s a good chance that it won’t be very stable. If you wedge your desk/dresser between the bed and the wall it will hold it in place, and you will feel much safer.
4. Practice making Easy Mac and microwavable popcorn this week: Seriously, everyone on your floor will love you if you don’t set off the fire alarms. If you floor sets off the alarm three times you lose privileges of the microwave for the year. I promise you that using less water in your Easy Mac will NOT make it cook faster (this actually happened on my friend’s floor last year).
5. The wireless Internet is fast: But sometimes it doesn’t work. An Ethernet cable can solve all of your problems.
6. Roommate problems?: Not everyone is going to love their roommate. And that’s okay. Just do everyone a favor and be civil. If the situation gets really out of control make sure to talk to your RA about the next step.
7. NEVER LEAVE YOUR ROOM WITHOUT YOUR ID: I cannot stress this enough. It really sucks getting locked out.
8. You can ship anything to the post office: And I mean anything. No limit on the number of boxes (but if you send like 25 they will probably hate you).  When you get a package the email will say what the location of the box is. This is really important to know when you go to pick it up! (ex: SHELF, FLOOR., BIN).
9. They clean the bathroom every weekday: The bathrooms are cleaned every week day, but if you make a mess on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, you’re out of luck until Monday morning.
10. Laundry is free: Some of the laundry rooms have brand new machines. TREAT THEM WELL. Be there to pick up your laundry as soon as the load is finished. There are lots of people who will be waiting for a washer or dryer.
11. Take the stairs: If you live on floor 4 or below you can take the stairs. Especially in the high rises where there are 8+ floors. If you really can’t take the stairs up at least take them down. Nothing makes people more mad than when you ride the elevator from floor 2 to 1.
12. Heating/AC: If you’re living in a residence hall with air conditioning, it’s important to note that the building has central control of whether it is AC or heat coming from the units. If the temperature is going to drop below 55 there’s a good chance the nice AC that is on before you go to sleep will switch to heat and boil your room in the middle of the night.
13. Corner Store: The Corner Store is awesome, but I promise you, EVERYONE is going to go on Sunday night to use their meal plans. If you go earlier in the week there will be a better selection of stuff and you don’t have to wait in line. This past year, they re-stocked the Corner Store every Tuesday.
14. Blogs: There are so many blogs and resources for incoming and current students. Find them! Follow the Facebook pages and Twitter accounts for Events@RIT, FreezeFest, Tiger Den, Behind the Bricks, clubs you’re interested in, etc. They do giveaways on these pages, plus there can be lots of other tips. Behind the Bricks wrote a great post the other day. I am putting in the link to their Back to School Pinterest board here: http://www.pinterest.com/ritbehindbricks/back-to-school/

Well that’s all I have for you. Please let us know if you have any questions. We are here to help!

Happy packing and we will see you soon J

Hey everyone! Happy first year of college! I’m a fourth year PA major from Rochester. This year will be my third year living in dorms: one year as a freshman, two years as an RA. I’ve decided to compile some random tips and tricks that will help you have a positive experience your freshmen year at RIT.

• Don’t do laundry on a Sunday night:  because EVERYONE in dorms does laundry on a Sunday night. Unless you enjoy the activity of running in between multiple laundry rooms with four separate machines in four separate rooms, pick a time slot in between classes during the week.

• Use Tiger Center: From GPA calculations, to dining/computer lab hours, to calculating the exact amount of food debit you can spend per day based on the amount you have left, Tiger Center has an easily navigable interface. Here it is: https://tigercenter.rit.edu/tigerCenterHome/#/hourslocations

• Bring soap and a sponge: There always seems to be a singular sponge that lives its soggy life out by the lounge sink. No one knows its backstory, but yet it’s used by 30+ people several times a week to clean their ramen noodle bowls and coffee spoons. Since the sponge is a common vector for fecal material, invest the $2 in a sponge of your own.

• Take advantage of wellness classes: You’re required to take two wellness classes for graduation, but they can be fun! Might as well use the opportunity to learn something new. Examples of unique classes include Whitewater Kayaking, Wilderness First Aid, Bowling, Juggling, Ninja Training, Nerfology, and Yoga. You can find the full list here: https://www.rit.edu/~w-criw/wellness-courses.php

• Also, use the gym: RIT has a beautiful gym, and hey – when you’re paying tuition, you should take advantage of the facilities you’re paying for.

• Talk to your professor RIGHT AWAY when you get a bad grade: Don’t procrastinate this until it’s too late. Ask your professor how you can do better in their class and get help as soon as you possibly can. That way you're not doing the "Well, I only have to get a 130 on this final to pass.."

• Reserve study rooms at the library for finals week: Go online to library.rit.edu and reserve a study space because you will not find a spot in the stuffed, stress-ridden library during the last week of the semester. And then you might end up “studying” in your dorm room… aka watching Netflix in bed.

Hopefully these tips help you out in your transition to college and I can’t wait to see your faces in the Fall!

  RIT Clinical Health Sciences Center

Hello!

My name is Lacie Kraich, and I am a second-year Film and Animation student concentrating in 2D and 3D animation, though I would really like to take a stab at Stop-Motion animation as well. This past semester, I began the process of making my first animated short film as part of my studies and I could not be more excited! In addition, I am working towards my minor in Advertising and Public Relations. When I graduate, I would like to work for animation studios that produce adult comedy television shows (think Adult Swim or Comedy Central), or for a studio that specializes in creating animated commercials for advertising agencies.

A little about me: I am from Uxbridge, Massachusetts, a small town in Worcester County. RIT is a six-hour drive from there, but I don't mind at all- that just gives me more time to sing along to the radio! I love dogs, burritos, standup comedy, and horror movies. My favorite color is turquoise, my favorite movie is Donnie Darko, and my favorite band is Fall Out Boy. I love drawing, painting, filmmaking, you name it- I am passionate about creating art that inspires, educates, and entertains people. My goal has always been to connect with my audience through my work.

Why did I choose RIT? When I was searching for a college, I was primarily looking for a school where I would be able to pursue my dream job; somewhere with a great curriculum that would help me create a portfolio that stands out when it comes time to head into the "real world". Out of the 6 other schools that I applied to, RIT ended up being my top choice. There is an awesome animation program with a quirky atmosphere that makes me feel like I really fit in. RIT has a very welcoming and fun environment that stuck out to me. The student/faculty body is generally super open-minded, accepting, and understanding, which was an important factor in my search. I also loved the fact that RIT was not just an art school like other colleges I had visited; it combines technology with art, which makes it a unique place to learn.

Why am I still here? RIT has become my home away from home. I've met some of the most fantastic, creative, and entertaining people I have ever come across in my 20 years of existence. I am surrounded by a network of people who not only love and support me, but also share my excitement and dedication when it comes to animation and making art. I love my classes, my friends, and the multiple opportunities that RIT has provided me to help me succeed.