Students Speak Out On Overall Experience

“This is one of the most depressing places you will ever go to. Sorry to say it so bluntly, but it is. When you meet upperclassmen, you will find almost everybody is bitter and depressed in some respect. Bitterness and depression will generally set in around the middle of sophomore year. This is all because of the workload and the ridiculous things professors have you do sometimes. For example, I have been commended on getting a 60 percent on a midterm. While taking that midterm, all I could think about was how I was failing this test and had ‘Oh sh*t’ repeating over and over again in my head. Yeah, it is scary. However, I would not like to be anywhere else. Caltech's strong point is the community.”

“Social life occurs, but it's definitely planning your social life around your work rather than planning your work around your social life. But this makes me cherish my free time all that much more. At times, I wish that I were somewhere else, but then I think about the benefits from coming here—namely, that because it's such a small school, you really get to know a lot more of your peers, and they're all very supportive (probably because they're undergoing the exact same thing you are).”