The Georgia Institute of Technology

Coming to Tech has been, without a doubt, a decision in my life that I regret most of all. It's not that I "couldn't cut it" or "didn't work hard enough;" many of my friends averaged an all-nighter each week and shared endless sob stories about their impossible tests. That wasn't me. No all-nighters. No failed tests. Nothing. Diligence and time management was all it took.

Why didn't I like Tech, then? If the high stress, insane workload, and brutally unnecessary course difficulty so often associated with the misery of this place didn't affect me, why didn't I fall in love with Georgia Tech?

Because of what it stands for. Tech cares more about itself than its students; about its image, rankings, and reputation, and it will bolster these things in ways bordering on madness. Tech's primary goal is to churn out motivated, hard-working, industrious engineer slaves to serve society and carry Tech's name. And that's exactly what it does. If your goals don't line up with a machine that chews up, reprograms, and spits out glorified engineers, don't bother coming here. Unless you're passionate about engineering, research, or computer technology, Tech is probably not the place for you. Interested in science or business? Plenty of other reputable schools have that too. What's so special about Tech? Oh yeah, the name. So you're choosing a college because of its name? That's what I did, and by doing that, you'll be far from happy.

Enough about the institution. What about the students? The social life? The college experience? All of these things do exist at Tech, but you may just be blinded by their promising first impressions.

The students are friendly. Very friendly. And that's what they'll tell you at orientation. What they don't tell you is that the majority of the students are introverted and may not talk to you. Many are awkward and close-minded. But you already knew that. This is Tech, and you've been told that nerds are everywhere, a claim that many would confess holds true. The ones who argue and say that most people at Tech are "normal" just haven't been to other college campuses, that's all. You won't realize how abnormal the Tech student body is until you actively participate in a different one.

Social life? For the most part, you'll find one. Join clubs. Lead organizations. Find some friends who you connect with, and make friends with their friends. You'll have a nice social circle, and it doesn't have to be big for it to matter. Greek students tend to be the most social; many are friendly, many are not. Surprise.

And the college experience? You're in the heart of Atlanta. There's crime all around you. Noisy traffic. Endless ambulances, firetrucks, police cars, and helicopters. But sports and music run through the city. Falcons games, Music Midtown, you name it. Sounds glorious, yes? Sure, but when most students' weekends consist of binge drinking their nights away, you'll start to forget those things were even there in the first place. People here are the embodiment of "work hard, party hard," which, in their minds, entitles them to four days of hardcore studying and the remaining days to drink their heads off. That's the norm; love it or hate it. They take pride in it.In short, come here if you love engineering, research, or technology. Come here if you want Georgia Tech's name to stand out on your resume and help you land your job in industry. Come here if you want to prove yourself and let others know that you worked harder than they did. But if you'd rather leave college with a well-rounded experience and journey your way through life as a happier, more trusting human being able to reflect fondly on your college years, then please do not make the mistake I did by attending Georgia Tech. You'll find nothing but disappointment.