University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus
Hallmarks and Quirks
Things I'm Good At:
- Our basketball team is pretty fierce.
- Aspiring doctors love (and fear) my Pre-med program.
- Amazing foreign languages department for the internationally inclined.
- A loud theater department with an active community for all you drama freaks.
- You get a napping spot, you get a napping spot, everyone gets a napping spot. Seriously, there's no lack of napping spots. Napping is encouraged (you need to refuel your brain after all that studying, bro).
My Top 5 Must-Haves:
- Fluent in Spanish. This goes without saying. While you're technically in the US of A, this is not Kansas, honey.
- A car. The train can only take you so far. Also, how else are you going to go to those beaches?
- A jacket. If you're one of the geniuses studying at the Natural Sciences College, then you might want to carry a jacket. My air conditioning can be a bit um…overactive.
- Lots of notebooks. Some old school professors insist that laptops are the devils of pedagogy.
- A spacious apartment. Your friends are going to want to crash at your place during spring break—again, think of those beaches.
Why You Might Have Heard of Me:
- My modern languages department attracts the attention of friends across the pond.
- I've provided NASA some of the first and best Hispanic engineers and astrophysicists.
- It's the epicenter of most social movements in the island, and most prominent figures in Puerto Rican history studied here—feel free to speak your mind.
On a regular Saturday night, you can find me...
My students enjoy sports and good old partying. From on campus activities like open-air French cinema, theater, to off campus adventures like pub-crawling in downtown San Juan. Needless to say, I'm a social butterfly. Sadly, that means that if you're a bit of an introvert, you'll feel pretty left out. But don't let it get you down—think of it as a chance to polish those social skills!
Favorite Hangouts:
- The General Studies College is great for meeting up with friends for lunch (as well as you guessed it, napping). Plus since it's where you'll be taking your first year courses. Trust me, you'll fall in love with it.
- While the Natural Sciences College might have the best air conditioned class rooms (polar vortex levels of cold), it's pale and desolate compared to the cozy nest that is the Humanities College with its 100+ year old buildings and gorgeous palm trees. Whether you finished that dreadful Biochem midterm and are looking for a place to unwind or want to try and forget how that degree in English Literature is not going to improve your career prospects, this is the place to be.
Quirks:
- I have to be honest with you, I'm a bit of a latecomer to the whole online revolution, so you'll have to be patient with me. That means that if you want to withdraw a class, you'll actually have to leave the confines of your beloved browser and talk to a real person. Don't worry, that'll give you a chance to post the first course withdrawal selfie of shame (or pride, if that's how you roll).
- My students sometimes get overly attached to me and don't want to move on after our four year deal. This results in some courses becoming quite competitive as priority is given to the late bloomers. So if you're a bit of a control freak, take deep breaths and let it go, let it go.
- Nothing like those Ivy League school dining halls on campus, you're going to have to settle with some good old Puerto Rican soul food—cause admit it, you're too free spirited for dining halls if you're with me.
Famous Alumni:
- Luis Lopez Nieves, one of the most well-known Puerto Rican authors today.
- Orlando Figueroa, the director of the Mars Exploration program at NASA.
- Ricardo Alegría, also known as the father of Puerto Rican archeology.
- Hans Hertell, former US ambassador to the Dominican Republic.
- Bernie Williams, former NY Yankees Center Fielder.