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Inside Scoop

Quick Stats

School Slang
  • BDH: The Brown Daily Herald, Brown’s daily paper.
  • BUPD: Brown University Police Department, including everything from police reports to parking issues.
  • CAP: Curricular Advising Program, all first-years enter a CAP course as a way to gain exposure to academic advising at the University.
  • CIS: Computer and Information Services, provides e-mail, voicemail, and more.
  • CIT: Center for Information Technology, a landmark for directions at the center of campus and one of Brown’s main computer clusters.
  • The Corporation: The Brown Corporation, which owns the school and runs many of its higher level functions
  • DOC: A dean of the college.
  • EMS: Emergency Medical Services, provides support for any medical emergency.
  • The Gate: Pembroke on-campus restaurant that accepts meal credit.
  • GISP: Group Independent Study Project, student-created group class.
  • ISP: Independent Study Project, student-created independent class.
  • Jo’s: Nickname for Josiah’s restaurant on campus.
  • Josiah Carberry: Mythical professor of psychoceramics.
  • LASO: Latin American Student Organization.
  • Meiklejohns: First-year peer academic councelors.
  • MPC: Minority Peer Councilors, one of three support counselors in first-year dorms.
  • OMAC: The main sports facility on campus.
  • OUAP: Organization of United African Peoples, umbrella organization that addresses concerns of students.
  • PLME: Program in Liberal Medical Education.
  • R/ASC: Resource/Academic Support Center.
  • Randall Counselors: Academic advisors for sophomores.
  • Ratty: The Sharpe Refractory, the main dining hall.
  • RC: Residential Councelor, one of three counselors in freshmen dorms.
  • The Rock: Rockefeller Library
  • RP: Residence Programmers, upperclassmen dorm programmers.
  • SAAB: Student Athletic Advisory Board.
  • SciLi: The Sciences Library.
  • SDS: Students for a Democratic Society
  • TNT: The Next Thing, a support group for the LGBTA.
  • TWC & TWTP: Third World Center and Third World Transition Program.
  • UDC: University Disciplinary Council.
  • UFS: University Food Services, handles meal plan issues.
  • UTRA: Undergraduate Teaching and Research Assistantships, a research grant offered to students.
  • V-Dub: The Verney-Woolley dining hall.
  • WiSE: Women in Science and Engineering program.
  • WPC: Women Peer Counselors, one of three councelors in freshmen dorms.
Things I Wish I Knew Before Coming To School
  • Be careful of the credit/no credit grade option. Usually, you end up getting an A anyway, or you totally slack off and get nothing out of the class.
  • If you are coming from a warm area, don’t underestimate the cold of the winter here. Be sure to buy a thick, warm, water-resistant winter coat.
  • Most things can be bought at school for about the same cost as shipping, so don’t be a pack rat when you are moving to campus.
  • Upper-level courses are not necessarily harder than lower level ones. Don’t be afraid to take harder classes as a freshman if you are interested in them.
  • What you take freshman year doesn’t matter, but your grades do.
Tips to Succeed
  • Always seek the council of an advisor or a dean if you need questions answered or if you are having a hard time. Deans, especially, are there to protect you when things go wrong and can help improve your overall Brown experience.
  • Be persistent, whether dealing with classes or any other University service.
  • Don’t overload yourself. Take some time the first semester or two to work your way into the lifestyle and see what you can handle. Even if the classes are not particularly difficult, it is very easy to get overwhelmed by all of the new things going on when you first start.
  • Make connections with professors or administrators who can provide good recommendations for you.
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Brown Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Inside Scoop at Brown University

jnegron92

'13

Chemistry

4.6
A

Gisps Are Awesome!

Group Independent Study Projects, or GISPs, allow students to get together with a faculty sponsor and make a class. Having the opportunity to plan out a semester course is a great learning experience for students and professors alike. Some of these classes, like the very popular Introduction to Neuroscience, have actually ended up becoming an integral of the Brown curriculum!

Jul 19, 2011

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Inside Scoop at Brown University

agmartin

'14

Biology

4.6
A

Open Curriculum

Brown is truly unique in regards to the Ivy Leagues. We have no Gen-Eds and our student population is very relaxed in comparison to other preppy, conservative schools. Brown provides students with various advisers to guide us throughout our college experience and we don't have typical RA's; we have residential peer counselors, minority peer counselors, and woman peer counselors in the dorms that serve the role of a college RA. All in all, Brown is a place to not only get a quality education, but also have a good time with great people.

Jun 23, 2011

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Report as inappropriate/inaccurate

Inside Scoop at Brown University

allimba

'13

History

5.0
A+

Two Words: Open Curricular!

I absolutely love the open curricular. I am free to take any class I would like!

Aug 28, 2010

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Page 1 of 2

Facts

Traditions
  • The “Inverted Sock” Graduation Loop: Famed among University graduation processionals, the “Inverted Sock” walk down College Hill for commencement is a brilliant scheme that allows alumni, professors, and the graduating class to pass each other twice in the mile-long walk to the First Baptist Church of Providence, where the graduation ceremony occurs.
  • ADOCH (A Day on College Hill): All admitted students are invited to participate in ADOCH, a two-day event in April where pre-frosh from all over the world come to check out the University and meet for the first time. While it’s not required, it’s the first chance for many students to meet their fellow classmates for the coming year. It’s also when a lot of potential students decide to come to Brown.
  • Campus Dance : During graduation, the campus dance is a centerpiece event where graduating seniors, alumni, families, professors, and underclassmen all come together to waltz and drink on the paper-lantern lit Main Green in front of a live band.
  • The Freshman Ice Cream Social: The ice cream social on the terrace of Andrews Dorm during the first week of freshman year is a great chance for people to come out of their dorm rooms and meet other first-years.
  • The Gala: The spring Gala is a campus-wide event where students don their fancy rented tuxedos and escort their date to an evening of dancing in a ballroom downtown. Students rent limos or buses, dine in Providence’s fanciest restaurants, and dance and party at one of Brown’s biggest campus-wide student events. If you missed prom in high school, it’s a great second chance.
  • Senior Week: The week before graduation is the last chance for seniors to celebrate before leaving the University. Underclassmen are invited to stick around in certain dorms while they work or party at the events. The week includes the campus dance, commencement ceremonies, special nights at clubs and bars, and some of the wildest parties of the year.
  • Spring Weekend: Usually timed to coincide with the burst of green that happens in late April, spring weekend promises a few solid rock or hip-hop shows, frat boys on couches at the greens, and people wearing smiles, shorts, and bikinis. It’s a chance to cut loose before final exams.
  • The Van Winkle Gate: Every student walks through the main gates of the University exactly twice in their undergraduate career. The first week of freshman year, the gates are swung inwards toward University Hall, inviting new University members to enter the Brown campus. Years later, upon graduating, the gates are opened out, ushering the grads back into the world and ceremoniously ending their time at Brown.
Urban Legends
  • If a student walks through the Van Wickle gates after entering the school but before graduating, he/she will not graduate.
  • If guys step on the Pembroke seal, they will never graduate. If girls step on it, they will become pregnant.
  • Josiah Carberry is the fabled professor of psychoceramics (cracked pots) at the University. Many things around campus, such as Josiah’s café and the Brown online library catalog are named after him.
  • There are several secret societies at Brown.
  • There is a book bound in human leather in the John Hay Special Collections Library.

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Major: Undecided

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