Pittsburgh ranked as #6 university city in the world

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by Joshbarblahblah

I wish that there was more of a university culture in Pittsburgh, though. Duquesne, Carlow, Pitt, CMU, and Chatham are all relatively close to one another, but the students don't really intermingle except for the occasional strangler at a party. I go to Pitt, but I can name my friends from CMU on two-hands...and the only people from Carlow or Chatham that I know are people with whom I went to high school. Even on the occasions that students from various colleges are present...we tend to stick to groups of people from our own school....

I think that would be the case in any city.

[Katarina Witt]

When I went to Pitt, I met a few people from CMU at the Lutheran Campus Ministry Center, which served both schools. However, my cousin who went to CMU told me that Pitt was referred to as "Forbes Ave. High School". In other words, the CMU students (at least him and his friends) looked down on the Pitt students. This was a long time ago, but it sounds like things haven't changed much.

When I worked as a nurses' aid at a hospital in Oakland, I did meet nursing students from Duquesne, who were also working there.

[BrianTH]

This has been the case in every city with multiple universities that I know of. I think the basic reason is that it is just so easy to meet people at your own university and also form regular groups of friends, such that it crowds out almost every other possible path.

[Fiddlehead]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

This has been the case in every city with multiple universities that I know of. I think the basic reason is that it is just so easy to meet people at your own university and also form regular groups of friends, such that it crowds out almost every other possible path.

I would agree with this, and it has broader generality. We tend to seek out and bond with people during episodes of our life when we move into a new work settings, have children the same age, etc. So, our relationships are often founded due to timing, proximity, and convenience. I know that people who move to new towns in midlife and, say, work from home, often claim it is hard to make friends. Others are not intentionally unfriendly, just already occupied.

With four universities so close, it would be cool if there were intentional inter-campus mixers or shared interest groups. For instance, I know that there is supposed to be a Three Rivers University for the Environment there. I have always made friend most easily when working together with people on some cool project.

Parenthetically, with CMU folks looking down on Pitt students, I wonder how much of that is because they want to feel better about all the money they are shelling out for the Ivy League degree? As a former who spent time at a community college, top US and foreign universities,finishing a PhD with a full-time job, and conducting and mentoring Fulbright scholars, I think the far more important factor is a student's abilities to distill their dreams into goals, develop good study habits, and persevere.

[Fiddlehead]

...as a former student...

[Tiger Beer]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

This has been the case in every city with multiple universities that I know of. I think the basic reason is that it is just so easy to meet people at your own university and also form regular groups of friends, such that it crowds out almost every other possible path.

True. With everything.

Even getting a job just down the street from your old job...and you're friends will change due to proxity of who you see everyday.