Case Western Reserve University is ranked as one of the top academic institutions in the entire country, but prospective students already know that if they are considering CWRU. It shows that they obviously have an interest in going to an academically prestigious school.

However, what incoming students don’t know is what it is truly like to be a CWRU student. They’re signing up for an avalanche of homework, labs and exams that begins shortly after orientation week and doesn’t end until their convocation. Talk to the students around campus, and many will tell you how much they wished they knew about campus life, University Circle and the surrounding areas before they came to CWRU. In that nature, here’s our take on the popular aspects of student life from our perspective as students.

Notable Restaurants

Some of the best ice cream in the city is located right here in University Circle. Mitchell’s Ice Cream is a student favorite that never seems to disappoint. There are massive amounts of flavors, options with ice cream and vegan friendly options. Walking past it on any night, it’s sure to be packed inside no matter what day of the week it is.

Barrio easily has some of the best tacos in Cleveland and has quickly become a student favorite. As many have noted, it’s like filling out a scantron-based exam and once you hand it in, you await tacos, not a grade. Pretty neat switch-up from the first college exam you’ll get back.

If you like hot dogs or tater tots, step outside your boundaries into Happy Dog at the Euclid Tavern and try Cleveland’s very own concoction: the Slider Dog. Topped with Fruit Loops, bacon and macaroni and cheese, it’s sure to make your trip to CWRU unforgettable. For better or for worse.

Transportation

The shuttles around campus can be helpful, but most times they end up confusing you. There’s an app and website, Nextbus, that you can use to track the shuttles. However, don’t rely on them to be on time consistently. That’s a surefire way to be late to class.

At night, Safe Ride is an option available to all students at CWRU to get from point A to point B. This is especially useful in winter, when snow inhibits the trudge to classes and back, or when classes let out late enough that it’s dark outside. Be prepared to wait a while.

Coventry and Little Italy

An area troubled by racism in the past, Little Italy has improved on racial fronts with minorities now comprising the majority of the neighborhood. Now that it’s more inclusive, students of all backgrounds can travel there to try the most authentic Italian food Cleveland has to offer. Mama Santa’s has consistently been ranked as one of the top pizza places in Cleveland, and Presti’s Bakery is a premier spot that attracts large amounts of students.

Just up the hill on Mayfield Road and past Little Italy stands the Coventry neighborhood, which has many antique stores, coffee shops and restaurants that are both hipster and vegan-friendly. Big Fun is one of the larger stores in the area, pairing adult humor with children’s toys and video games, a very strange combination indeed.

Nearby Attractions

Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) is one of Cleveland’s biggest attractions and is one of the finest collections of art in the entire country. You can see artifacts and artwork from civilizations across the globe. CMA has taken a stance to be a place of diversity and inclusion not only of art, but for people of all backgrounds. It is open until 5 p.m. on Thursdays and 9 p.m. on Fridays, so be sure to pop in and check out some of the art!

Unlike CMA, the Natural History Museum isn’t free. But if you are into dinosaurs, evolution, space, weather or geography, then this is the place for you. For space lovers, the Shafran Planetarium & Mueller Observatory is a must see.

Academics

There’s a stigma towards students who are not entering the STEM fields, and this stems from the smaller department sizes for humanities and social sciences in campus. The perception is that these fields are easier, but what is difficult to one may be easy to another.

We, as a group of students gathered to work on a newspaper, come from many different departments and plan to join many different fields, ourselves.

What binds us together as a student body isn’t our majors, but it’s our commitment to try to handle whatever amount of work is hurled at us. We do it with surprising grace too. Sometimes.
Other times, during exam week you’ll find students sleeping in the library. We joke about it, but the hallmark of being a CWRU student is having at least one all-nighter under the belt by the time winter break rolls around.