What Makes CMU Unique

Everyone has something they are proud of—a sport, hobby or a unique interest your parents will never understand. When prompted, you will blab for hours and hours about your love for this activity. What if I told you there was a place to showcase your talents and earn college credit for them at Carnegie Mellon? Founded in 2001, Student College (StuCo)(opens in new window) has allowed thousands of students to teach courses to a wide variety of audiences, featuring many great subjects like games, lifestyles and unique music tastes. This program is beloved by everyone at Carnegie Mellon, and it is one of many things that makes CMU so unique.  

The transition from high school to college can be a rough process, and for me, finding a sense of belonging at CMU was a priority in my college experience. StuCo allowed me to find a class and community that catered to my interests. That class for me was Chess Tactics and Strategy. Growing up as a chess player, I knew that the sixty-four squares were a bonding experience. In the Fall 2023 semester, I spent my Monday nights solving chess puzzles and playing chess games. For my friends, they found classes on topics like Taylor Swift, movies and Brooklyn 99. Later on, they became co-instructors and leaders for these classes.

After a semester of taking the chess class, another first-year student and I approached our chess instructor and asked him if he was interested in co-teaching the class. Since the spring of 2024, Chess Tactics and Strategy has been co-taught by three people who want to share their love of chess with their peers.

The game itself has helped me cement a social circle at CMU, and many people have been able to find a community through chess and our StuCo class. Not only have I been able to find people to connect with about the game, we have also been able to share snippets of chess culture to the classes we teach. From updating the class on chess analysis to the World FIDE Olympiad where we share the analysis of any country a student feels strongly about, discussing women in chess, and talking about the current state of the world in chess.

Teaching a StuCo course has increased my confidence in my ability to present new content and show people the scope of a niche interest. I have also gained a community in joining the StuCo executive board. These people have increased my confidence, supported my teaching methods and offered advice or answers to any of my questions. CMU has continued to foster my love for learning and teaching in this unique way, along with instilling the idea that every subject is worth learning about!