What is ThinkBig?
ThinkBig is a program at Tech that allows for students to live together on the same floor of an on-campus apartment building so they can explore a topic of interest with a Georgia Tech professor.
What kind of topics are being offered?
We are excited to offer a wide array of topics this year! Everything from sustainability and outdoor adventures to humor and performing and visual arts. Find a full list of communities, descriptions, and example events HERE.
Is this extra coursework?
The topic you explore is not extra coursework! Instead it is an opportunity to use your extracurricular time to explore something informally outside of the classroom: the chance to access exciting VIP-style events, interact with captivating projects, and engage in meaningful interaction with your peers and a professor. Between the events, you and your fellow residents can further explore and delve into the topic as you desire, but no grades or assessments are placed on you. This is the chance to explore interests that you otherwise wouldn’t get to focus on!
How do the events relate to our topic?
Besides planning exciting events once or twice a month, the professors will conduct weekly “coffee” hours where light refreshments are served in your apartment building’s common room. They are conducted during a time convenient to all the residents so everyone can gather to interact with the professor informally and discuss how the topic connects with recent activities. This time may also be spent hearing a guest speaker or simply getting to know your fellow residents and professor better. For example events, see any of our past calendars: November 2010, October 2010, April 2010, March 2010, February 2010, November-December 2009, or October 2009.
What are the commitments?
While professors certainly expect that you will want to attend most weekly coffee hours and monthly events, the schedule is up to you! Most professors expect you to attend at least half of the offered events. You should choose a community that interests you, and therefore you will look forward to attending (plus you will want to get your money’s worth!).
What are other benefits?
Getting to know a professor really well without the usual classroom/intimidation factor! This is certainly helpful in the future when you will need recommendations for jobs, graduate school, or scholarships. In addition, you get to explore something you wouldn’t normally have time for while meeting amazing people who share your interest!
What are the costs?
Each participant will pay an additional $150 per semester to be a part of a ThinkBig community. While this may seem like a lot, this is the ONLY price of the program so you really are getting a great deal to add this adventure to your time at Tech!
Where would I be living?
We’re excited to announce that four communities will be offered in West Campus Apartments: Center Stage, Applied Humor, Thought for Food and Kids@ Nature.
International House and Women in Science and Technology will continue to operate in Fourth Street Apartments.
The remaining three communities will be located in the North Avenue Apartments
What if I want to live with people who don’t want to do ThinkBig?
You can live with anyone you want in the programs housed in North Avenue and on West Campus. WST and I-House programs do not allow participants to bring in any roommates. Housing will make it all work on a case-by-case basis so you can still live with your desired roommate and participate in a ThinkBig community. In this scenario, you will still live on the ThinkBig community’s designated floor, and each ThinkBig participant in the apartment will be able to bring one non-ThinkBig participant into the apartment. However, please note that in order for the whole apartment (both ThinkBig participants and non-ThinkBig participants who reside in the apartment) to be able to keep their assignment in the ThinkBig community, the ThinkBig participant in the apartment must fulfill the requirements of the program.
What are other requirements of living in a ThinkBig community?
Beyond participating and sharing time with other community members, participants are only required to pay the $150 fee per semester. While these requirements are not taxing, if a participant does not meet them, he or she may be relocated to another room outside the community. Roommates "tied" to the ThinkBig participant will most likely be reassigned as well but the two will not necessarily be assigned the same room.
How do I sign up?
WST and iHouse have separate applications and deadlines, so check out their links on our signup page. Signup for the other seven programs is done through regular Housing signups, which occur from February 1 – 28, 2013. For more information on the steps to take for ThinkBig, visit our Sign-Up page.
What if I have a question that is not answered here?
Feel free to contact us! Post your question on our Facebook page’s wall, send a message to a professor on our Communities page, or email thinkbig@housing.gatech.edu.