Attending Providence College is comparable to being stuck in an endless showing of "White Chicks." (Now don't get me wrong, I adore the Wayans brothers; I just never thought PC was capable of populating a community full of "Brittanys" and "Tiffanys." Sadly, the reviews are dead-on--a good chunk (if not 90 percent of the school) is carbon-copied. After a while, even the male athletes start to look alike.
I lived in McVinney my freshman year at PC. There were two good things about that: it's close to almost all the buildings on "upper campus" and there are some really kick ass views from the top floors. Other than that, it was an estrogen ticking time bomb. Three hundred girls living in one building--need I say more? My roommate was nothing short of a bully (don't get your hopes up; that little lady entrusted with choosing your "roomie" isn't so great at her job after all. My roommate and I couldn't have hated each other more).
Alcohol is definitely a cause for concern at PC. I remember a girl had urinated on our elevator because she was too intoxicated and could not make it to a restroom. Professors laugh it off and kids act like it's a rite of passage. Just watch how professors nonchalantly react to the lack in attendance on March 18. "Quiet hours" is an oxymoron at PC. Every weekend there are a group of drunks singing, dancing, and yelling outside your window (not to mention your floor). The RAs (Residential Assistants) do little to stop this. (In fact, they might even join them). If it's not the drunks, it's the megaphones and music blaring from PC's precious little athletic games. At first, the noise didn't bother me. 'd laugh and just regard it as kids being kids. As time progressed, however, it became a matter of common courtesy--for people who might be sleeping, studying for an exam, or writing a paper.
The campus is pretty secure in terms of safety. The surrounding neighborhood, however, is a different story. The infamous Eaton street--a place where off-campus parties occur--is a breeding ground for trouble. This year, all students and faculty received several e-mails regarding nighttime robberies (some which occurred at gunpoint) on Eaton. Just Google "Red Cup Zone Providence, RI" and see what all the fuss is about. Here, I'll do it for you: http://www.projo.com/news/content/operation_red_cup_09-27-09_U7FRI2F_v38.353cc37.html
Aside from the lack of diversity, I found PC students to be very misleading. Wait, let me clarify that: the students were two-faced. I don't know about you, but I am very close with my family. The way I act around them is the same way I act around my friends--I have nothing to hide. I watched a countless amount of girls at PC act like little angels around their parents--I mean, the real suck up kind--and once their parents leave, they dress like prostitutes (only on the weekends, of course), curse like sailors, and drink like fishes. They will smile to your face and then once your back is turned, they will spread rumors, sabotage your belongings, and talk about you on social networking sites. (A real display of maturity, don't you think?)
The school is by no means very religious. Sure, there is the theology portion of Civ and 2 theo requirements for graduation, but there is no pressure on students whatsoever. The Dominican Friars are really awesome people, some of whom you should really get to know.
I don't believe Providence College is worth the $45,000+ bill it will send you every year. The education you will receive is mediocre--the professors are smart, helpful (some more than others...ahem), and the workload is challenging, but what one would expect from college. The social life is...what you make of it; but there are definitely cliques at PC and if you don't fit into one of those groupings, you will have a difficult time there. I would say 15 out of every 50 kids at PC are serious about their education; the rest of them are just there to do things their parents would never let them do back home. (Oh, if only their parents could see..) One of the biggest mistakes I ever made was attending a school that shuns the individual, and matriculates a good percentage of kids who act, think, and even look alike. Unless your parents have approximately $200,000 to piss away, my advice is to save a couple thousand bucks and enroll elsewhere. Your health and sanity will thank you.
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