Mark a survey and Inform Staff

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My experience at UPJ was complicated. Most of my darkest, loneliest moments happened here. The campus unintentionally forces isolation with its harsh winters, large commuter population, small size, and extremely boring social events/parties. Extroverts find ways to make things work pretty well, but this place is truly a challenge for introverts. The food is medicore and overpriced. The dorms are overpriced and amenities are hit or miss. The campus works very hard to host activities, but most are pretty lame. The majority of student keeps to themselves or treat their education like 13th grade.

Yet with all of these awful things, I find myself extremely fortunate to have attended UPJ. The pain and misery I encountered here helped me grow resiliency and self-confidence in a way no other school could have.

Will you find yourself surrounded with students from all over the world in a multi-story Freshman dorm where friendships and wild stories are made every weekend? No. Maybe you'll make a friend or two and drink a few cheap beers while playing Mario Kart 64. Or maybe you'll join a lame fraternity and unexpectedly have a few extraordinary and/or impactful moments like I did.

Will you find yourself surrounded by state of the art technology and groundbreaking scientific research? No, but you'll get a DAMN good scientific education with professors who genuinely care about your future. When I went through, UPJ students significantly outperformed Pitt Main on the standardized ACS O-Chem exam. I never once had a TA. If you're talented and work hard, some professors will practically chase you down and force you into lucrative internships. If you want to go med/dental/nursing, UPJ will get you there if you put in the work.

Will you be able to walk outside your dorm into an exciting metropolis? No. Instead, you have access to some of the greatest hiking trails around. Go find the cemetery or the abandoned power station. Follow the train tracks all the way to Windber. Drink a few beers or smoke something silly by the little waterfall.

Will you have immense school pride or bragging rights over any of your friends at different schools? Almost certainly not. Instead, you'll pay off your school loans decades earlier.

In short, UPJ is as great or as awful as you make it. It took until my junior year to begin to appreciate UPJ and 4 years post-graduation to realize just how special it was. I would absolutely go back given the chance.