St John's University New York

Date: Apr 02 2003
Major: Philosophy (This Major's Salary over time)
I have to say before I criticise the university that i did like the philosophy department. The majority of the professors i had were from the honors program, and so this may not be an accurate assessment, but the philosophy program itself was very good—I learned a great deal, and was given the opportunity to express myself—although the university itself is greatly in need of improvement.

Another qualm i have is with the Work-Study program. There are very few jobs available on campus. I came to the school from Florida expecting to be able to get a work study job, and then wasn't able to get one my freshman year despite trying. Then, the next year, I was told that I could not even apply for a work study job because I had not used my grant in the previous year.

Two years ago a new university-wide core curriculum was instituted, and so perhaps this will eventually solve some of these problems, but the core classes I have taken have been pathetic. Not only were these classes not challenging, they were significanly less challenging than anything I took in High School. Furthermore, the quality of instruction offered by the instructors in many of these classes (mostly adjuncts) is completely second rate. There is an opportunity at St. John's to get a good education, but it is just as easy to get an easy-A.

The dorms are new, and so understandably need to be given some time, but during my time living there the Dorms were one of my main complaints with the school, and were also the reason a large number of people decided to leave the university. Everything that can go wrong with the Univerity dorms does go wrong. On two occasions the sprinklers have gone off due to 'malfunctions, and subsequently flooded the buildings. Damage fees are often assessed in questionable ways, for instance last year i received a $150 charge for replacing the $10 blinds in my room, which weren't broken in the first place. The mail comes speratically, the dining hall food is often disgusting and yet costs $10 per meal, the internet doesn't work for weeks at a time, the system for disposing garbage is inadequate, the elevators rarely work, and pretty much everything is made as cheaply as possible and yet the university charges a premium price for it.

There are some very positive points, however, and I did choose to stay here even though i had the opportunity to transfer. At St. John's your education is really what you make of it—if you find some great professors in your major, you will get a terrific education. There is also the opportunity to join numerous clubs, to start a club if you feel something is missing, and to really be active on campus. The proximity to the city is also great, although St.John's is in Queens, Manhatten is about an hour away, and so there is a great chance for summer internships.