West Virginia University

Date: Jul 20 2004
Major: Economics (This Major's Salary over time)
I had a wonderful experience at WVU. Morgantown is a great city that purports to be nothing more than what it is: a friendly, laidback small city in West Virginia. The atmosphere inside and outside the classroom is comfortable. Locals, students, professors, and even a proportion of the students from New Jersey, tend to be humble, friendly, and socially inclusive. The university offers respectable programs in every major discipline, and students will find ample opportunity to discover their own paths for themselves.

People frequently mention the camaraderie at WVU, which I agree deserves attention. Many other schools have a curious sort of camaraderie, one that seems derived from some shared sense of hardship, a kind of reflexive pride. At WVU you’ll never hear anyone say that they bleed blue and gold, and most people don’t actually care if the Mountaineers win or lose a football game. What’s important to most students is that the game was entertaining and that the parties afterwards were memorable. I think this reflects a healthy set of priorities that is shared by most WVU students.

I found the environment conducive and helpful to me beyond my expectations. Because I was happy and comfortable, and my professors so friendly and empathetic, I had no problems at all navigating through the program, discovering my interests, and learning more about myself and the disciplines I’d chosen. The economics program, housed in the College of Business and Economics, was extremely accommodating and allowed me to design my own interdisciplinary curriculum. The academic quality of the colleges I’m most familiar with was on par with any other state institution. Socially—and by quality of life standards—the school is unparalleled. It is a great place live and study, and it offers a healthy environment no matter who you are or what your interests might be.

My business/economics curriculum was comprehensive and usually challenging, and has proved to be an extraordinary strong foundation for my professional career. Equally important are the soft skills that I gained being a part of the community, without which academic education is useless. As a side note, WVU also offers excellent international programs, which have been critical to my career.

Many changes were taking place as I was graduating. The school has undertaken a massive campaign to improve the campus facilities, which to that end it has been very successful. Hopefully the students’ camaraderie and respect for one another will not be displaced by foolish pride in the prestige of money and fancy buildings. I would recommend visiting Morgantown for a few days and hanging out with students before committing.