The University of Evansville

Date: Aug 06 2007
Major: Civil Engineering (This Major's Salary over time)
I feel as if I made a mistake going to the University of Evansville. While some of my peers may have considered Evansville as their home and would feel saddened to leave, others like me are not only glad to leave, some regret coming here in the first place.

Evansville was one of three schools I pursued when I graduated from High School on a 3.5 honor roll for four years. The reason why I came to this university was because of its small campus (3 by 1 square block), the fact that I could pursue my career and get help if needed, and that Evansville gave me $10,500 in scholarships to come. I am now concerned about future schools who give me a lot of money in helping me stay because the scholarships were an excuse to forget about the other two schools I had interest in and go there instead. Matter of fact, all my friends had the same reasons why they came here… scholarships.

A month before the school year started, the academic advisor told the 2,000+ new freshmen and me during an orientation that if we needed help, we could get tutoring and SI (supplemental instruction) for difficult classes. Entirely false. Most classes cannot and I repeat, cannot assign a tutor for a class because either the tutor is busy, or one is not available for the class. For example, you can get help in Introduction to Engineering, but for Introduction to Programming, not so much. Sure, you can go to SI sessions, like my College Algebra class for example… Two people were assigned as tutors for that class. Only one showed up while the other made excuses that she was sick. Still, I could never get help in SI although most instructors over-relied on SI.

As the fall semester started, the first few weeks of UE were horrible, and as weeks and months past, my college experience at UE became a living hell. Some of the instructors I had were of no help and their only excuse was that if you did not understand the work, then you should drop the class. Most instructors believed in the academic alert system and send it to your advisors and other faculty to ensure that you can’t do the class and you are over your head. In similarity, most instructors did not want to be bothered, especially when it comes to writing papers. Your alternative to get help for writing professional papers is to go to the writing center, and some of the professors have full trust in the writing center and are too lazy to look over your work, even if they are not busy. The writing center I would rate is a D- because they make your papers worse. Moreover, some of the students at the writing center act as if you cannot write like a professional and consider your writings awkward. The school wants its students to become like scholar writers but relying on this too much causes problems.

For the Engineering Department, there are instructors who are there to help you, even to start conversation on issues in or outside the school. Though social life is not that great, you will mostly talk to those who are in your department, whether they are Civil, Mechanical, Electric, etc… The coursework and homework is not bad if you like to work in teams, and this is a great requirement when you do not understand the work, but know someone else who does. Although I did not like this university, the Engineering Department treated me fairly. I have to say that for future engineerers coming to UE who are non-white, there is no National Society of Black Engineers. Sorry. I asked the woman in head of Diversity about this and she told me that they once had NSBE, but when less non-whites came in for engineering, they dropped it.

Moving on, I have to mention about the writing proficiency exam freshmen have to take during the spring semester. This exam tells instructors how well you write as close to a scholar if possible. This is similar to a test you would take before entering UE. If you fail it, you will have to take a writing course. If you took a writing course and passed it but fail this exam, this exam overrides your writing course and you will have to take a similar writing course.

Some of the instructors I had were new, and this was a problem for both the instructor and me. Some did not have a grading system in front of them to inform you if you were passing or failing the course. One instructor who I didn’t have and had to go to because of a problem with an another instructor showed me his stubborn “tough-guy” ignorance towards me, as if he was in control and ensured me that I could not talk to my instructors in a demanding and positive way, adult to adult. Speaking of which, conversation between a student and a professor apparently at UE is child to adult.

In addition, the school itself is lazy and late when it comes to preparing school events or even assigning your dorm location. Although my college experience was horrible, my resident life experience was even worse. I had requested for an international roommate and wanted a quiet and at least tidy one. It took me two different roommates (one lazy and no relation to my major and another one who just decided I had to go) before I got what I wanted, and I still had problems with my new international roommate.

There is not much to say about the city of Evansville. In the core between southwestern Indiana and northwestern Kentucky, it is not friendly or social as it may be. The school booklet may say that Evansville is a wonderful and diverse community, but it depends on your ethnic background, and the sections of Evansville you decide to travel in. Some of the people in this town are friendly while others are arrogant and stubborn. For the weather in Evansville, the summers are hot and the winters are harsh. When it rains, even if there is a light drizzle, parts of the campus will flood. If there are community events as I mentioned before, they are mostly late and boring, but depends on your kind of event. If you have a bike and like to ride around to get away from stress and work, you will have to deal with insufficient sidewalks and narrow streets, not to mention that most motorists forgot what “share the road” means. The only nearest place for fun is the mall three miles away to the east.

I would highly not recommend going to the University of Evansville. I misjudged this school on its academic standing and found out that Evansville is a bunch of deceiving lies. Even explaining this to faculty was difficult, as they could not see their own truths. As a result, this school damaged me finically, academically, and emotionally. If you decide to go here, you will have to work hard and on your own to succeed. No one will be here to help you make it and your instructors (if any) will deceive you. Neither will your friends. While this school did not help me into my career, all they wanted was to get in my parents wallet.