The University of Utah

Date: Jan 23 2009
Major: Video/Media (This Major's Salary over time)
The University of Utah is a state university that typically fosters the average, less ambitious student. It's known by instate students for being a "safety school", giving equal opportunity to students despite mediocre performance. From my experience, its known to be the university that accepts anyone who can read and write. This doesnt necessarily have to be a negative trait: in consideration to financial aid opportunities/rates, it can be great for any student needing to get a college education on a stretched dollar bill.

For instate students: The U has outstanding student trafficking resources in which a lot of high school students within Salt Lake area become heavily immersed into the universitys resources, coming familiar with them well beyond their first year of college. Find out what they are and get involved with them.

CAMPUS: B

The campus itself is very large and nestled on the mountainsides of the Wasatch Front. It encourages long walks to classes; many students take bikes. There is no ivy-covered/old building charm about the U: It looks like spread out concrete sidewalks & buildings with some grass and trees. Such a campus is not suit for a student who tends to be late. Students WALK to class, it seems, regardless of ambition to get to class on time or their reflection of possessing keen time management skills. No one applies to the U wondering if it would be a fit for them personally, but because its a convenience for the instate or mediocre student. The look of the campus is largely overlooked by the typical student here.

Indoors, the Us buildings look like the dilapidated/worn out 70s/80s with ugly/worn carpet and tile and old air conditioners down to its exercise equipment. Community colleges look better.

Because this is a commuter school, students typically attend classes as leave to their houses residing within the surrounding Salt Lake Valley. Its commuter status attributes to the U lacking a personal identity or personality.

DORMS: Theyre okay…

Those built during the Olympics are nice such as those near the Heritage Center and Chapel Glen. Sage Point 810-811 has seen better days.

CAMPUS LIFE/ACTIVITY: B

Two big events: CRIMSON NIGHTS is the Us monthly activity central/wicked dance party; its fun. RED FEST, the Us Music Festival, has had great artist such as Matisyahu, Shiny Toy Guns, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Brother Ali and the like come to play here. (The student committees who decide these events are pretty good about picking good entertainment. If you dont like the selection, you can apply for the committees at the start of every Fall to get involved with the decision making.) U FOOTBALL GAMES: Intense for those who are into football. BYU/UTES is the main rivalry. The Utes stand undefeated.

Working out, student leadership/organizations of traditional kind, nature types, environmental types: the U has it all. (But not for film production majors.)

TRANSPORTATION: B+

The U provides free campus transportation through its own personal bus system. (The RED and BLUE buses are routes that round opposite of each other throughout the U, making the commute easier throughout campus.) Tuition pays for a UTA pass (Salt Lake public transportation), free for pick up with proof of student ID at Commuter Services.

Commuter Services also deals with parking permits that range from U, E (for the whole year) and SU and SE (for the semester). Permits range from roughly $35-$135, the most expensive being the U permit for best parking. ADVICE FOR THE COMMUTER: Believe me, save yourself the potential added stress of being late to class AND PURCHASE THE FULL YEAR U PARKING PERMIT.

SOCIAL: C

Socially, U students are apathetic creatures. U students are approachable and generally friendly. They are also largely conservative in nature, easily weirded out/put off, dour, and close minded types, reflective of Utah culture as a whole. Incoming U students: Do not be surprised to discover that most U students stick to their old high school friends and beyond; they keep their crews for life here. But once you prove youre trustworthy or fit in, social-oriented security can be found to help you get by. This intimacy, however, can backfire and lead to a lot of rumors and drama. (Although typical of any university, not just the U.) Its possible to find friends for life here.

There is no skipping or smiling to class; theyre too mature/cool or low on energy to care. As you could anywhere, you could make friends here. Yet because of the schools commuter status, it maybe harder to maintain any new relationship outside of school. (This can make potential dating relationships hard.)

Dating wise, Utah men are typically conservative. They expect women to flaunt and dress well for them, although not doing much about themselves. Theres a lot of mid-America average and smarts here; its pathetic and sad, partially why Im transferring.

As a rule, its easier to make friends if youre proactive on campus/involved with student organizations, or live in the dorms.

FINANCIAL AID: B-

The U offers a good deal for any student, although at the expense of a reputed disorganized financial aid department. There have been many students who have been given end-of-the-semester tuition reimbursement checks from the U, had spent it after repeatedly asking what the check was meant to pay towards, only to discover that they were mislead and still fined after spending their reimbursement money. Beware and be careful.

ACADEMICS: B

The U is a job factory. It may give great information to students, but it doesnt foster the whole self, regardless of ones personal chutzpah. Although the information/knowledge might be there, the consistent lack of passion and settlement for mediocracy within the Us academics leads students to feel short changed. The only hope for the U is its Honors Program/Department. (Those characters, however, despite high scores tend to be snobby elitists and not necessarily intellectually passionate/learn but determined to rank good grades.)

The U is a Research 1 Institution. This means it embraces the scientific theory, and especially a linear WAY of thinking in regards to education. Students attend class to learn one subject; its hardly to never regarded in praxis or taught in relation to other subjects, an obvious disappointment. Dont expect to sit out on grassy knolls and talk over philosophy here. As a whole, students go to the U to get their degree and get out.

For those pursuing medical, business, or dance degrees, the U has much to offer. Medical students will have opportunities to work intimately with the University Hospital on campus. Business students will have opportunities to compete for the Utah Entrepenural Challenge (an opportunity to start ones own business) and be immersed in their great six year program with professors who wrote the book on business (your Foundations of Business Thought textbook, namely ; Boardmans my favorite). The dance department is internationally recognized.

The Actors Training Program at the University of Utah is also known to be very good, though also known to choose favorites. This means that the administration typically tends to cast the same students for leading roles, thus not lending out equal opportunity. However, these star students could be earning their titles, despite the implicated bias. I have heard the latter from a couple of former ATP students, though, who both left ATP after two years. These two students both claimed that the ATP was amazing, training worthy of that from New York to Californias finest. However both felt, as a whole, that it wasnt worth staying for.

SURROUNDING CITY: A+

Salt Lake City is fantastic. The music and art scenes here are well developed, although owned by the elitist few. (However, they are approachable and friendly to an extent.)

The summer provides a lot of opportunities for festivals: The TWILIGHT CONCERT SERIES series at Gallivan Center holds amazing concerts for free. (Many artists who have charged $100 a ticket in cities like New York or L.A.) The MULTICULTURAL FEST has delicious food and exposure to native folk dances and crafts. The UTAH ARTS FEST is home to slam poetry, photography, and the like to support local Utah artists. The LIVE GREEN FEST has many booths that support fair international free trade and eco-friendly living for the typically proactive Utahan democrat. PROTESTS, PEACE RALLES the ANNUAL GAY PRIDE FESTIVAL.

KILBY COURT hosts great shows every day for $5-$12 bucks of local to well known independent musicians that you can meet and become friends with right after the show. IN THE VENUE and THE DEPOT always have great artist coming to play in them: The Arcade Fire, The Killers, Explosions in the Sky; just amazing bands all for less than $20 each time.

The Salt Lake Main Library system is great, supporting speakers to come every month, offering extended learning courses, supporting banned books.

You can find even great cuisine here.

Hiking is fantastic. Many teens drive up to the upper Avenues (Utahs Beverly Hills with antique Victorians nestled on the Wasatch Front) to hike up mountain sides and see the city lights or enjoy a summer bonfire. (Youll need to hook up with an ambitious group of friends and Utah natives, however. They will most likely smoke pot and drink, I guarantee it, but it doesnt mean you have to be the type.)

Salt Lake City has it all, despite its underlining conservative nature that gets under ones skin, PLUS a low cost of living. After a while, however, it may get old but you can form a nice comfort zone here. Salt Lake has a lot of great things, you just have to be proactive and look for it. Publications such as SLUG magazine and CITY WEEKLY make it easy to get in touch with this increasingly-becoming liberal city.

ALL IN ALL…

Any large university reviewer will tell you that anything is possible given some effort. But a potential U student one must wonder if the U as a whole will be worth it. I personally didnt think so. You can find your niche here given some effort, but a small place like this will leave you wanting for more outside of Utah.