Sam Houston State University

Date: Feb 07 2009
Major: Political Science (This Major's Salary over time)
I would start of by saying that this university needs a lot of work on the part of its student body. A good portion of the individuals that attend this university are from small, Texas towns or middle-class suburban areas of Houston (mostly the north side.) As for myself, I myself was born to a white mom and a Chinese dad and grew up in Southwest Houston, so I had a real multicultural and pro-academic upbringing.

In terms of race relations and religious views, this school would be considered highly conservative. Protestant Christianity might as well be the official religion of the university as there are several highly-active (and large) student Christian organizations. It's almost unheard of to come across someone who identifies with a religion other than Christian. With that said, if you are seeking a diverse academic environment (most schools of this size are) then this isn't the place for you.

What's good about this school is that it is in a VERY safe area. The prison where they execute Texas death row inmates is within a stone's throw of the university and with that you have a ton of law enforcement and prison guards in the area. Also, it should be noted that the prison system nearby and the university have a very close working relationship. The school is supposedly (according to the students) the 2nd largest criminal justice school in the nation, but during my time at Sam, I have yet to see the source of that "fact."

The professors I have to say are in my experience above average. I have been fortunate enough to have the privilege to study under many highly talented professors. However, at the same time, it is unfortunate that the professors abilities at this school far surpass the quality of students here.

Even though I am aware that the administration and professors do their best to improve the university, one who has walked around a more "well-known" or "higher-tier" university in this part of Texas (i.e. Rice, U of H, etc.) can't help but notice that this school is significantly behind. What I mean by that is that the library had chairs and furniture that I would bet have been there since the library's opening in the '60s. Many buildings, though acceptable as places of learning, do show their age and signs of wear. One can judge from this school's architecture that Sam Houston State doesn't have a multi-billion dollar endowment to play around with.

As for Huntsville? Don't get me started. It's not a college town at heart. It's more a prison town than anything else. The college atmosphere here is nothing compared to more well-known, classic American college towns, i.e. Berkeley, Auburn, Austin, Lubbock, etc.!!!!