Cleveland State University

Date: Apr 07 2009
Major: Biology (This Major's Salary over time)
I am a nontraditional student majoring in biology at CSU currently in my sophomore year. These few semesters I have attended here I have found myself regretting my choice in schools and have been thinking heavily about transferring to a better, friendlier, more organized institution.

As a science major the work is challenging at times, but that will be the case anywhere you attend college and majoring in a STEM. The STEMs majors are always the hardest and most demanding regardless of where you go, but there are little things that make it bearable at other schools then at CSU, well at least what I have heard from friends and faculty that I have spoken with at other schools.

I think one of the biggest problems (well at least what I have encountered) is the disorganization and lack of communication. What I mean is nobody seems to be on the same page, and bad professors and TAs make life that much more difficult in learning the information. Although it is your responsibility to learn what is necessary, having more organization, support, and better communication between faculty and students is essential to make for a good learning environment. Many of the professors seem burnt out, and always in a hurry during lecture rushing through material and not having the answers you desire. Many of them are not good at lecturing at all and really dont seem to care much. There are already a few classes that I want to retake, even though I got an A in them, because I really feel like I didnt learn the necessary material. It also seems as if there is a high turnover rate among the science department professors.

There are however many awesome teachers I have encountered in the past 3 semesters but definitely that lacks in the science department. The chem. Department isnt that much better either. I feel like the disorganization is so great at times that I feel frustrated and it adds unnecessary stress that I dont need. Many other 3.0 or better studnets feel the same way I do.

Campus 411 is the university help place and they can be very rude and unhelpful over the phone. That is probably due to all the moronic students that attend CSU and they deal with on a daily basis. I have never seen anything like it in my life and would have never expected a college to be like this. I do think that the faculty that I have bonded with took a liking to me because I actually try, and am not a scum bag.

CSU has started to remodel, hopefully making the campus nicer but it doesnt take away the fact that homeless people are always walking around harassing students, oh and did I mention the projects are down the street. I couldnt imagine living down there because I know people that have had there cars broken into, or robbed. Times are hard in Cleveland…

The college does have some good points available, the tutoring centers, any trio organization, study abroad programs, and a few scholarships mostly aimed at African Americans. From what I hear CSUs nursing, teaching, Law, business, communications, health science, and engineering departments are pretty decent.

Overall, much of the faculty, administration, and staff are unhelpful and unavailable. It can be difficult to get a hold of anybody that is of help. The disorganization is bad and I really think that my education is not going to be what I expected it was going to be here. Many of my upper levels classes seem as if they are thrown together and so are the tests.

I have been looking at other schools to transferr to and hopefully will find a college that is PRO STUDENTS