Old Dominion University

Date: May 14 2009
Major: Business - Management and Administration (This Major's Salary over time)
I'll just go down the list of issues, one by one.

Do not transfer to ODU, especially if you are an out-of-state student. During the process of transferring to ODU, I felt like I was treated as if I were an exception (in a negative way, not a positive way), and I noticed that there were important things that the university could have (and reasonably ought to have) done to make the transfer process easier. The experience could be likened to being told that the easiest way to get from New York to Los Angeles is by flying eastward over the Atlantic, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and finally the Pacific- instead of just traveling westward across the continental 48 states. In other words, a lot of unnecessary jumping from place to place was required to get simple things accomplished that should not have required me to go through nearly as much trouble as ODU put me through. That analogy applies to several other services that ODU offers outside the transfer adjustment process.

Social atmosphere: Most of the students are quite cliquish and reserved, and if they commute from home (which is what the majority of ODU students do), then they are often absorbed with their home-based, off-campus lives and are largely uninterested in meeting new people on campus. Most students (both on and off-campus residents) don't make serious attempts to forge new friendships or discover new friends, unless the new friendships are: formed via pre-existing social connections (high school friends), obligatory due to club/organization membership, or based on the friends' mutual infatuation with something.

Out of the 18 professors I have had classes with at ODU, about 4 or 5 of them did an all-around good job of teaching the class and have had a lasting positive impact on me. The remainder of them? Some were neither good nor bad- so-so. Others really did not seem like they were familiar with what they were teaching. As for the rest- perhaps 2 to 4 of them- hopefully have been fired by the time this review has been written. If you absolutely insist on attending ODU, have RateMyProfessor.com open in your internet browser while you are signing up for your classes. But even that website isn't always accurate.

As I indicated above, administrative services are seriously disorganized and frequently more stressful than need be; I remember being sent from place to place to deal with simple things- it was very inconvenient. But the unpleasantness of the process was only burgeoned by the administrative staff's generally harsh attitudes toward me which, by the way, are highly visible among the workers in ODU's on-campus cafeteria, "Cafe 1201". And if service workers here are not rude, then they are likely incompetent to a disruptive and interfering degree.

If you are not a sophomore or younger or don't have (I'd say) at least a 3.5 GPA or at least a zillion club memberships, don't bother applying for on-campus housing because you probably won't get it.

From 3:30 PM to 7:30 PM, the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel (Interstate 64 westbound near the Norfolk/Hampton city line) experiences traffic backups averaging 5-6 miles in length…for that whole time period. It is particularly bad on Fridays. And there is no good detour to take- the Midtown Tunnel and I-264 experience backups as well during this time. Your only remaining option (if you're really trying to make good time…and I personally wouldn't say it's too time-effective) is to take I-64 east all the way around through Chesapeake until it hits I-664 in Suffolk…and even that clogs up in various spots. If that doesn't work for you, I suggest becoming a Triathalon swimmer and dealing with the traffic that way.

I've heard from a wide variety of people that the clubs/fun spots in Norfolk are sketchy. Most people just stay in their dorms or go home for the weekends if they aren't the types who enjoy not being able to remember what they did the night before when they wake up on Saturday or Sunday morning.

My overall assessment of ODU is that it doesn't offer a meaningful return for all the extra time, unnecessary effort, and money it requires. Although I say that after having maintained a 3.6 GPA here for 2 years now, I am tired of the nonsense that I've had to put up with. I've tried to be patient, but my patience has reached its end. Time to transfer.