The West Chester University of Pennsylvania

I guess I could start with the academics. I entered as a Music Ed. major but switched to the Sociology program before 1st semester began. Just from summer orientation and talking to music students, I can honestly say the program here (for education at least) is pretty good. It seems fairly rigorous, and I mean WCU did used to be called West Chester State Teachers College, so I guess if you'd expect them to excel at anything it'd be education. However, except for other divisions of education, the academics are not hard that hard at all. They're probably average at best.

The residence halls…are a joke. You're either in literally some of the oldest, most tore up buildings you've ever seen, or a brand new building that's not even close to being worth the money you're paying for it. The oldest buildings are in the process of being torn down, however the state that some of the buildings that are still erected are in is downright pitiful sometimes. Being in the elevators in Schmidt literally makes you fear for your life at times, there was a bagel stuck to the window for several weeks in Tyson, it also smelled like feces for a good 2 days or so in the stairwell in Tyson, someone broke a window and just left the glass laying on the ground in Goshen, there's not a bathroom in any hall on the campus that I don't feel dirty using, and I can promise almost every student who's lived on campus has at one point had a battle with multiple stink bugs. The newer buildings like Allegheny and Brandywine are alright, however definitely not worth the excessive amount of money you pay for them. Probably the best thing to do at WCU is try and get a house somewhere in town.

The social scene at WCU is an interesting one to say the least. If you like ugg boots, black spandex pants, side pony-tails, vomit covered dance floors, the plan-B pill and the song Tik Tok by Ke, then the West Chester party scene is right up your alley. If you want anything more than that, you're going to have to look elsewhere. I personally am a pretty avid partier, however going out at WCU is more like a chore than it is fun. It just gets to be a little much to see literally the same clones of douchebag guys and slutty girls every time you walk down the basement steps. Also, if you don't party, there's only so much to do around town, especially if you don't have a car. Philly is but a $2.50 bus ride away, and is where I would suggest going on the weekends if you actually want something worth doing.

The town itself tends to be one of two extremes-ghetto and run-down, or high-end and snobby. A lot of the students as well follow suite. I'd say the percentage of rich, spoiled brats from Catholic schools and wiggers from "Dirty Jersey" as they like to call it at the school is about equal, and both are pretty high. I will say that most people working at the school, from professors all the way down to the old black woman missing teeth at The Diner all seem to be pretty nice. They respect you as much as you respect them, so if you're a decent human being they'll act accordingly. The campus itself is very pretty in some parts (particularly Church St.), but can also be hideous in others (the entire area that the Lawrence dining hall and the parking lot behind it is in).

I suppose your life at WCU is really what you make of it. I can understand why some people genuinely want to be here, but I also completely understand why people do not. I'm transferring next fall, but would get out even quicker if I hadn't missed spring semester deadlines. WCU can provide you with what you can imagine the epitome of American college life will be, however whether or not it provides you with any real life experience or knowledge is debatable.