The University of Bridgeport is a true 'diamond in the rough'.  It's been dealt a few bad cards over the years and is steadily putting forth the necessary effort in order become the university that every student deserves.  With that said, of course there is going to be some things which are not perfect, but then again, what school is perfect?

UB starts by accepting students who are 'in need of a second chance' so to speak.  They understand struggles and tough times therefore they try to pass that down to the student body and is therefore willing to accept students with less than perfect grades and test scores.  However, this is where the problem occurs.  Many of the students who are accepted are not interested in bettering themselves as a person and as a student.  They are fixated on continuing bad habits of skipping class, being lazy/violent/ destructive/ closed-minded/ you name it.  Having been here for three years, I've seen this pattern repeat several times.

Heck, I was one of them.  My first semester here, I fell below a 2.0 and nearly got myself kicked out.  I immediately turned myself around and realized how lucky I was am to at least be getting an education.  I am now on the President's list every semester and Im also a student leader.

Yes, the campus is not the most beautiful but with what UB has, they're certainly making the most of it.  They spent $1m+ to redesign the library with state of the art equipment to help students study.  The campus itself is also located on a remarkable piece of land in Bridgeport on the shore of Long Island Sound, I wouldn't recommend swimming there, but the scenery is great for a run or just to take a walk and chat with friends.  The administration is constantly looking for the next project to tackle, and contrary to what the pessimists believe - UB throws lots of time, effort, and money into these projects.  They're always looking for ways to give the students what they want and they reach out for us to tell them.

As a student, you get the opportunity to have an amazing impact on campus, now whether that impact is positive or negative is completely up to you.  If you decide to do good, to help yourself, help others, and help the institution then you will see that you have nothing less that an army of other students, faculty, and administrators who are willing to work with you and do whatever they can to help. 

For me, classes are a little too easy, but I speak with my professors and encourage them to challenge me further.  They listen, and they are anxious to hear about what you want to achieve so that they can help in whatever way possible.