Texas A & M University - Galveston

Date: Sep 21 2012
Major: Other (This Major's Salary over time)
Wow, this School has changed and grown in the last few years, and for the better I might add. I am currently in the Texas Maritime Academy at the school and compared with other maritime schools, this one seems to have the best education. Many cadets here go on other academy training cruises during the summer (such as California and New York maritime) due to not having a certified training vessel, or (currently) having one that can only take out one hundred students during the summer (with about 170 that need to go). Those that do go on TAMUG's training ship however get very good hands on training due to the smaller crew size, so getting that spot is beneficial. Other that go with New York or California often comment about how much more knowledge they had then the cadets from the other schools.

I am a MART (Marine Transportation) major, and the course work for many of the classes can be very challenging (T-NAV, Stability, Seamanship II, CNAV, and a few others.) The professors in this program are great for the majority. Most have decades in the industry and can teach very good as well. However, there is one or two that should not be teaching at all, and are a waste of money to have at the university. The classes or names will be withheld. You are required to be apart of the "Corp" in this program, and while strict with the freshmen, it is pretty relaxed compared with main campus.

This school is apart of Texas A&M University, just not located in College Station so the traditions and culture are as one might expect, just on a much smaller level. Everything from Midnight yell, aggie rings, muster, taps, howdy, TAMU accredited degree and so forth are all here. The school even offers buses to college station on game days for students with no cars. The student tickets pulled in at TAMUG are great, and better than freshman tickets pulled in college station from what I've seen.

The Campus is MUCH better then it was two, three years ago. New buildings have sprung up all over. New dorms, new science building, new training ship, more trees and landscaping, more parking, new cafeteria, etc. This has really improved the living conditions on "pelicatraz" as it is sometimes referred to. A ton of student activities, clubs, and intramural sports are here. And they have a club night at the beginning of each semester to check them all out. The campus has volley ball, pool, tennis courts, gym, basketball court, theater room, and a student center with plenty of stuff to do while your on campus. The library is pretty decent and the other buildings are always open for study rooms. Also, it is very easy to transfer to main campus from here if your wanting a different major.

The only sports offered here (as TAMU has all the others) is CREW (rowing) and Sailing and are pretty competitive.

Galveston offers a lot, a lot of mosquitoes, shanty towns, humidity, chemicals, and sulphur in the air. Beside that, it is nice with the palm trees, good restaurants, and "the strand" for night life. Fishing, running on the beach, kayaking, surfing, and outdoor related activities are nice here. Overall, not to bad a place to live while your in college.

It is a maritime school and a part of Texas A&M with great degree programs that pay well when you graduate. If you think you might be interested in the majors it offers, then this is a good place to be.