The University of Scranton

Date: Jan 23 2013
Major: Chemistry (This Major's Salary over time)
The U is a great place but it is not for everyone. I'll highlight some of the positive things as well as the negatives to not be biased. As always, take what I say with a grain of salt since it is in fact only an opinion.

Academics- The U is known for their rigorous academic program and it is true- expect to be challenged and work to your fullest potential if you choose to go here. That being said, the faculty is great. The professors want you to succeed but they will not just hand out an easy "A" or "B" for just showing up. They can read students well and know whether or not you've been working hard. If you do work hard and try your best in each class, you will be rewarded. If you are planning on majoring in a science, I highly recommend reading up on how to enhance your study habits prior to the start of your studies here. The science courses are very challenging and do succeed in "weeding out" students who do not have the scientific aptitude and/or study habits to succeed. This isn't a bad thing though- it helps students figure out a different career path that they'd be better in. I also recommend signing up for a tutor the very first day if you are taking one of these courses. They are very helpful and know the professors teaching/testing methods well. They will help you, you just need to seek out the help!

Food- We all know this school has great food! There are many different stations so there is always something for everyone. The food is made in front of you by the chefs and is simply excellent.

Residence- The freshman dorms are typical of any college. They aren't bad but aren't great. However, sophomore dorms are much better, especially Condron Hall if you are lucky enough to get it! Friendly maintenance staff cleans your room three times a week which includes vacuuming your rug, cleaning your bathroom, washing your mirror, and taking out the trash. You can't beat that! It's basically maid service. The RA staff is also excellent and approachable.

Social- If you are looking for a good party school, do not look here. We have a lot of parties but they do get quite old after awhile. The freshman party scene is basically being packed in a grungy old basement with 10 minute long keg lines and nowhere to breathe or move. Sophomores tend to go to more private parties and once junior or senior year is reached, the social life gets a lot better. We do have some great bars within 2 minute walking distance from the schools. I even found our bars better than Penn State's or even some of philly's bars. They're very fun, comfy, and have great deals. If you can get through the first few years, the bars will make up for everything from freshman-sophomore year.

Atmosphere- The U is always being taken care of and clean. This was something I always loved. There are many new, state of the art buildings that have been put up which are quite cool. The city is not as bad as people say it is.. if you stay in the downtown area, it's not bad. I actually found the downtown area cool and a great way to sort of "escape" from campus sometimes when you needed a break. There ARE things to do downtown- you just need to look! We have some festivals that come by each year which are pretty cool including the big italian fest in september and the st patrick's day parade in march. Downtown also has some great restaurants and clubs. People just don't give it a chance.

Overall- Scranton has been a good experience overall. If you are interested in coming here, get a tour and do your research before making the decision. One thing I should note (which should be no surprise) is the weather. We don't always have the best weather here… a lot of rainy, snowy, cold days. If you are easily depressed by this kind of weather, you may want to take this into account before deciding on Scranton. But, besides that, Scranton is a great school and I highly recommend.