The University of Texas - El Paso

Date: Mar 17 2013
Major: History/Histories (art history/etc.) (This Major's Salary over time)
My undergraduate career at UTEP started poorly, I was lost in very large classes, and many of the students were decidely snobbish and unfriendly. I eventually discovered that if I sought out small courses, and took more care in choosing more challenging professors who had less tolerance for bad behavior, things got much better. If you care about your education, avoid the 200-300 student classes. Later evening classes also tend to have much more mature students.

There are activities and things to do on campus, but you have to work to get social activities going on campus. It is not like other campuses, where one can easily find something to do nearly all the time.

If you go to UTEP, you just have to deal with the fact that it is on the Mexican border, and if you are not Mexican or Mexican American you will feel like part of a minority (even some Hispanic students find this a little overwhelming!). Then again, the "Hispanic" student body at UTEP is diverse, and includes privileged fresas from Juarez, but more serious Mexican students - especially in science and engineering who are often solid students, Chicanos from the barrio who are first generation college students (maybe even first generation high school graduates), and middle class Hispanics who really do not speak Spanish or identify much with Mexican culture at all. If you are willing to embrace the border culture of UTEP, you'll find that when you graduate, you will be able to make the case that you can thrive in a unique cultural environment and work in a globalized world.

Graduate school is really a different experience. You will find that you make more friends and will participate much more in campus events. In fact, some people fail in graduate school because they are unable to commit enough time and energy to being an active graduate student.