Suffolk University

Date: Dec 25 2013
Major: Perfomance Arts (This Major's Salary over time)
Although my comments are going to be mostly negative, I first want to say that I have only spent a year here, and although my experience has not been what I wanted out of a college, this is the school for some people.

I will start with the positives. BOSTON IS AWESOME. No one can say that there isn't a ton of activity happening everyday. The city is beautiful; I would say a smaller, cleaner version of New York City. There is a ton of diversity within the city and the school. I have met some of the most interesting people here because there are so many people from different countries.I can't rave enough about this because a ton of schools self-pride themselves on being diverse when, in reality, the campus is just full of white people. At Suffolk you will feel like you are in the real world. You will feel independent immediately, and this is tough for some people and easier for other. Obviously at any school, you are on your own, but at Suffolk, there are no gates. There are no fences blocking you off from the rest of the world. You will feel like you are apart of the Boston community, and that's an awesome feeling. The majority of the people here are extremely open minded and friendly. No matter what your personality is, you will find people similar to you. The teachers are approachable, friendly, and intelligent. I had a few teachers who have taught at elite schools such a NYU, Tufts, and Boston College. It's nice knowing that the teachers you have know what they are talking about.

Now bare with me while I try to organize all my negative thoughts about Suffolk. First off there is no campus, like I said earlier. I thought this wouldn't be an issue for me because I consider myself independent, and I thought Boston was all I needed. This was not the case however. I hear all my friends talking about how they are enjoying join to sports games on weekends, having dorm parties every now and again. If this is what you are looking for do not come to Suffolk. Since there is no campus, you will not feel about of a "school community". Again, this is all up for interpretation, but I've realized that I want more of a campus, where you can clearly identify who also goes to the school. This being said, it's also hard to find campus spirit. Suffolk makes an honest effort to do this, but being in the city makes it hard.

The social scene at Suffolk is also different. I didn't know this when i chose the school, but Suffolk is mainly a commuter school. I would say about 50% of the kids commute. Furthermore, there is only enough housing for freshman and some sophomores. So take that other 50% and cut it practically in half, and your left with 25% of the people actually living at the school. This makes the school feel a million times smaller. So keep that in mind. I personally do not like this. I wish I chose a school that has more people on campus, so there are more people to meet, and hang out with. It sometimes feels like the upperclassmen don't even exist.

I know some people with disagree with me, but the majority of student at Suffolk are dumb as bricks. Most of the people I have met are C and D students. No one works hard at all. It was very hard this year for me to get over this because I strive of off being surrounded by like-minded people. I think if you are independent and don't give a shit about other people, then you won't have an issue with this, but I like knowing that I chose a school that is full of students who are go getters.

THE FOOD HERE IS TERRIBLE! HORRID. The meal plan is bull fucking shit. It's the same food everyday. They give you basically a debit card with a fixed amount of money on it. I personally hate this because you don't get a lot of food for your money, while other schools basically have you swipe a card and you get unlimited amount of food. And anyone that says,

oh well at least you won't gain the freshman 15

WRONG, I did because the food is so bad for you. Suffolk doesn't have an real cafeterias, they just have mini cafe's, and by mini I really do mean mini, class-sized rooms. Again, it's not a huge deal but these little things add up. I wish I went to a school that has real cafeterias.

So I think I should talk about the dorms a little because this is also a big reason why I am leaving. I think the dorms are clean, while kept and pretty fancy. But they are also the 4th most expensive dorms in the country. This is because of location, which is completely understandable, but it's still pricey. My other problem with residence life is that there isn't enough space in boston to house every student who wants to be on campus. Again, this is my personal fault because I didn't research enough. But this means that you better be planning on getting an apartment your sophomore year, or your commuting from home. I personally do not want to be doing this, so that is why I am transferring next year.

Finally, the last reason I am leaving is because of the extra curricular activities. For the performing arts major, this is not the school for you. There aren't many shows happing here. Most of them are actually student directed, which I am not looking for. There is no costume, or design studio to work in. The individualized student run groups, such as improv groups and singing groups, are extremely selective. I'm not trying to toot my own horn, but I've never had an issue getting into a show, or group before, and I auditioned for 6 different groups and didn't even get a callback for any of them. They only accept two or three people a semester, and most of the time none of them are underclassmen.

To conclude, I want to remind you that these are my opinions of Suffolk based off of what I want in a school. If you are extremely independent, don't mind not having a campus, and want to be in the real world right out of high school, this is the place for you. I find that the people who are most successful and appreciative of this school are the commuters. Hope my advice helps someone out there aha.