The College of New Jersey

Date: Mar 20 2014
Major: Political Science (This Major's Salary over time)
The fact that people consider this institution a college is absurd. I have spent two years at TCNJ, and I CANNOT wait to transfer out. This college has failed in just about every way that a school can fail their students. I chose to attend this school because it is affordable somewhat close to home. I had ideas of transferring after freshman year, so this also made me want to attend TCNJ, kind of as a stepping stone to a real college. With absolute certainty, I can say that the past two years at this school have been a complete and utter waste of time and money. As I said earlier, I cannot wait to transfer to an actual school.

To begin, TCNJ strongly overstates its academic strength, as most of the students here are borderline idiots. TCNJ is nothing more than an extension of high school. People find a certain clique and they interact amongst themselves, rather than being opening and socializing with new people. Greek life on campus is dominant, as it is the only way to guarantee that you will have fun, but even that is a waste, as sororities and fraternities have their respective stereotypes and familiar faces. These students worry about nothing more than what is going on this weekend, and the fact that nearly 25% of TCNJ students will be involved in greek life is an indicator as to where the students priorities on campus are.

There is basically nothing to do here. You are in Ewing, NJ, which is a dull and relatively cheap town. There is 0 excitement or appeal. Also, you are 5 minutes away from Trenton, one of the most violent cities in NJ. The campus is safe, but the surrounding area cannot be spoken for. I would not venture far off campus at night. The college has no sports, as all the D3 teams are either terrible, or just downright unexciting when it comes to attending games. TCNJ is best at girls field hockey, girls lacrosse, and girls soccer. If you are a sports guy like me who enjoys watching an exciting game every so often, then avoid this school at all costs.

The staff at TCNJ is a mix of two categories. The first is professors who should not, by any standard, be considered academics, and are an embarrassment to learning overall. The second is professors who are actually very, very intelligent and should really be teaching at a better institution than TCNJ. I have always speculated that these professors see TCNJ as a stepping stone as a job at nearby Princeton University. If so, I wish them godspeed in finding employment there. The political science department has some bright minds. In all honesty, I would retake the same four professors every semester, but that isn't possible, especially when you throw TCNJ's liberal learning requirement into the mix. You will be forced to take classes that you neither want to nor care about at this school so that they can make a claim to rounding their students. This is a waste of time and student's money. If I'm paying the school, my curriculum should not be dictated to me, especially one that is so incredibly nonsensical. Regarding the professors who do not belong in an academic setting, they make up well over half of the staff. Teachers here are forceful with their views, and rather than letting students formulate thoughts and opinions, they bash them into your head. If you oppose overbearing professors in any way, then you will pay for it in the grade book. At TCNJ, you master the art of appeasement, as essay are more a regurgitated version of your professor's views than your own thoughts. Some professors are just downright stupid, however, and it goes to show that nobody, unless vastly qualified, should be teaching in a college setting without a Ph. D. The state of New Jersey should come and evaluate this school and witness first hand the type of garbage that is being taught to college students.

I'm not sour or writing a review because I had a bad experience. My views are shared widely throughout the TCNJ population. This place is boring. This place is small. This place is barely smart enough to be considered second tier. I was involved in clubs and sports, but barely any students go, which makes the entire exercise fruitless. Students on campus have little ambition, and with opportunity already scare, there is little hope for enjoyment. If you can avoid this school, do it at all costs. If you want to save money, commute to the nearest school. At least you will be at home and can work a job. This experience has been awful, and after two years and about $40,000, I can say that TCNJ was an utter waste of time. This college has a pretty campus and a few capable staff, but overall the area, student body, and lack of academics on campus make it a complete failure. I am sorry for anybody that attends. I will be transferring next year, I just have to make a decision as to where.