Flagler College St Augustine

Date: Mar 24 2015
Major: Communications (This Major's Salary over time)
Flagler is a decent school, but that's all it is. I only came here because my family had urgent reason to live in Florida, and because of my residency I got a very large tuition discount. Bear in mind that unlike some of these spastic freshmen calling Flagler the devil, I had far worse experience with another college before coming here. It's not as bad as they're making it seem, but it's nowhere near great.

Flagler College is based in a historic hotel, which lends well to its aesthetic. The campus is well-maintained and beautiful, and the surrounding town is equally gorgeous. However, this also means you see tourist trolleys almost all hours of the day, from 7am to midnight. The town's restaurants are expensive, and the locals make it pretty clear they don't like college kids or tourists. Most of the bars will take your money, but don't expect anyone to treat you well if you go out.

Flagler is not a party campus. Students who like to party won't find anything here; I can't emphasize this enough. The student body varies, and it's not fair to call anyone "weird" so I won't bother. The boys tend to be surfers, skateboarders or gym rats, laid-back and unambitious. The girls are Bohemians or spoiled brats (sometimes both.) Do yourself a favor and don't date any of the girls here.

The dorms are junk. There's a time restriction for people of the opposite sex entering each others dorms. Lewis Hall doesn't even have air vents, so they make you use an obnoxiously loud humidifier to keep the room from smelling like your roommate. There's no kitchens anywhere but FEC; not even a community kitchen. Combine this with the dining hall's restrictive hours and you'll soon develop a fast food habit. Then again, it's better to not eat at the dining hall at all. You'll have intestinal distress every time.

The faculty were nice. The Dining Hall employees, my professors and the financial workers were all very gracious and weren't afraid to help if I asked. Some of the older Communications professors only offer a limited spectrum of knowledge, but they aren't idiots and have plenty of actual experience. Some of the adjunct professors (points for Barry Sand and Allan Marcil) really knew their stuff. Unfortunately, they aren't "Flagler staff" so I could only contact them so often. The security guys were nice too, but I wouldn't bet a nickle on them actually protecting anyone.

One very important thing: other reviews have said the Flagler faculty has an archaic view on race. This isn't true on a professor level. It is, however, true regarding the 'old guard' all the way up to the dean. The reason why becomes kind of obvious when you go outside of town, as the school has poor black neighborhoods on at least two sides. A very colorful (no pun intended) history of racial tension in St. Augustine has made these neighborhoods hate tourists and college kids. I was lucky that the only time I passed through was on a bike or I'd probably be dead. Tons of homeless, some crazy, only shooed away during tourist hours.

I'm not going to pretend I'm a great student, because I'm not. I only came to college for a piece of paper and to learn from professionals, both of which I got by coming here. Letter grades don't mean shit to employers. If you're interested in Communications, Flagler is pretty good and you'll find yourself satisfied with what you learn. Flagler College itself, however, isn't anything to write home about. Think of the beautiful campus like a lure on a fishing line.