Temple University

Date: Jul 30 2015
Major: Finance (This Major's Salary over time)
I transferred into Temple University's Fox School of Business from a PASSHE state school and it has been the greatest decision I could possibly make for my future. The faculty at Fox consists of professors whom are incredibly successful in their field of business and have a wealth of knowledge to pass on from their extensive experience. Many classes give you the chance for hands on experience. I've learned how to use a great deal of programs, such as SAP, QuickBooks, and Salesforce. Every Fox student is also required to get certified in Excel. Now Fox definitely isn't for the faint of heart. This is not a place where students should expect to be coddled; the faculty will not hold your hand. If you don't think you can handle it, don't even bother. YOU have to take the initiative if you want to be successful. If you're struggling in a class, it's on you to reach out to the professors, TAs, and/or tutors. Many of the classes rely on you to fully understand the material to do well. Being able to apply for internships and utilize their career center is dependent upon getting CSPD'd (it's really easy, you just have to attend 2 workshops and get your resume critiqued. You just have to take the initiative to do it). It is definitely worth it to get CSPD'd because Fox has many close relationships with numerous Fortune 500 companies and large corporations. Within a year in Fox, I've worked 2 PAID internships with major companies in my field and in my 2nd internship, got offered a job! If you take the initiative for yourself and work hard, you WILL do well in Fox and you're future will be bright. It will all pay off in the long run because Fox gives you the skills needed to differentiate yourself and stand out in this cut-throat world we live in.

In terms of the university as a whole, I've enjoyed my time here. Though a lot of the student body hails from PA and the surrounding Philly suburbs, there is still so much diversity! It's been great getting to know many different people from different cultures and backgrounds. The social life here is great too! The university has numerous clubs, organizations, and opportunities for involvement on campus where you're sure to meet some great people. Like any school, you have to take the initiative to meet people. Parties at Temple can be really fun too! Unlike many more rural schools, the cops here won't try to bust everyone for an underage; they're more concerned with everyone getting home safe.

In terms of housing and dining, I've had an overall pleasant experience. I would say though, when you're in your junior/senior year, live off campus if you can swing it because the rules of the residence halls are really strict. You can only have one overnight guest and the security staff won't hesitate to search your bag (aka you have to be especially sneaky about bringing in alcohol, even if you're 21+). You also MUST escort your guests everywhere; the staff will not hesitate to revoke your guest card. Overall though in terms of the halls themselves, they're pretty well maintained. I would highly recommend Temple Towers! They're full blown, fully furnished apartments with hardwood floors and granite counter tops with a living room, kitchen, and dining room! (and it's a grand cheaper than Morgan!) The RAs for the most part are pretty chill too! As far as dining is concerned, you have an abundance of options to choose from. You have your standard dining halls (J&H and Morgan) that get you unlimited food for a meal swipe. Then you have the outdoor food court outside of Anderson will food ranging from Chinese, Vietnamese, Pizza, hotdogs, burgers, etc. Then there's also a few places on Liacouras walk. There's even a bar on campus! Plus a bunch of places dispersed a few blocks off campus as well. Plus, you're only a few minutes away by train/subway to the heart of shopping and dining in center city. There's multiple subway/train stations and bus stops all over campus as well.

Like any large university, scheduling classes is always a pain. If you're an underclassman, you'll need to make your time more flexible because you probably won't get all the times you want in your schedule. Also, don't be afraid to take evening classes at the center city campus as well! Usually, if a class is in particularly high demand (esp. core classes) they open up a section there. It's only a 7 minute subway commute and the classes are one night per week for around 2ish hours. I know it's not too ideal, but you get what you need done. (and usually the professors are incredibly understanding and go a little easier on you.)

Alot of people are often concerned with safety when it comes to this school. I won't deny the fact the neighborhood we're in is not so great and things do happen. Now the campus itself is very safe. I feel incredibly safe at night walking on campus. It's off-campus to be a little more concerned about. However, just use common sense and you'll be fine. If you live off campus, make sure to lock your doors/windows and your valuables away. I would also strongly recommend renters insurance too.

In terms of the price of the school, it's slightly more expensive than your typical public state university here in PA (like Millersville, Kutztown, West Chester, etc.) but the education quality is significantly better and worth every penny. In all honesty, the school feels more like a private school than state affiliate. Financial aid for the most part is fantastic. The financial aid office will help you in any way possible. There's also plenty of scholarship opportunities available through various student organizations and through the school for academic achievement. From my experience, I'm actually paying less per semester than the cost of a public PA state school.