StudentsReview :: Palm Beach Atlantic University - Extra Detail about the Comment
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Palm Beach Atlantic University

How this student rated the school
Educational QualityF Faculty AccessibilityF
Useful SchoolworkF Excess CompetitionF
Academic SuccessC- Creativity/ InnovationF
Individual ValueF University Resource UseD+
Campus Aesthetics/ BeautyF FriendlinessD+
Campus MaintenanceB- Social LifeC
Surrounding CityB- Extra CurricularsD+
SafetyC-
Describes the student body as:
Snooty

Describes the faculty as:
Friendly, Unhelpful

Female
Not so bright
Lowest Rating
Educational Quality
F
Highest Rating
Campus Maintenance
B-
She cares more about Campus Aesthetics/ Beauty than the average student.
Date: May 03 2018
Major: Biology (This Major's Salary over time)
You should seriously ignore the fact it's in Florida and, yes, there is about a 5-10 minute drive away from the beach. The campus is mostly concrete with outdated buildings and most of the campus is made up of parking lots that are a pain to find spaces in if you are off campus and don't want to pay the hefty $300 fee to use the parking garage. I was a biology, pre-med major and the science department is a joke. My advisor didn't know what classes I should take or any advice on when certain classes should be taken so I would be prepared when the time came to apply to medical school. Most of the labs are dirty and cluttered, so it's difficult to run experiments. All of my science professors were horrible and didn't know how to teach except one. I had a biology teacher that was obsessed with animal genitalia and another that was obsessed with breast feeding. It's weird, and honestly the biology major they made me do with a pre-health concentration was not a good fit for someone looking to go to medical school.

The campus is NOT as safe as they let you believe when you take a tour. I am a born and raised Floridian that grew up 15 minutes from this college and am very familiar with the city. Not two streets over do you have heavy partying, occasional shootings, and an overall higher crime rate area. It is also good to keep in mind that the campus in right smack in the middle of the city. People are free to come and go, and there is not much control over that. I have seen many homeless sleeping around campus at night (a teacher even talked in class about stepping over one to get to his office one morning) and have seen many intoxicated/drugged individuals coming on campus and harassing students. I personally have almost been run over by campus safety when they were speeding and blew through a stop sign intersection right in the middle of campus. Within the first week of being there, there were already a several reports of a guy following girls from downtown back to campus in his vehicle, and I witnessed this myself as I refused to get out of my vehicle till a man in his truck finally stopped watching me and left after about 5 minutes with the truck that was described to following the other girls.

Warning to freshman or transfers that have not lived on a college campus previously for at least a semester, you will be babysat. You have a strict curfew that you have to follow your first semester. I have a friend that was 21 and she still had to be in her dorm by 10:30pm because she hadn't lived in a dorm directly on campus (it was off campus apartments). The RA's are more babysitter's than anything as they physically go into your apartments and check to see if you are in your room. This means seeing even checking you while you are asleep to see if you are there.

I don't even know where to start about the students. They are beyond snobby. There's a huge gap between the honors students and the regular students. If you are not an honors student, it's like you aren't good enough compared to them. The honors program is honestly overrated. The only distinction I can see is that they think they are high and mighty and are snobbier than the average student. I'm lucky to say I found one good friend out of going there, but compared to the college I transferred out to, that is a sad number.

The community? Non-existent. On the weekends the campus looks like it's been abandoned. Everyone clears out and there isn't much to do, but sit around and die of boredom. You could go eat at the cafeteria to pass the time, but the food there is the same every week. The food gets old fast, and the fact people of a "dining hall jacket" that they wear there and take off afterward because it now smells like the "Cafe," is concerning. I will say it's nice they they are open all day long so you can stop in whenever you want, but the food isn't good to begin with.

The Christian aspect is definitely there. It's to the point that it does more harm than good. They force you to go to chapel a certain amount of times per semester, but most people don't want to be there and they just watch movies or play on their phones the whole time. Not exactly a nice chapel atmosphere to worship God. I didn't see a christian perspective in any of my classes so the only christian aspect you will more than likely get is the mandatory chapel.

Oh and be careful if you are a transfer. I transferred there as a sophomore to be closer to home for awhile and all of the scholarships I would have gotten as a freshman were cut in-half. I asked the admissions advisor why on earth they would cut them in-half for a transfer and he wasn't able to give a reason beyond "I don't know," and "I'm sorry."

Overall my experience was terrible and I couldn't wait to transfer out even though I had the convenience of being close to home. There are many students that remain there and hate it, some that leave, and others that fit in to the twisted culture that is PBA. When you tour you are put with the ones that fit in and are gung ho about the whole thing. My advice is to get multiple opinions from inside and definitely outside of the college if you are thinking about going there. There are definitely better Christian colleges out there with better academic programs and a better community. (Shamelessly suggesting Calvin College)

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