Drexel University

Date: Dec 31 1969
Major: Physics (This Major's Salary over time)
Going to Drexel was the biggest mistake of my life. The University only cares about it's larger programs, mainly the engineers, so if you aren't want - forget it. I figured being one of just a few physics majors they may be interested in my success in the university, but apparently I was wrong. The smaller programs are a joke for the most part and the physics program definately is. It is impossible to get any kind of help or answers from anyone involved in the university. I find myself always getting the run-around, whether it be for financial aid, scheduling, or anything else, the only thing anyone one can do is send you to someone else. I have spent weeks (on numerous occasions) trying to get a simple answer. As far as Drexel being the 16th most wired university according to Yahoo, yeah they are big on computers and the wireless network is pretty neat. However, the computers used in lab and in the classroom are mostly rediculous. In using the computers for some of my programming courses I found it can take the computers minutes and minutes to perform a simple operation that takes only a few seconds on my personal cpu (which can't be used for the necessary in class programming.) Also trying to get your computer fixed on campus (by anyone but a fellow student) is time consuming and expensive. Considering it is required for everyone to have a computer, you'd think they'd at least be able to have some sort of free help for the students, but no. I have seen much less tech-savvy universities with free computer help, but not Drexel. When visiting the campus before deciding to go there I didn't think the DISGUSTING campus would bother me much, insisting that the good reputation of the school was enough. However, after a couple years of sitting in the gross, dirty, unmaintained classrooms, far off the tour route, I realized that the horrible state of the campus really did bother me. I hate seeing the same dirty, falling apart classrooms day-in and day-out. Sure there are some nice classrooms (which they show in the tour) but there are far more classrooms which should not be taught in. Drexel students have by far the least school spirit of any school I have ever seen or heard of. Almost anyone attending Drexel hates it there, or at least hates many of the things about it. This attitude shows through. I forgot to mention the most important thing, the professors. In my experience the professors were AWFUL. I had many classes taught by graduate students and MANY, MANY classes taught by people who spoke the worst english I have ever heard. Most of class was spent straining and interpretting to try to understand what in the world the prof was mumbling under their breath about. The few classes I had with english speaking, qualified professors weren't much better either. Most classes were so, so, so dry and boring. I'm not talking subject matter here, I enjoyed most of the subject matter, I'm talking purely about the professors and their teaching style. Most of my prof's had almost no interaction with the students except to occasionally yell at one of them for making too much noise coming in late. They would just get up in front of the class and mass lecture away (I am pretty sure class would have went the exact same if nobody showed up). Also, I am not sure who is selecting these TA's, but mine were horrible. All but one or two of them seemed terribly unqualified. They would timidly get in front of class, go through a few problems quickly and quietly with little or no explanation, far too quiet for anyone but the front two rows (which were reserved only for those who got to class well before my previous class let out) to hear. Any attempt to have the TA speak up would result in a very tempory, not to mention slight, boost in their level. Questions were answered with more questions, and I'll get back to you's. The professor would mass lecture without much regard to detail insisting the TA's would pick that up in recitation, and the TA's wouldn't do much of anything. This left learning everything up the student and the overly priced text book. Like I have stated previously, the only students who the university really caters to are the engineering students, so unless you are one of them, please consider somewhere else. And if you are an engineering student, you should considered that a very large portion of the students enter drexel as engineers and shortly after change their major to something not so demanding. The engineering program is very tough, and to make it harder a lot of people you will be living around won't be following nearly as difficult of a schedule (as non-engineering majors). Watching them live it up, while you are constantly working might get old quick. Don't make the same mistake i did, be very, very careful in selecting this university as the place for you and talk to lots of people, including students of varying grade levels. Good luck.