I am a non-traditional student at The University of Houston.
I am a 40 something who has returned after
spending twenty years in the corporate management field. I'm
an undergraduate in my junior year, and I have plans
to continue with a graduate degree here when I graduate.
I've attended the school for three semesters now.
This is the fourth school that I've attended in my
life time and I'm not sure some of the critical
assessments that I've read here so far have been fair
or accurate. Make no doubt about it, this is
a large school, so be prepared for lower level classess
with hundreds of students in some courses. Texas and
Texas A&M are no different in this respect. I
think one of the most unfair assessments is that the
school is unsafe or located in a high crime area.
Yes, it's true the third ward is a low
income neighborhood with a significantly prominent African American population.
So if you're expecting the Pepperdine or UCSB demographics you'll
be dissapointed. I've never had a problem with the
surrounding low income area because I stay on the 770
acre campus while I'm attending school. I've never had
a problem with the area or been a victim of
crime. I frequently see officers in the parking lots
when I arrive and leave the school.
The campus
is beautiful and the facilities are well maintained. For
a school this size, I'm contestantly surprised by cleanliness of
the campus. The school has two great libraries and
I've never found any significant deficiencies with the facilities.
I've noticed that there have been several complaints about having
to walk long distances to get around campus. Well
despite the frequent and very reliable bus service, I choose
to walk everywhere I go. It's great excersize folks.
It is a large campus, but why someone would
complaing about having to stroll through a scenic, well landscaped
setting is beyond me. I can't figure that one
out. The fourth largest city is at your disposal
with just about anything you would ever want as far
as entertainment, dining, the arts, professional sports, and cultural events.
Now to the meat and potatos of the quality
of the education itself. The education is what you
make of it. The professors (all of which have
been Phd.'s) have been very knowledgeable and informative, however, some
of them have been a bit demanding. I think
I can say that I've only experienced one professor who
would fall among the rank of mediocre. So far
every professor that I've encountered has been more than willing
to talk to me and answer questions if and when
there were any. I see some students who'll
approach them with timid aprehension. Don't be afraid guys.
Tell them if you need something. Folks this
is college, so they are not there to hold your
hand and sugar coat this stuff. This is where
you make the cut. Just wait till you get
into the real world with your chosen professional field of
endeavor. You'll look back on UH and have fond
memories. You think your professors are tough? Wait
until you're in a corporate environment with the balding, jaded,
divorced middle management that hates their very own existence.
The ethnic diversity at The University of Houston
is incredible. It's literally a global microcosm which
makes the entire experience just a bit more interesting.
The CASA math lab is staffed with highly competent people
who are extremely helpful. Most of the folks in
there seeming possess incredible mathematic prowess. I think overall
this school has plenty to offer. Every school is
unique and UH is no exception. In the end,
it's what you as the individual decide to make of
it.
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