James Madison University

Date: Apr 23 2006
Major: Biology (This Major's Salary over time)
Honestly, my experience at JMU has been dire at best. First of all, I'm not the least bit pleased about my academic experience at this desolate university. From the perspective of a biology major, let me state that classes are extremely limited in both variety and availablilty. Recently, I've signed up for registration; however, one of my core classes, physics, which I've been trying forever to get into is once again closed out. Therefore, I'll just have to wait at least another semester. What makes the matter even worse is that I'm a junior and this isn't the only class that I've had difficulty getting into…No wonder why most JMU students take longer than 4 years to graduate.

Besides acadmics, the school is very nit-picky about how they manage their budget with their various resources. On one hand, the school dishes out butt-loads of money to support a number of the athletic programs, which, dare I say, aren't that great (ie the football team). Common, their Division I-AA for crying out loud and they still couldn't make it to the playoffs last year…Yet, still, I hear students and administrators tout that the excess money spent on this and several other programs is money well spent…Go figure. Also, the university loves to spend lots and lots of cash on landscaping. The results are pretty…at least in the spring, but considering how much the school spends on landscaping, and how little the school spends on improving other apsects of the school (ie the library), I just feel completely ripped off.

Speaking of the library, let me tell you that while most students on JMU are party-crazed, alcohol-addicted idiots, there is a minority of students who have aspirations that go beyond the end of a beer bottle. I'm the type of student who really doesn't like to study, but knows that it's essential to be successful. However, JMU doesn't seem to support my view. Rather the school severely restrains support for such positive aspirations. For instance, the main and only library on campus, Carrier Library, consists of old desks, crappy computers, and a very low volume of books (in comparison to other big universities). Also, the hours at the library suck, for instance, last Thursdays, I was kicked out of the library at 11:45 pm…For crying out loud, after next week we have finals!

As far as social life goes, the choices are incredibly limited. Since the town that surrounds JMU offers little more than a few stores to blow some time shopping for groceries and such, there isn't much to do at JMU. So, in order to burn time, the majority of the students participate in heavy drinking and exorbitant, promiscuous behavior. I can recall that one of the things that the admissions office touted about was the high percentage of females at JMU: roughly 70%. I certainly didn't mind, considering that I was a strait male; however, once arriving on campus, I realized that it didn't matter how many girls this campus had in relation to males because, quite frankly, nearly all of the girls here aren't worth chasing. Now, I'm not saying these girls are ugly by any means, but they certainly aren't the types of girls that you'd like to bring home to meet the parents, if you know what I mean. Girls on this campus love to drink and they certainly don't mind "experiencing freely" with a multitude of partners. Also, sorry to bring this up, but if you're a male that isn't that attractive, your not going to experience much of the fruits that these promiscuous girls have to offer. Rather, this privilege is reserved primarily for jocks and preppy rich kids.

I'm sorry if my review has given you a tainted view of JMU. However, I believe that it's necessary to reveal the truth, or unfortunately, you could end up getting suckered into the hell hole that I currently call my school. Personally, I'm ready to leave this dump and will do so after this semester. My words of advice to you, whomever you may be, are the following: Look into JMU, but do so hesitantly. It offers a lot for some individuals, but offers little to others. If you possess aspirations to make something of your life, other than a chronic alcoholic or future porn star, go elsewhere. Overall, under it's candy-coated exterior, JMU is no more than an underachiever's playground. Therefore, I suggest that if you want to experience a well-rounded college experience, GO ELSEWHERE!