The City University of New York Queens College

Date: Dec 29 2003
Major: Economics (This Major's Salary over time)
At first, I did not like the school. I thought the teachers were unhelpful and the students were boring and unapproachable. I think that is everybody's experience with large general 100-level courses at any school. As I started taking more advanced courses in my major, I began building friendships and helpful relationships with the faculty and department. Many professors are top notch and very influential in their area. The students seem smart, for the most part, and willing to learn. Both the professors and students are open minded and the environment is very safe and warm for a city school. Those who think that just because the school is a CUNY, it will be poor "resourcewise," I have found that it has many more resources available to students (including a very nice library) compared to other schools I have experienced. On a bad note, for those expecting the school to be very close to the city, think again, although it is relatively close to NYC, it is in Queens (hence the name) in a somewhat suburban setting and a little far from downtown manhattan (keep in mind that there is no direct subway/metro access to QC). You will have to rely on bus (or subway and bus) or your own car. The school is in an enclosed campus setting though, which is a luxury for city colleges. Another negative note is that it is exclusive to commuters and has no available housing for its students, depriving students of many of the "social activities" available at other schools. Otherwise, the school is top notch for a CUNY school and there are many groups and clubs and an exclusive Student Union building for activities and club meetings. The proximity to the vibrant and diverse New York City may be more beneficial than living on campus at a school. If you want a great education, in a safe setting that is relatively close to downtown NYC and at an affordable price, this is the school for you. Although most students are from NYC and the Long Island suburbs, out-of-state students can get an apartment locally and still have less expenses than they would dorming at some private university, enjoying a truly diverse and enriching experience in NYC. QC is a large commuter university with many resources, good variety of majors, diverse students and worldly professors.