Hofstra University

Date: Oct 24 2005
Major: Computer Science (This Major's Salary over time)
Look no further this post will answer all questions about the social atmosphere. I've gone to the University of Maryland, Hofstra, and a commuter college. SO I KNOW EVERY TYPE OF SCHOOL and I can make an informed decision, unlike some people!

Hofstra is a live-in AND commuter campus. If you live on campus, you will hang out every night, it will be alot of fun. You will meet tons of people, and you will bump into your friends very regularly (which is opposite of bigger schools) because of a centrally located student center/unispan. To cross the monster Hempstead Tpke to get to the academic side of campus (from the residential side of campus), you must walk through the student center (where the cafeteria is) and go through the unispan bridge across the tpke. Because of the centrality of the student center and bridge, the student center is a MAJOR hangout area - food, the bridge, student organizations, bookstore, everything in one place. So its great, you'll see your friends time and time again. Its like living in a small town.

Student organizations are pretty good. You can join student government and all that if you are into that. Hofstra fits anybody - from intellectual people to party/drinking people to political people. There is somebody for everybody.

Girls - tons of hot hot hot girls everywhere. Not an issue.

The area? OK this is the part you have to listen up to. There is a ghetto to the west, a nice area to the east. Dont go to the ghetto. The east and the north are where you will hang out. It DOES NOT have a college town, unfortunately. Absolutely, positively no college town. Instead, you live in the heart of densely packed western suburban Long Island (suburbs of NYC) so there is a meganormous shopping mall next door, every restaurant under the sun, clubs, bars, commuter train stations (stations not station - there are many) to NYC. There is an awesome coffee house called the witches brew about 10 mins away. Its an independent coffeehouse and alot of students hang out there instead of starbucks.

THE DORMS: TONS and TONS of singles! This is a beautiful thing! Of course if you are a freshman you will live with a roomate, but once your a sophomore, junior, etc. you will be able to easily get a single (unlike other schools). There is no need to live off campus, but if you truly want to, you can live in a house walking distance from campus. You can rent a room and live with your fellow students.

THE FOOD: Hofstra OUTSOURCES food to a local catering company. This catering company has nothing to do with Hofstra. It provides good, quality food. Actually they give a TON of food so get ready to eat eat eat. TONS of free food EVERYWHERE on campus. THe negative side is that it isnt a all-you-can eat style. You pay for what you want. And it can run to about $8 for a meal. But whatever - eating is a necessary evil, you cant get out of it.

THE PEOPLE: TONS of people from all over the United States. If your from Boston, come on down. Id say about 35% of Hofstra is from the Boston area. Tons and tons of people from Mass - u can say "pak the ca" everybody will understand you. I've met people from florida, missouri, illinois, massachusettes, mississippi, california, washington state, maryland, north carolina, lots of texas/houston area, and Hofstra has a exchange program with a school in the Netherlands, so there is always about 30 students from Amsterdam who are always very cool and chill to hang out with. Very very interesting people. These people live in the international hall - Alliance. When you meet a new person,you have to ask where they are from. If your a LI person dont worry there will be lots of people from everywhere coming to hofstra. WHY?? Because these people want to hang out at New York City. Hofstra provides the perfect distance from NYC where it is close by to hang out at on the weekends (30 mins) but far enough to have a campus worth caring about. If you go to NYU, nobody cares about the campus. You want a campus! You want to be with your friends and to be in such an environment. You have the rest of your life to live in an apartment where nobody cares about anybody.

SCHOOLWORK: Generally easy. No it is not easy to get into but hard to stay in. Thats nonscence. It is easy to get into and moderately hard to stay in. Just do your work - it isnt hard. You will be in small classes, so you won't have lecture and recitation classes. You'll just have lecture.

CAMPUS SIZE: Juuuust right. Not too big, not too small. You can walk from one side to the other and not be that exhausted. Completely reasonable size.

AIR CONDITIONING/HEATING: Yes!! ALL dorm rooms are air conditioned and have cable TV! Woo Hoo! The thing that sucks is that it doesnt have a thermostat. Once you turn the AC on, it stays on and will make the room FREEZING brrr… or HOT like a sauna. But jesus christ this should not the reason you pick or dont pick a school unless your Paris Hilton or something.

PARKING: TONS of parking for commuter and residents. All students may have a car. The people who say parking sucks are the lazy bastards who don't want to walk from the end of campus to class. And hey - why on earth are you commuting anyway?? Live on campus. If you dont have the money, go to a state school - why are you going to a private university?

SIZE: just right - about 10K students.

All done. Email me if u want additional info.