Florida Gulf Coast University

I moved here from Fort Lauderdale, and if I could turn back the hands of time, I would have never attended FGCU. For starters, Fort Myers and the surrounding areas are definitely not student friendly. There is an extremely high population of retirees. There is nothing to do, and the beaches pale in comparison to the ones on the East coast. That could just be my homesickness kicking in, but if you move here from a bigger city you better know what you're getting yourself into. Unless you prefer small towns, of course. As for FGCU itself, the student population is rather small and NOT diverse. That was another culture shock after moving from South FL. If you want to have a social life, it is imperative that you get involved in either sports or a fraternity/sorority. I think that it would be ideal to come to FGCU as a freshman rather than a transfer student, because it is incredibly difficult to break into the cliques. Yes, FGCU is comparable to a big high school. The academic integrity of FGCU is lackluster. I overheard one girl the other day "I want to be a stay at home mom, and I'm just getting a degree as a back-up". You're not going to find an Ivy-League mentality here. The professors here are generally pretty good, but the workload is pitiful. I transferred from BCC(A community college!!) expecting more of a challenge, but didn't find it. Overall, FGCU is a great university for people who grew up in SWFL, but if you're coming from another city or state, I highly suggest you consider continuing your education elsewhere in Florida.

2nd Year Female -- Class 2011

Campus Aesthetics: A+, Education Quality: F