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Howard University

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Just like every other University, there is alwaysSuper BrilliantCommunications
Just like every other University, there is always something to complain about, housing,administration,social life ,academics..always..so yes Howard does have some complaints and issues that DRIVE ME UP THE DAMN WALL & makes me consider transferring..so let me break it down..

cons
Administration - lawwddd JESUS, these people will lose your paperwork and THENNNN find the nerve somewhere to give youuu attitude bout it. They think they are being 'professional',but they are completely oblivious & cannot wait till 'break time', which they will take an hour on lunch. Clearly most of the admnistration are just the people who spent too much time at howard and decided to work at Howard, or just extras from other schools.. so YOU MUST have patience with them.. DORMS - our dorms do have some issues,some may not be the prettiest and most comfy but seriously everyone can quit complaining cause all you gotta do is make your room comfy & you'll be iight, besides the sometimes water being cold, heat broken or a.c broken, it just makes it the HOward experience.. ACADEMICS - okay its annoying when there arent enough chairs for students, when the teachers dont show up for a whole first week of school, when there isnt enough supplies.. HOWEVER,, we have some awesomeee teachers, who are not only professors but actual authors,lawyers,doctors,journalist, & are very passionate about demanding THE BEST from the students. HOWARD IS NOT AN EASY SCHOOL TO RIDE BY. you will earn your grade & will compete against intelligent black students..

SOCIAL LIFE IS BOMBBBBB!! there is something going on every night on campus, so many orgs to participate in , def. many DIFFERENT FRIENDS TO MAKE ( just cause everybody is black ,trust and believe not every black person is the same ) ..but yess at howard you will find your BESTFRIENDS,Your SORORS OR FRAT, youR HUBBY/WIFE, & Def. yourself.

HOWARD DEF. CAN BE IMPROVED >>HOWEVER it gives way for the students to improve it ONLY if they are bold enough..

consider coming here.. i give Howard a B+:)

3rd Year Female -- Class 2011
Collaboration/Competitive: A+, Campus Maintenance: D+
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Unfortunately, my experience at Howard has been marredSuper BrilliantPhilosophy
Unfortunately, my experience at Howard has been marred by an absolutely disgusting roommate and an atrocious administration. Don't jump to hasty conclusions. Howard University is a wonderful institution. It is indisputable that you will LEARN at this university. Furthermore, you'll find an abundance of great friends. The social life and extracurricular activity is superb, aside from sports. Howard isn't known for its athletic achievements. Simply remember that this is an HBCU, and you will therefore receive a completely different experience than most post-secondary educational institutions. You will learn things than you will not learn at Harvard or Yale. However, if you're used to a truly diverse student demographic, you will arrive to a huge culture shock as I did. Frankly, I do not want to be surrounded by people that are virtually all of the same color, which is one of my reasons for transferring.

Moving on, as you've probably already read, the administration is inexcusably horrible. They lose things. Many of the workers have unnecessary attitudes and have general malcontent towards their responsibilities. Be sure to keep copies of everything and have PATIENCE when dealing with the departments within the administration.

Residence life is not as bad as portrayed by the student body. Drew Hall is suitable for any college freshman that isn't easily distracted. It is loud at times, and wild things can happen, but usually nothing that will deter you from receiving your education. You may lose visitation once or twice, but you'll get over it. The Quad is quite similar to Drew and is the biggest dormitory on campus by capacity. Most freshman girls will stay there or the Annex. The Annex is much more opulent in appearance and facilities. Enviously, they have their own cafe. Cook Hall, my dorm hall, is by far the most convenient and most opulent in the entire residence fleet. Out of all the residence halls, we are the only to have our own bathrooms. And, the rooms are huge. Try to land a spot here if you can live with sacrificing the freshman Drew Hall experience, which I was fine with. It would be better if my roommate wasn't a disgusting elephant. Meridian Hill Hall is off-campus. Most upperclassmen, specifically sophomores, stay there. I don't know much about it so I won't pretend that I do. Carver and Slowe Hall are also off-campus forms. Carver has a reputation for being the "homosexual house." It's a social convention. In other words, its childish and it means nothing. Other than that, I don't know much. Slowe has A LOT of problems. Sewage and other plumbing problems perpetually mar the place. Of all halls, try not to land there. And finally is the Howard Plaza Towers-East & West. These are the most affluent dorms. They have the most amenities: "All units have a shared common area and well-equipped modern kitchen and bathroom areas. Security system, underground parking, computer labs, study rooms, cable, Internet, and local telephone service. Front desk service is provided 24/7." Other students from other universities stay there. It is off campus and is the biggest of all dormitories. Don't look forward to this until you're a junior. Mays Hall is for graduate students. Don't ask me anything about that.

My Advice? Tour the campus before applying. Ask the students about their experience. Try to go during the school year for a more candid and realistic demonstration of the university's daily functions. While Howard has its administrative and organizational shortcomings, it is the pinnacle of American education - in a different light. Like I said, you'll learn things here that you will not learn anywhere else. Furthermore, the social life immaculate. You will enjoy your time here. There is always something to do. Finally, there is a myriad of resources. Accessibility is just limited and problematic. But, determination will plow through those obstacles. If you like to make excuses about everything, Howard is probably not the place to be. It's in a phase of change and will be improved. Get involved with the movement. My reasons for transferring are personal. I come from a rural/suburban area. The urban lifestyle is not the best environment for me. Furthermore, I miss my family and friends far too much. So, I'm transferring to Drexel University so I can commute from my home in New Jersey. But, being in Washington, DC has its obvious advantages. Internships and career opportunities? No shortage here. Resources? Library of Congress, over 21 public libraries. In other words, there is no reason you cannot get a 4.0 at Howard or ANY OTHER university in the DMV area. Case in point, do your research thoroughly. Unfortunately, I didn't. I tried to foster a change that wasn't meant for me, which left me unhappy. But, that doesn't have to be your fate. Good luck in your future endeavors students.

1st Year Male -- Class 2013
Social Life: A+, Education Quality: D
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Ok, let me break down the almighty HowardQuite BrightEnglish
Ok, let me break down the almighty Howard University for you readers. First of all, think hard about accepting your admission to Howard if you a.) Haven’t visited the campus or surrounding area, b.) Are not coming from a good high school where you excelled, c.) If you're just generally not a smart person, d.) You're not fashion obsessed, e.) You’re picky with food,...and the list goes on, but definitely, DO NOT and I repeat DO NOT come to Howard, if:..........YOU DON'T LIKE BLACK PEOPLE! You guys may be saying "duh" but people really get on campus and act brand new like they didn't know how black people were before they got to school! Anyway, back to what I was saying before, Howard University (and let me say I personally love the school and wouldn't have chosen to study my undergrad anywhere else even though my review may seem like a long diatribe, it’s just me being cynical because I’m currently having a hard time getting through to the office of financial records), is in a bad neighborhood. I’m an 18-year-old; Brooklyn, NY-born-and-raised-chick and I can honestly say that I witnessed my first shooting right across the street from the Howard campus in front of the 24-hour McDonalds. Granted, coming from Brooklyn, my reflexes were on point and I knew to stop and get down, but those of you from those suburban or rural towns where everybody knows everyone and the only people who own guns are your redneck neighbors or your father…you know the town sheriff, BEWARE! I mean you’ll get used to the incessant begging from the homeless who basically live on Georgia Ave, but it takes a while and can get aggravating, especially when sometimes all you want to do is take a bite into your McChicken sandwich but you can’t because you have a filthy, hungry crack head breathing down your neck for some change. Now this is just a warning. This is not saying don’t come because of the displeasing neighborhood, just keep this in mind, and if you do decide to embark on HU and then later realize you can’t take it, you can opt to be a hermit in your dorm room. Howard has plenty of those. Personally, I dealt and will continue to deal with it for my next three years. You can’t be sheltered all of your life, right? Right.

And next, on to academics, like I said before, if you’re not coming from a good high school or just aren’t an all around “smart person”, Howard won’t better you! Good grades in high school doesn’t mean you’re smart especially if you’re not coming from a nationally ranked good school, ahem, yeah, don’t get it twisted. If you’re a smart person, then you’re not coming to Howard to become intellectually uplifted because you already are and if you’re not smart and you’re coming to Howard to gain some academic grounding, sorry, NOT GONNA HAPPEN! Don’t get me wrong, I’ve met some really intelligent and sophisticated professors who teach really well and stimulate my brain, but in retrospect over my entire freshman year, plenty of teachers at Howard make it easy for students to succeed. I don’t know if it’s because they feel that that’s the only way we’ll triumph, but sometimes I praise the Lord that I’m a smart girl and not relying on all of my Howard teachers to truly prepare me for law school.

Now, moving right along, onto the Howard Campus Fashion show…wait….muahahaha…sorry I had to let out a little laugh. Just thinking about the Howard girls who actually think they dress well brings laughter to my already sarcastic heart. But okay let me break it down, let me chomp it up! There’s this store on Georgia Ave called ‘Susan’s Fashion’. This store is like a Rainbow, or a G&G, you know, one of those stores that sell the cheap version of in style fashion clothes and shoes, ya’ll know it, every mall has one! Anyway, girls at Howard think it’s okay to base their whole wardrobe on that store! Personally, I’m somewhat of a brat so I wouldn’t even buy a pair of shoes from that store, but Howard girls do. And then they strut their stuff on campus like they’ve just stepped out of In Style magazine, wait, oops, most of them don’t read In Style or else they’d know that shopping at this store just makes them all look the same: a cheap, tacky mess. Yeah, let me reiterate, the same. On any given day, you’re granted to see five girls wearing the same shoes (especially those cheap neon heels, like the tacky orange ones), pants, or shirt. It’s because they all shop at the same store, so word of advice, stay away from Susan’s Fashion. Other than that, some girls at Howard swear that a tall pair of stillettos is the key to dressing well and they'll wear it all around campus. It's pretty amusing to me actually, because once in a while you'll spot a girl tripping over herself or breaking a heel. We have a hilly campus and stillettos on our campus don't make sense at all, but for plenty of Howard people, looks take precedence over academics. So if you're one of those girls who must fit in, pack a pair of stillettos. As for boys, I mean you have your average Howard boy: fitted, jersey, baggy jeans, and tennis shoes. Then you have those with a more Metrosexual style or those who wear nothing but athletic gear or those who look like they're straight out of a Cincinnatti suburb where the word fashion doesn't exist but personally I ain't concerned. I have a boyfriend at Howard who dresses pretty nicely and that's all that matters to me. (sorry if ya'll wanted more about boys, however I can say that there are a lot of cuties on campus, just make sure they're single or haven't been around the block)

We're closing in and my next subject is food. For freshmen, the main eatery is the cafe in Blackburn or the Annex cafe (but only lames ,hermits, and athletes eat there). Anyway, the food is...well...cafe food. Don't expect anything spectacular and you're bound not to be disappointed. You have a variety for the most part (burgers, pizza, entrees, salad, sandwiches, cereal). It's just that sometimes the food doesn't look normal, or they run out of turkey burgers, or the pizza is crusty. And once in a while you'll hear of an incident with a rodent, but for the most part, you'll be satisfied and if not, you can take your chances at McDonalds!

Lastly, Howard is a black college, and we all know how black people are. Prepare yourself for administrators with attitude, lazy security guards, dummies in class who get mad when the teacher asks them to pay attention, etc. It's fun for the most part: beautiful black people, good connections, good parties, great social clubs, plenty of frats and sororities, frequent celebrity spotting. Howard just has a good atmosphere and sometimes you actually feel like you're on a Different World. Overall, I think it's a great school and if you're a smart person, you'll do well here.

And remember that this is commentary from a soon-to-be sophomore. My opinions may change over the course of my next three years. I suggest you give it a try!

1st Year Female -- Class 2007
Social Life: A+, Perceived Campus Safety: D
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