Howard University

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

My experience at Howard has been both positive and negative. I just completed my first year here, and I've decided to move on -- for many reasons.

I think its important to visit Howard, or any other college you are interested in, and really be honest with yourself about what it is that you want from a college experience. The visit is extremely important. It should even be done more than once, if possible. The visit will allow you to see if Howard is what you want. If you have a good eye, and your intuition says yes, and you can truly picture yourself attending Howard, then Howard is for you.

The mistake I made, was that I visited Howard one time, and I was passive. I was excited about attending the "Mecca", and I convinced myself, when I visited, that even though I instantly disliked the feel I had on campus, that I would grow to appreciate what I did not like and experience would turn out great. I attended Howard with an open mind.

The things I personally dislike about Howard is that, in my opinion, the social life far outweighs the academics. As others have commented, Howard is big on networking, fun, and fashion, but the academics suffer to a certain extent. If you are a social and outgoing you will love the experience at Howard. However, it is important to balance social life with studies.

As an introverted, hard-working, confident student, I felt overwhelmed by Howard's overly social scene. I found, after being here for a year's time, that a college which somehow accommodates solitude and optional quiet time is what I not only wanted, but needed.

If you want to make tons of new friends, be apart of the social HBCU family, are ok with alot of interaction and less quiet time on campus, then by all means, Howard is great.But if you much rather appreciate a beautiful, predominantly quiet laid back campus with trees and grass and beautiful surroundings that you can indulge in when you want "you" time AND the OPTION to socialize if you feel, then I would recommend looking into other colleges. That is what I am doing at this moment.

1st Year Female -- Class 2012

Social Life: A+, Campus Maintenance: F

I am going to talk about my experience at Howard so far, as a freshman, and as a commuter student.
Commuting: Commuting is terrible. The Shaw/Howard station is quite a walk from campus and the shuttle buses never seem to come frequently.

Professors: a hit or miss situation. There are some professors that will help you, but you have to ask for it or prove that you are worthy of taking up their time to help you. Not that this is a bad thing: I have met so many wonderful professors here. Now, some of them are truly terrible and cannot explain their subject work or simply do not want to help you at all.

Students: to me, the best part about Howard. You will meet SO many cool people here. Everyone is pretty nice, and there are a lot of outgoing people here that will make you laugh or smile. There are so many different people here and you will love Howard if you love to meet all kinds of people. It is really easy to meet people here and make friends: all you have to do is not be too afraid to approach anybody or introduce yourself. Many students at other colleges complain that they can't meet people because they are not dorming, however, at Howard, that isn't a problem.

Major/Minor: because of the situation I am in right now, the biggest advice I can give is to do your research about the programs Howard offers. Please, Please, Please, do not enroll at this school "just to be here." You will find yourself wasting your time and $19,000 of tuition money. Howard offers many programs, but only enroll if your program is popular at Howard and can get you a job or internship because you are in that program at Howard.

I made the mistake in being in a program that is simply ludicrous and mediocre and I am transferring. Howard doesn't provide good resources for ALL of their programs, just to let you know.In closing, Howard was truly an experience that I am grateful to have experienced. I have met wonderful people and learned a lot about myself, however, continuing my education here will not help me in the long run.

1st Year Female -- Class 2014

Social Life: A, Education Quality: F