Howard University

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+

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

Students: Howard is filled with some of the most beautiful people I've ever seen. As a result many here are into their looks. There is a lot of competition between the girls and between the guys to look the best, which (from what I've heard) leads to little arguments between some people. I wouldn't characterize this materialism any worse than a high school in a well to do area (based on the fact that many of the students come from areas like that). Fashion and confidence are things that are important to the average "Bison", you can see many people making their own clothes, shopping a lot...etc.

When talking to many of the people here you come to realize how this school is an intelligence mecca. Everyone is here for a reason, don't think that someone is smarter or dumber than the other (or you!) I have met people here who seem like they don't like school, yet they are very talented in certain arenas (i have a friend who i barely see study always skips class yet he writes beautifully, he has published plays that have been performed in major cities...everyone here is sooo goal/career oriented).

The majority of the students on campus seem to be a little closed-minded. We cannot forget where most students have come from...protestant suburban areas, rough inner city ghettos, seemingly archaic rural areas, and other more culturally conservative nations. this leads to both an attitude of disgust for other lifestyles and celebration of other societies (sorry, can't really articulate it well)...in other words some students can be really conservative/religous (this is the majority) and look down on those who do not share their values and others can be open-minded and a little more liberal, wanting others to "accept" there lifestyles.

Campus: (safety) We are in the middle of the ghetto (LeDroit Park), which explains for a lot of the events and procedures that occur on campus. In years past LeDroit was a MUCH worse neighborhood than it is now (an alumni told me that "crack-heads were just apart of the atmosphere [on campus]"). However much of washington is going under gentrification and lets just say Chocolate City is melting away. Our neighborhood is (to me) is like an urban area, you have to watch your back at night. If you are smart (for the lack of a better term) you might get robbed...if you here stories of this happening people were probably CUTTING THROUGH THE PROJECTS, WALKING ALONE AT NIGHT, TALKING ON THE CELLPHONE WHILE WALKING AROUND/NOT PAYING ATTENTION TO THEIR SURROUNDINGS, AND NOT USING THEIR RESOURCES LIKE THE FREE CAMPUS ESCORTS/CAMPUS SHUTTLES ETC.

Campus (facilitis) The campus is nice on the outside (nicer than i expected) somewhat park like in the middle of the city, however the inside of the facilities are ridiculous. there is barely security, the rooms are dirty and never maintained, paint is peeling off the walls, old, old heaters. the desks are old and falling apart (not built in which IS a fire hazard). if this is important to you i would advise you to look at other schools as this can get very frustrating...the school claims that there is no money to fix up the classrooms. if you do decide to go here you will come at a time when they are fixing up and building new buildings...they just put in a multi-million dollar library which is astonding, they are retrofitting the historic building (libraries, classrooms and dorms) and the are also building new dorms (about three new dorm halls).

Faculty: the professors here are a sorted bunch. you have those that are very-very approachable and inspirational, and you have those who are pretty strict and difficult to get along with i.e. arrogant (i haven't had any of them yet but i have heard a nightmare or two). As long as you make a good impression, always stay involved in class discussions, and maintain a positive attitude about the subject matter you will not have any trouble.

The Faculty: this school is pretty bad with organization. They lost my MEDICAL FORMS and almost forced me to pay for shots that i didn't need. I have about four other issues with the faculty including: switched meal plans, unprocessed transcripts etc. Howard could do a lot better with changing the faculty and making sure that things run the way that they should. Be aware of some of the attitudes from the staff members as they are over worked underpaid and don't really care about customer service. After being here for a while the faculty has seemed to ease up they smile more and seem more relaxed (i guess they are really busy at the beginning of the year, processing the students transcripts and such).

There are a lot of positive aspects to the experience you'll have with the faculty/admin. many alumni told me that it really prepared them for their career and life; having to deal with pushy DMV workers, unorganized business offices, rude clients, etc...one alumni i spoke with said that it helped him get more organized, more patient etc....i'm not trying to make excuses for my school unproffessionalism, just giving you a warning, if you are a little bit dependent (on others) this may really help you or really hurt you...you decide.

1st Year Male -- Class 2008

Faculty Accessibility: A-, University Resource Use/ spending: F