Rutgers University - New Brunswick

I will briefly describe my experience at the university. Rutgers has some problems that I believe are probably quite common in big schools. The administration does make quite a few mistakes. I started sending everything certified mail after they lost my form before freshman year even started. Classroom size is horrible for first year classes. It does get better as you become a sophomore, junior, etc. I had an early morning class once. It was annoying to have to wake up early. But since nobody likes to have early classes, there were only 8 people in the class and the professor paid a lot of attention to the students (and not to mention that I NEVER...ever..slept in that class!). Busch dining hall is definitely the best. THe academic work can be challenging. Some professors are really passionate about the subject that they teach and want to help the students. The academic experience can be very rewarding if you are motivated. They definitely have to raise the TOEFL scores for some of the TAs though. Sometimes you just can't understand them. The atheletic program is alright depends on which program you are talking about. There are some well-known soccer players who graduated from Rutgers. Football, however, is another story. They waste so much money on that stadium among other things. Overall, the students are very friendly, but there are still cliques...kinda reminds me of high school. Parking is BAD. They ticket you like there is no tomorrow. The bus system isn't that much better. It's all about timing. I did everything I could to avoid having back to back classes because the buses are always jammed between classes. It's not so bad once classes start. Nothing is perfect, and Rutgers is no exception. There were times that I got very frustrated with the school. But I learned a lot...not just the stuff I had to learn in class, but other lessons for my personal life. It's really how you handle the situation.

5th Year Female -- Class 2002

University Resource Use/ spending: A+, Individual Value: F

Rutgers is a good university because it offers a diverse range of acedemic and social offerings. There are a lot of resources available for acedemic study, and in New Brunswick there are plenty of interesting night-spots. Being 1 hour from NYC does hurt either.

5th Year Female -- Class 2000

Social Life: A+, Individual Value: C-