Dutchess Community College

This school is the definition of neutral. If you're somebody who just wants to coast through work and not be challenged this is the college for you. If you want a challenge and intellectual conversation with you peers then avoid this college at all costs. I thought that the Honors Program would be challenging (given the stigma of community colleges), but even then the program is just mediocre if not awful.

1st Year Female -- Class 2016

Collaboration/Competitive: A+, Social Life: F

Education: I did good in school but didn't do well on the SAT's and also didn't know what I wanted to do with my life. The education quality is pretty good. However, there are some bad professors.

Food: The delis are good but the other food is terrible. I barely buy food here.
Social Life: There aren't really that many nice people her since most of the students are fresh out of high school. It's kind of cliquey. There's still some nice people that you'll run into. People usually go home after class which is like any community college. Finally, there's too many smokers and ghetto kids at this school

Clubs/Activities: There are some clubs here but some aren't really active. Clubs are the only way you can easily meet new people with similar interests here.Advice: If you had a choice to go to a four-year college and want a better social life, I advise you to do it. You'll meet better people at those schools. Also, if you have to work while at this school, try to schedule your hours or get an on-campus job so you can easily balance school and work.

1st Year Male -- Class 2016

Campus Maintenance: A+, Social Life: D-

Dutchess community college is overall a good college to learn and get a degree. They recently placed a dorm in 2013. This is my 3rd semester living in the dorm. It is extremely difficult to live here at Dutchess. When classes are not in session, the campus is pretty much closed. At night you are yelled at by security for just walking around the campus. There are little to no activities to attend or do. The gym is usually closed 95% of the time due to classes or sport practice. There is nothing to do or offered on campus. Dutchess community college is not set up to have a dorm. They offer housing and that's it, Dutchess is not a campus that offers anything to the dorm students. The weekend shuttle that is offered to take students to the mall is not reliable. I have been left stranded at the mall and had to pay $30 for a tact back to the school. The school would not reimburse the students. The food selection from the cafeteria seems good at first, but the quality of the food is extremely poor. The school offers a very small budget for food for the students. The cafeteria closes at 7:30 then has a small cafeteria in the dorm that opens. The budget for the dorm cafe is extremely low and we receive the most disgusting choices of food and quality. It is hard to have dinner most nights if you take an evening class due to they usually often run out of food within the first hour of opening. The school will often close the cafeteria in the dorms when students arrive from brakes and come back with no food and no opportunity to purchase dinner for that night. Security is extremely tight checking any bag coming into the building, even shopping bags coming back from the store or mall. You have no privacy whatsoever, even checking and going thru your luggage when returning from brakes. The school is planning in installing microphones in the hallways to listen in on students conversations (which is illegal, has not been done yet) which makes it extremely difficult for students to live due to big brothers presence always around, not to mention the 89 camera already placed throughout the building, not a blind spot in sight even when walking to your dorm room. They constantly monitor students and if see too many students enter a suite, a fine is given. The fire alarm system is horrible. It is constantly set off all times of the night due to anywhere from malfunction to someone straightening there hair. They do many room checks ("safety" they are called but really to find illegal contraband such as desk lamps, signs, etc.) you have no privacy as a student. Laundry has gone up in price to $1.75 per machine $3.50 for a single load of laundry. They offer a gym in the dorm that has no Maintnance of any machines and has broken weights everywhere that charges $25 per semester. I would suggest this school as a option to commute and get your degree, but never to dorm.

1st Year Male -- Class 2014

Campus Maintenance: A-, Social Life: F