New York University
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New York University - Comments and Student Experiences | |||||||||||||||||||
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I had virtually no guidance when it came to picking classes and majors. I did not know which departments were excellent, and which ones were disorganized messes. I picked English, and it turned out that the English Department was a disorganized mess. I did not learn anything in any of my English classes. I read, and I learned a bit through that, but the lectures and assignments were pointless. They rarely challenged me or made me think.
The grade inflation was out of control. I got A-'s when I wrote my papers hours before they were due and failed to proofread them. I got A's when I proofread. I love a challenge. I like to work hard, especially on my writing, and I like my hard work to be rewarded. But there was no reward for a really good paper in the English department. There were A's ... but they were, ironically, cheap.
The lack of social life I found at NYU was thoroughly depressing. I am a quiet person, but also a smart, kind, and creative one. Everywhere I have lived, worked, or studied, with the exception of NYU, I have found plenty of friends. I met plenty of people I liked at NYU, but did not make the cut for any of the cliques that I wanted to join, which I blame on the fact that I was a few years older than most of my peers, and ended up with very, very few NYU friends.
The facilities were awful, especially the library. It was the singular in its poor construction--it's loud, heavy furniture and doors, it's carpet-less, echoing prison-like walls and floors, it's lack of any of the books I needed, it's loud, cell-phone-talking, crunchy-snack-eating students, and it's terrible lack of seating. The dorms were dingy and tiny with paper-thin walls, and the form to find a compatible roommate was optional and hard to find on the housing website.
Nothing, however, tops the rudeness of the administrators, their unwillingness to discuss student problems in a direct manner, and their viciously defensive attitudes. The worst interaction I had with one of their hired idiots came at the end of my junior year when I found an internship through their website that turned out to be a complete violation of labor laws. The employer was depending on my, profiting from my long days sweating over her phones and files, not paying me, and not allowing me to take lunch breaks. Now, federal minimum wage laws (including FSLA) do not allow for-profit companies to depend on or profit from unpaid interns, and obviously being denied a lunch break is not allowed. So after I quit, I thought, "Gee, why don't I let NYU know that this person who is adverting through their career center is breaking labor laws with her interns?" The first person I spoke with chastised me for "unprofessional behavior" because I had quit. When I told her about FSLA she laughed and said, "Well, that's a federal law, not our law." When I went to higher-level career center administrators, they dodged all my questions, defended the first person I had talked to, and told me not too politely that they were not legally responsible for the content on their career center website. When I brought the issue to the attention of the deans of my college, all they did was reiterate the fact that the university's policy of posting known FLSA violators on their website had been vetted by their legal committee. A month or two later they came out with this statement saying that backing out on a position obtained through the career center would be grounds for loss of all career center services.I could go on all day with these stories. I did have a couple of classes I liked, but that was it. Now I just cringe when I see those ugly purple flags flapping all over the city. Goddamn NYU, go on cheating unsuspecting young people out of vast amounts of money and out of their chance for a real college education if you must--why didn't I go to University of Michigan??--but don't flaunt your stupid purple victory flags in the face of every poor sap of a graduate who still lives in the city. Let me quietly hand over most of each pay check to Sallie Mae and forget you.
New York has amazing culture and opportunities everywhere you look. The internships and jobs you can get here are endless. Even though I'm only a freshmen I'm currently interning at a publishing company and I got two amazing jobs that pay over $18/hour (these are not uncommon, by the way). NYU will help you get ahead, no doubt.
The social life in my opinion, is a little lacking. But thats not to say that people don't party. In fact, NYU is sort of an underground party school. People drink in the dorms, there are even the rare frat/house parties (so fun), and of course the endless bars and clubs (Still Bar being an NYU favorite). Its true, most places dont even card that hard you just need an okay fake and you'll have the time of your life.
Also, NYU is an amazing research university. The resources are endless. Bobst (our library) has over 5 million books or something, the NYU health center is top notch, and you can pretty much get ahead in any field. Yes, NYU is a brand name school, but that ultimately helps you get ahead in the end. When NYU students graduate they are immediately 100 steps ahead of any other college graduate. We have internships, valuable connections, and continuing support from the university under our belts. NYU helps recent graduates find jobs and internships endlessly.
I have to point out the obvious though. Don't come here if you desire anything close to a typical college experience. If your willing to sacrifice some "typical" college things for an amazing education and endless opportunity, then I would suggest NYU. I think the negative comments are too discouraging and depressing and for the most part, untrue. Come here and see for yourself. You'll know as soon as you set foot "on campus" if this place is for you!
On top of all that, the social life is disastrous. I can't stress this point enough. I read a lot of the negative reviews before coming to NYU and they made me nervous--for good reason. They are entirely true. You can kiss a decent social life goodbye if you come here. Don't get me wrong, some people love it and have the time of their lives but most do not. Most people here absolutely despise NYU with every fiber of their being and cant wait to leave. There's a reason why NYU has the #2 highest suicide rate in the country, you know.I was hesitant to transfer because I thought I would give NYU more time. I wish I had transfered. Now I'm stuck at this god forsaken school for another two years...don't ask me how I'm going to get through it. Do not apply here. Even if you love urban living, there are better options that will actually have good academics and will foster a healthier atmosphere.
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