A rather critical Review of Drexel - Don't make the same mistake I did

Colleges and Universities A-Z Drexel University
1

<p>Hi everyone, I just want to go over some things here. Drexel markets the ***** out of all of their "cool" programs, but no one really complains and talks about the negatives until you become a student. It's rather amazing how many people complain about things here once you get started.</p>

<p>Note: This review is biased to a business major. Some aspect apply to all, some to only LeBow.</p>

<p>First off, yes it is cool being in the city. A lot to do on weekends and such. Professors are mainly great. They teach you a lot through story telling which I really liked when starting. Most offer a lot of help if you are having trouble. Just give a crap about their class and you will do well.</p>

<p>Ok now for the reasons why I (and many others) want to leave.</p>

<ul>
<li><p>Campus always under construction. They are cramming freshman in to the point where they have to house them in hotels in order to get money to fund their new independent "apartment" projects. Traffic is hell with all of the trucks and I have gotten debris blown in my eyes from demolition, etc.</p></li>
<li><p>Campus is a wind tunnel in the winter. (See above about construction and wind)</p></li>
<li><p>Those cool co-ops they advertise at info sessions (like Google, Microsoft, etc.) Yeah right... Most business major co-ops are 8 hour desk intern jobs. Yes, you can find your own - but that is difficult today. The biggest name co-op for business majors I have seen has been at Comcast (woo...). My one experience to date was awful.</p></li>
<li><p>(specific to business) LeBow doesn't accept transfer credits from community schools. So no catching up during your freshman summer.</p></li>
<li><p>Employees in dining areas are mostly rude and act like they want to put a gun to their heads. Students complained last year and they hired a lot of new people... but this is west Phila. Can't expect much.</p></li>
<li><p>It's a big school, so sometimes advisors aren't easily available. If you have an emergency, it could take an entire day to reach yours.</p></li>
<li><p>Quarter system is rough and quick. Though after the first term you should get used to it. I was an A student in High School, got a B average my first term but now I am back to mostly A's.</p></li>
<li><p>Transferring out is rough too. 3 credit HOURS at Drexel will only really transfer to say 2 semester credits at another school. Also it's virtually impossible to transfer out without taking off for a while.</p></li>
<li><p>They have recently closed most online courses to their HEAVILY advertised online college. I used to commute and take half online/half in-per. classes but I can't do that anymore. Have to stay at friend's apartment a couple days a week in between classes.</p></li>
<li><p>(if you have a car) Parking Authority is RUTHLESS. They write tickets for you before your time even expires... especially on the free 2 hour parking streets. I've had days where my $15 commute turned into a $53 commute.</p></li>
<li><p>Not really a con for me... but there is an armed mugging or something in the area about once a month. Not too bad. We did have a police officer have to shoot someone last year though. I generally feel safe when walking WITH friends on weekend nights.</p></li>
<li><p>They have hybrid courses (online & in-class) that they tell you is a great way to lighten your work load. WRONG... it's more like taking the class in person and online at the same time - i.e. double the work. Take either online or in person if you decide to enroll.</p></li>
</ul>

<hr>

<p>If you're still interested... kudos and good luck. I'm not going to bash you, but just know what might frustrate you before you go.</p>

2

<p>I am glad you told me about this side of Drexel. I was wondering what could be the possible set backs as against the flowery stuff that we are being offered. Anyway, I wanted to ask you, how easy/hard is it to transfer out of Drexel?</p>

3

<p>@Lolface849 - Haha!! had the same question on transfers, but as kyle pointed out - it’s tough because of the quarter system it follows!!</p>

4

<p>Let me address some of these points from the perspective of a recent grad.</p>

<p>Yes, there are some things that can be extremely frustrating, and construction is one of them. They don’t make it a secret that construction is always happening on campus. I remember the days when I could walk through the quad from Market to Chestnut and enjoy the pretty water fountain that changed colors every few seconds. Then they built PISB and are currently working on LeBow. HOWEVER, you have to admit that the new buildings are gorgeous, and the new labs in PISB are 100x better than the old science labs in Stratton. I assume that once LeBow is finished, it will be a similar scenario. Northside dining terrace and the DAC expansion were also excellent additions that I did not have during my freshman year. </p>

<p>The dorms are a problem, but they are being addressed. You can always move off-campus (and I highly recommend doing so, as the housing is cheaper and gives you more space). University Crossings is also a very popular place to live that’s closer to classes than the dorms. I presume that the Chestnut Street housing will be nice once it opens. </p>

<p>Drexel is considering switching to a semester system, so the whole transferring ordeal might be a moot point soon. Regardless, if you take an entire year’s worth of chem courses (3 quarters), for example, it will still equate to two semesters of chem at another school and vice versa. </p>

<p>Some co-ops are great, and others are not. Even if you have a bad experience, it is still informative. Some people think that they really want X job, and then they find out that they hate it! </p>

<p>I’ve found that departmental advisors are more easily accessible and equally (if not more) able to answer your questions/help you with registration problems. </p>

<p>I took some online courses as an undergrad, and honestly they were not as helpful as in-class ones. Most people slack off and don’t bother learning the material because exams are open-book/open-note. I did enjoy hybrid English, though, and I found that it was perhaps LESS work than the students taking traditional English classes. That is professor-specific, though. </p>

<p>Avoid the PPA by either:
a) getting a parking garage pass
b) take public transportation
c) park in legal, free spaces
d) don’t let your meter run out
I think I wound up with 3 tickets in several years of parking around Drexel, which isn’t horrible. Two were for the same incidence because I didn’t move my car overnight (often parked it and left it there for a week in a free space). </p>

<p>Addressing safety:
Yes, there is a chance that you can get mugged. Yes, I know friends that had laptops stolen at gunpoint. Have I ever had anything happen to me? No. Was I smart about safety? Usually but not always. Did I ever ask for a public safety escort? Yes. If you’re that concerned, either always travel in groups or ask for an escort when you walk alone. It’s not a huge deal.</p>

<p>I’ve found that the people who are the most miserable at Drexel are the ones that don’t take advantage of all it has to offer. I did extremely well for myself there, and I don’t regret going to Drexel. I’m sorry you feel differently.</p>