<p>As much as this might hurt...
is there anything u dont like about upenn? student life, classes, campus, etc anything that just wasn't what u thought it would be like?
just trying to get the complete picture, thanks!</p>
<p>The dining hall food was awful IMO[compared to the other two schools I have taken classes at, I don’t think any school has amazing food]. But they have a different contractor this year, so hopegully that changes[not that is matters for me, I’m skipping the meal plan].</p>
<p>Classes are very good in general. Campus is great. There are some very annoying premeds and some presumptious Whartonites, but there are plenty of other types of people to meet, so you’ll find your niche with some time. But this problem isn’t Penn-specific. I know a Stanford grad who described a similar problem in their undergraduate program. In fact, it’s rampant through all the top universities these days. People just looking for a pre-professional program are in mostly all in the universities. If this “preprofessional atmosphere” is a turn off for you, maybe you should look into liberal arts colleges. </p>
<p>If you can find your niche at Penn, though, you couldn’t be happier anywhere else.</p>
<p>sometimes the gunshots keep me awake at night, but i’m not too worried - i’ve got ol’ Betsy under my pillow ;)</p>
<p>Penn-specific things (more than just bad food and snobby students) that were surprising to me (some good, some bad, depending on what your preference is, really) -</p>
<ol>
<li>WHAT URBAN CAMPUS REALLY MEANS - </li>
</ol>
<p>Coming from a suburban neighborhood, I didn’t quite expect the cramped feeling that the campus had. Space is generally limited. For example, housing is very small and there are not as many rolling green pastures as you would expect from a traditional college campus. Buildings are very close to each other and the campus doesn’t give off a homogenous style (good? bad?). It is very much Philadelphia and not comparable to other cities like New Haven or Cambridge (Harvard is NOT in Boston). A little like NYC.</p>
<p>However, the positive side of this is that the city is really close so there is always something going on and that it takes very little time to walk across campus (10 minutes is usually good) as opposed to some campuses like Duke’s where you have to ride a bus to class.</p>
<ol>
<li>WHEN THEY SAY “ONE UNIVERSITY, THEY REALLY MEAN IT” -</li>
</ol>
<p>Penn has a “one university” policy that states that the university is dedicated to multi-disciplinary approaches to learning. Frankly, I thought that was just propaganda meant to make the school stand out and be different, but actually it turns out to be pretty true.</p>
<p>What this means is that it’s hard to hide from subjects you don’t like (such as math) but also wonderful because you can take classes in all four colleges regardless of which one you are actually enrolled in (really).</p>
<ol>
<li>THE INFLUENCE OF WHARTON -</li>
</ol>
<p>Obviously Wharton is a wonderful asset to Penn (some on these boards treat it as if it is the only part that should count). But its influence is bigger than it seems. You will realize that much of the school’s money comes from Wharton graduates (though usually not Wharton undergrad graduates) and that the best technology exists in Wharton buildings. This means that if you are a student in any of the 3 other colleges, you will probably feel some resentment at some point or an urge to transfer colleges. However, it also means you can take really unique and interesting classes.</p>
<ol>
<li>WHARTON MBA VS. WHARTON UNDERGRAD -</li>
</ol>
<p>This is just a personal observation and opinion of mine, so many on these boards probably will disagree with me. </p>
<p>While a Wharton undergrad is undoubtedly useful, it is NO WAY comparable to a Wharton MBA. MBA students tend to have a much stronger alumni gathering in most cities and much more influence on their communities (having strong showings at important fundraisers, input in policy, etc). </p>
<ol>
<li>TRANSPORTATION IS REALLY REALLY REALLY EASY -</li>
</ol>
<p>In just 30 minutes you can A) take public transportation to Philadelphia International Airport (obviously useful for traveling to many places) and B) walk to the nearest Amtrak station (very useful for weekends in NYC). This is something that only really hit me when friends started complaining about how it took them 2 hours by bus to get to the airport and how it was impossible to get anywhere. </p>
<ol>
<li>CRIME EXISTS, BUT IT’S NOT WHAT YOU THINK IT IS -</li>
</ol>
<p>People had always warned me of the crime around Penn, and for the most part it does exist. However, very rarely does really horrible crime (rape, murder) actually affect the Penn community. Most of it is just petty theft (annoying, but certainly not life-threatening). What I’ve noticed by reading my quaint, suburban town’s police blotter is that the incidence of crime is not that much higher. Instead, it’s just the type of crime. For example, there are not as many cases of domestic violence or DUIs but more thefts and burglaries. But if you are looking to be sheltered from the hardships of real life, Penn is not for you.</p>
<p>In 4 years, there were maybe a few things that really annoyed me.</p>
<p>1) Housing and Dining. The campus housing sucks, with the exception of maybe the quad for freshmen. The meal plans really suck - they’re way more expensive than they need to be. The quality of the food is decent, but in my opinion the “service” is miserable - long lines to wait, rarely enough clean plates/silverware/etc, rude service. These are both things that you really only have to put up with freshman year, however, and getting off-campus/off the meal plan really improves the experience.</p>
<p>2) It’s <em>in</em> the city. This never bothered me personally, but it seems to really hit certain people. If you’re from a rural area, you will get hit with culture shock. Heck, if you’re from outside the NYC-Philly-DC area, you’ll get hit with culture shock at some point.</p>
<p>thank you all for your input. a number of you mentioned the crime in the city. is the campus secluded enough that its only students or do you experience firsthand the citylife/crime?</p>
<p>Campus is not secluded. It is not in Center City (downtown) but enough of Philly goes through it that it’s not gated off like Columbia. HUP is a major hospital that’s a city in of itself and it’s right across the street from College Hall.</p>
<p>There are parts of Philly with crime. You’ll have to go out of your way to go to north Philly or Camden and put yourself in actual danger. There is “crime” on campus from theft of bikes and unattended items. No gang activity or random acts of violence. If you bring a U-Lock for your bike and watch your stuff you can go 4 years without being a victim to crime. </p>
<p>There are crimes around campus but almost all involve people not affiliated with Penn. We have had a few shootings, one at a strip club no Penn students go to, and one at McDonalds during the summer.</p>
<p>I said no pickles!</p>
<p>I grew up in a suburban environment, but I liked being able to adjust to city life. It’s a different atmosphere, and I’ve learned a lot from it.</p>
<p>In terms of turnoffs, though, I’d have to say the following:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>I definitely echo Matt on the meal plans. The food itself isn’t fine, but the long lines and lack of plates/silverware is extremely inconvenient (it’s happened to me countless times). Sometimes I’d get a rather rude remark from the person serving food (when using my hand to pick up a sandwich versus using the tongs, for instance). But, again, like Matt said, these are all things you really only put up with freshman year on the mandatory meal plan.</p></li>
<li><p>Teachers that cold-call. This is just a personal thing. I have enough anxiety as it is when it comes to speaking in front of large crowds. Some teachers make it a point to cold-call, and it just makes me more worried about looking foolish in front of the class instead of actually focusing on the material at hand.</p></li>
<li><p>Mice. Not a huge deal, but seeing something dark scurrying along the edge of the room always makes my heart jump for a split second.</p></li>
<li><p>Free-riders. In almost every group I’ve ever had here at Penn, I’ve encountered the issue of free-riders who don’t really contribute anything. In the past year, though, I didn’t hesitate to be a dick about it. If someone didn’t contribute anything, I didn’t put their name on the assignment.</p></li>
<li><p>Community fridges. Some people won’t hesitate to eat/drink things that don’t belong to them.</p></li>
<li><p>Homeless people. Call me a heartless demon, but it’s true. They are a turnoff for me… I don’t need to be heckled every time I go to Wawa. I don’t need to be hounded for change for two blocks after buying a sandwich from a food cart. Most of the homeless people are pretty rude, too. Once, I gave a man change who asked for some, and got some snide comment back in return. Another time I gave a chocolate muffin from ABP to this dude near Wawa. He took a bite and threw the rest into the street because he wasn’t a fan of that particular kind of chocolate. I mean, honestly? Come on.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>the only bad thing about penn is YOU, jp7</p>
<p>wow. Really, Korean_dreamer?</p>
<p>thnx for the kind comments, Korean_Dreamer. (???)</p>
<p>to the rest of u, thnx so much. it didnt even click to me that the hospital wld be on campus (duh) so i shld be expecting a lot more non-penn than i had thought. i am going to schedule a campus visit soon, too, so that shld help, hopefully. </p>
<p>and the crime, from what u’ve detailed so far, it doesn’t sound too much removed from any other college campus, right? i mean, i live w/in walkable distance to dc, so i think i shld be used to the harsh begging/crime scenes. oh, and the mice. lol. seen enough of those.</p>