<p>If you are a student at West Virginia, what do you like and what don't you like about school. Is it really crowded? How is the monorail system (forgot what it's called) - does it break down a lot? Does WVU deserve the party school ranking it got from Princeton Review? Which dorms are best? How is it for an OOS student? How is Morgantown - is it safe and are there things to do off campus.</p>
<p>Thanks for your help!</p>
<p>I'm not attending WVU, but about 90% of the people from my school go there (not me, though) and I have spent time there as well. </p>
<ol>
<li>People-- When I've seen it, it's crowded. It really depends where you are and what time. </li>
<li>The PRT (Personal Rapid Transport) Really breaks down a lot-- that's fun. I was there in 7th grade and got stuck on it. Amazing :) </li>
<li>It really is a party school, but you don't have to-- just surround yourself with people who don't party too hard, but, again, that depends on your dorm and classes and extra-curriculars. </li>
<li>Try for Honors Dorms... Stalnakar, there is a new one that is opening, too. Lincoln is amazing too. Then go towers. etc. </li>
</ol>
<p>That's the best I can do-- like I said, I don't live there and WVU is not my cup of tea. Have fun tho, and PM me if you have any more Q's :)</p>
<p>Thanks for your advise!! Got to know a lot about WVU. I am a international undergraduate admitted student. I was just wondering why did you say that WVU is not your cup of tea??? Just give me a hint…I really need to know as much as I can about the University and hence this query…</p>
<p>Haha. Hi nibsflyhigh. Mainly, it’s the fact that I stated: 90-95% of my graduating class goes there. They all room together, are suitemates together, etc. And, I just want to get as far away from WV as possible–it’s a great school for some. Some people love it there. I just don’t see the opportunities waiting for me post grad (polysci/int’l relations), and I really don’t want to be where everyone else is! So, of course, I’ve applied to out of state, private colleges :)</p>
<p>My daughter selected WVU over many other schools. We are from Virginia and live just outside DC. She loved the school and the amount of school spirit that the school has. It is a school that kids go to because they love the school. It is very hilly there and not so pretty in the winter. So people who go there pick it because they like the school. She will be a freshman this fall '09 and when she visited the campus and classes she enjoyed her time.<br>
Go to facebook class of 2013 and read the threads you will get an idea of why people choose WVU over other schools.</p>
<p>Big schools with good sports team. Decent academics. easy to get into. big party schools. louds of cloudy days</p>
<p>I go to WVU and, frankly, I think it sucks. It was my last choice school and the cheapest one I applied to other than WVUTech. The Downtown campus is nice, as is the Rec Centre. The best dorms [Downtown] are probably Stalnaker and/or Boreman South. As for Evansdale, I know that Lincoln is probably the best.</p>
<p>Personally, I just think it’s too big and I just feel like a number. Not to mention, the longer I’m stuck there, the more I fear that I may be stuck in WV for the rest of my life.</p>
<p>And fyi - the Biology program isn’t exactly top-notch, but the Engineering program is pretty good.</p>
<p>Hey. Previous student of WVU here… I loved it (still love it), but I transferred because my major’s program wasn’t very strong.
I think the statistics are 50% WV residents, 50% out of state. I’m from MD, and there are a lot of other students from the MD/DC/VA area. I know I didn’t want to go to UMD College Park, even though it is a better school, because it was 20 minutes away from my hometown. I think a lot of MD residents who chose WVU were in the same boat. WVU is also pretty reasonably-priced, if that factors into your decision.
And yes, the school is big. I would advise you when choosing a major, if it’s a large one, to pick a double-major or minor with a smaller student body. You’ll be able to take smaller classes and get to know teachers and fellow students, getting a more personal experience within a large school. There are, unfortunately, plenty of slackers, which can be frustrating if you actually enjoy the class. However, this can work in your favor - If most of the class is sub-par, and you make an effort to participate and interact with the teacher, they’ll love you forever. They have too many lectures with too many uninterested students, getting to office hours and things like that can really help the challenge of building relationships with your professors in a big school.
Everyone is down-to-earth, and the game days are great if you’re a sports fan. The student body truly loves the school and it shows.
There is a lot of partying, especially in the freshman dorms, but it slows down as you age and there are definitely students out there who aren’t interested in drinking. My roommate freshman year did not drink and managed perfectly fine.
The PRT (monorail) does break a lot, but the bus system is pretty convenient. I lived on Evansdale (the farther campus) most of my freshman year and I just stuck to using the bus, much more reliable. However, after freshman year you’d most likely live downtown or within walking distance, and the PRT (unless you’re a med or engineering major) would no longer be an issue.
It can be easy to get lost in the numbers at WVU, but if you pick a smaller major/minor and get involved with activities on campus (Greek life, student government, soo many clubs to join) you should be fine. I really enjoyed my time on WVU’s campus.</p>
<p>Hope that helps.</p>
<p>its not really a good school. alot of ppl use it as a backup. if you are using it as a backup cuz u didnt get into ur first choice, i recommend u go to a community college then transfer to the school you actually wanted to get into.</p>
<p>I went to WVU and I loved it, can’t say enough good things about it.</p>
<p>I hear some people talking about how big it is, which kind of surprises me. Yeah, it’s a decent sized school, but it’s no bigger than most state flagship universities. Its enrollment is smaller than Ohio State, Penn State, Maryland, ect. and is probably comparable to UNC, Michigan, Indiana, ect. Just giving something to compare it too, it’s a typical size for a flagship state university.</p>
<p>The PRT does break down sometimes, but it’s nothing that is a big deal. I think I only remember once in my time there did it breakdown for an extended period of time, usually it’s just for 10 minutes. </p>
<p>I’m not sure if any other school has something like the PRT, it’s pretty unique. There are student shuttles too, which are very reliable, so it’s not like you are dependent on the PRT.</p>
<p>The school has alot of spirit and it’s known for having one of the best fanbases in the country. Great sports, great social life. </p>
<p>WVU does party, I suppose, but not really anymore than other major campuses like Penn State, Indiana, OSU. It’s a college town with alot of fun bars and a good amount of house parties. It use to be alot more wild than it is. A big section of housing that was known for parties is being redeveloped and the cops are much stricter now than before.</p>
<p>Grant Street use to get sealed off and have huge block parties, not anymore. It’s still the biggest street to party at, but you have cops walking up and down the block and stationed at the corners, so you feel really safe.</p>
<p>It’s actually pretty nice. The cops are pretty fair, as long as you are respectful to them and not shove what you are doing in their faces they will leave you alone. Just don’t walk onto the street with a beer (if you aren’t 21) or act like a complete jerk…then you will be in trouble. </p>
<p>My first year roommate didn’t drink or party at all, he was actually head of a religious group at WVU and he told me one of the reasons he picked WVU is because there was so many other activities going on that it made it easy to have a social life, even without partying. Which is true, alot is going on there.</p>
<p>Concerning academics, you need to figure out what you want to go to school for and see if it’s a fit for you. As the states flagship university, West Virginia’s mission is to educate people from within their own state, and provide a quality and affordable education to as many of their residents as possible. It’s a small state, without alot of wealth so their goals are a bit different than many others. Their individual programs are comparable to most other large state schools, they just have lower entrance requirements so more WV residents can attend. Academically they are similiar to Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Arkansas, Louisville, George Mason, Texas Tech, ect. Other comparable schools are LSU, Kentucky, Oregon State, Oklahoma State, those give you a good idea of what the school is like, at least from a distance.</p>
<p>WVU really invests back into the student body. There are alot of brand new academic buildings, renovated academics buildings, new dorms, AWESOME student rec center, great libraries and a very vibrant downtown.</p>
<p>Right now alot of WVU engineering majors are being recruited to work in the Oil & Gas industry that is booming in WV and PA, as are other majors like Geology and Environmental Science.</p>
<p>I majored in Political Science and liked my professors and thought the program was equal to most Poli Sci departments at major universities.</p>
<p>The dorm I liked the best is Boreman South, because it gives you the most freedom, but if you are looking for more peace and quiet, Stalnecker is probably the best, or Dadisman.</p>
<p>WVU is a really unique animal. Not to many schools like it. It’s a really great campus, great place to spend 4 years of your life.</p>
<p>I graduated from WVU in 2009, but I first came to campus back in '99 (yeah, I was a college dropout). WVU was a great school; I am very happy that I went with it in the end (I’m from the Pittsburgh area, so I also considered University of Pittsburgh and Robert Morris).</p>
<p>WVU may not have a great reputation nationally in regards to academics, but it is, hands down, the best university in the state of WV. What I found was that many of the state’s best and brightest end up at WVU. So you definitely have some high-caliber classmates. Also, a very big contigent of the student body come from urban areas like Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C., New York, Baltimore, and from various places in New Jersey. So you don’t really get that “oh wow, I’m surrounded by rednecks” feel when you are there (warning: if you venture far from Morgantown you WILL experience this!). However I will also say that the notion of West Virginians being super-friendly does apply at WVU. I’ve been through 4 colleges and WVU’s staff and faculty were the most accomodating and helpful that I’ve seen anywhere.</p>
<p>As far as classes, the lower division courses are often held in big lecture halls. Few people like this, but this is what you get when you go to a big university. Once you get further along into your major, things improve. The professors are very helpful and knowledgable…although I was in the Arts & Sciences college and I was surprised that most of the professors are from around the area and not so experienced outside of academia. I’ve also seen several professors leave…a hint that perhaps the pay at WVU isn’t as competitive as it is at other universities nationwide, and they use WVU as a stepping stone to bigger and better things.</p>
<p>As far as the party-atmosphere…I didn’t party so much there. But then again I worked two jobs. I do have to say, the cost of living in Morgantown is pretty low…so you can have a grand old time as a broke college student. The school has grown population-wise, but Morgantown has not. This makes the traffic in and around campus terrible…and pushes the student off-campus housing further away…which mean you need a car (I lived all the way in Cheat Lake when I was there).</p>
<p>The PRT does break down, but I can honestly say I’ve never been stuck on it in my 2.5 years at WVU. But then again I did not take it daily. I used to park at the Coliseum (it was free) and catch the bus to the downtown campus. The PRT is invaluable for getting to the football games though!</p>
<p>Some other cons are the fact that WVU is not very diverse racially. This may not be an issue for some people, but I’m Black. It didn’t bother me; but it was weird to have to drive all the way to Pittsburgh (over an hour away) if I wanted to get my hair done or something. More often than not, I was the only Black person in my class (which is just mind boggling when you are at such a big school). Also if you bring your nice car to Morgantown, it may not leave there as a nice car. I used to have a 96 Ford Probe (a low, two-door car), and the front AND back of my car used to scrape when turning up hills, and trying to park (and no, I’m not a fat person). A couple of times I would just park my car and then walk because I didn’t want to drive down a particular road in Morgantown.</p>
<p>WVU seems to be getting better and better. With the larger student body and with the sports programs putting WVU in the national spotlight, I hope that the school can continue to attract even brighter students. Other than that, the school has everything going for it in my humble opinion!</p>
<p>what do you think of arnold hall? how much partying? how much down time? location? etc</p>
<p>Its hilly and can feel claustrophobic and void of breathing room. The PRT is nothing to worry about unless you live at towers, in which case you depend on it a lot more. Everywhere is a party school, the rankings on princeton review aren’t legitimate because anyone can vote for a school, its not evaluated on anything other than the number of votes. Its safe and there’s some stuff to do off campus (downtown) like some good restaurants and whatnot. The only thing I don’t like is the lack of a town outside of the university, its just a small town that is there for the university. It can feel hard to escape the college because of the smallness of the town. Definitely has a small feel all around, most of the buildings on campus are within like a 100 foot radius so have fun “exploring campus.” On the other hand there are tons of people here, even if you don’t see all 28,000 of them at once. If you like sports, partying, and have school pride it will probably be a lot of fun, if not, you’ll have to work harder and it may seem very slow at times.</p>
<p>I attended WVU for a year before transferring (for money/scholarship reasons) and can say that I had a great time there.</p>
<p>It is a big school, but the campus is split into two sections (Downtown and Evansdale) so you’ll find yourself running into people you meet often, and it really feels pretty tight knit.</p>
<p>The PRT isn’t the most reliable form of transportation, to say the least lol Transportation a a whole at WVU was pretty crappy, the bus is always late, and there it’s hard to find a parking spot on campus. That being said, I lived downtown and could basically walk anywhere I needed to be, aside from the Coliseum, football stadium, etc.</p>
<p>As far as it’s reputation as a party school…sure it’s a party school, but what big state college isn’t?</p>
<p>You will feel right at home at WVU, even if you are an OOS student. Most students that I met there were OOS actually, or at lease a large majority of them.</p>
<p>WVU is a cool school, very welcoming and friendly, and full of things to do. Don’t let a bad reputation stop you from going there. If you want to go, go and enjoy it.</p>
<p>Oh and as far as dorms, go for Boreman South. Nice suite style rooms, downtown location, and the only dorm with no front desk, so you can get away with a lot :)</p>
<p>I saw your note on WVU and thought you might be a good person to ask. My daughter just got in the school -but Dorms are full. Do you have any recommendations on where to dorm from your daughter?</p>
<p>Thank you!!!
Lisa</p>
<p>Despite the large size the school is not rrally crowded. The monorail aka prt has a patchy reputation however I’ve only rarely seen a malfunction which is usually easily fixed. However it is very helpful and convenient. For living in dorms, honors and summit hall are both very nice. I am unaware of living conditions at boremon however their cafe is diverse, good coffee selection and vegetarian friendly. The word around campus is summit has the best dorm eating for downtown. The parties are everywhere at every time and football days are huge. Despite this, the academic rigor is very present and education is definitely not affected for this is a challenging state university. Benefit from wvu is vast working world connections. My personal con is what seems to be the majority of the student body, are not academically focused but more like high-school take 2. Even though things might appear this way, there are plenty of the exact opposite present. since wvu is such a large University you can find all types of people with all types of interests. There’s definitely something to do 24/7 for all types of people and oos students like myself can be affordable since I’m state tuition offers are available for certain majors. Despite who you are, wvu can accommodate people of all sorts</p>
<p>■■■■■.</p>