Is there anything you don't like about Wash U?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Washington University in St. Louis
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<p>akarepott - Our soph WashU D was accepted by both WashU and Notre Dame (also named a Notre Dame Scholar). She applied to Notre Dame because although her thinking is liberal, her morality is not. She did indepth visits at both schools and chose WashU. As you said, sex, drug, and alcohol activity occur at nearly every school. A student has either developed a strong enough constitution to not be swayed by the underage activity, or they haven't. Our D knows it occurs, but it is not a part of her life - she just isn't interested. She has surrounded herself with a group of peers who are also not interested. They choose to make their college exploration intellectual. </p>

<p>We picked her up at the airport last night and on our long drive home, she became very emotional and tearful. She said she feared she had not told us often enough how grateful she is that we are allowing her to attend a school like WashU (paying the big $$$ instead of telling her she had to take the free rides offered by StateUs). She said that she tries every day to do her best in an attempt to be "worthy" of the sacrifices we are making for her to attend WashU. Talk about an "Amen" parent moment! She loves the school and the part she loves most is the other students - they are amazing.</p>

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<p>MidwestParent-
That is an "Amen" parent moment indeed! What a great kid! It makes us parents feel good to know that putting ourselves out financially to send our kids to private universities, when they could go to state schools for a fraction of the cost, is really appreciated. And it's nice to see how much she also appreciates what a great school WashU is!</p>

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<p>My D mentioned yesterday that it was really "annoying" how the school replants the flower beds so often because they use some rather pungent fertilizer when they do. Thinking that finally, here was a cause I could mention in this thread, I asked her if this seemed to be a general concern of the student body. Her response? "We really don't have much else to complain about!"</p>

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<p>When I was doing my interview at Wash U, at the end I asked the student who was interviewing me if there was anything she didn't like about Wash U. It took her a while to think, before she finally said the construction and laughed how it didn't really bother her and how hard it was to name something she didn't like.</p>

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<p>


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<p>Those banners are not an attempt to force people to be accepting of LGBT people just as flyers advertising religious organizations are not an attempt to force religion on anybody. However, WashU, like all the top schools, does strive to create an atmosphere that's free from prejudice and discrimination, including homophobia. For this reason, your son will not be a good fit for nor will he be welcome at any of them. I specifically request that he doesn't apply to NU.</p>

<p>I don't know about others, but I would not object to having a pro-polygamy group on campus. It probably wouldn't be very popular but who's to say it can't exist? </p>

<p>
[quote]
But the drive to perform, the competitiveness, the stress I heard about from so many students there, was just not what we were looking for.

[/quote]

So you were hoping to see people at this top-flight institution to be academic superstars but not stress out about it? That's kind of unrealistic. Even people who don't go to top schools stress out if they care at all about their schoolwork. Those who are out partying 3+ nights a week probably don't care that much to perform at their highest level.</p>

<p>
[quote]
But when the largest and most obnoxious paintings that every student walks by every day was SEX SEX SEX and then graphic sex depictions, I thought, am I the only one that finds this problematic? (again the university officials extolled this student painting area as free expression. Well, it sure was). I feel sorry for the girls walking through there everyday being objectified.

[/quote]

Objectification goes both ways as all humans are animals with sexual urges. Because sex involves physical attraction, all who engage in the act inevitably objectify their partners in some way. I mean, how could you have sex with somebody without thinking about their private parts? You've rehashed a common pseudo-feminist narrative that's false and sexist.</p>

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<p>liontreelion - kudos. You said everything on my mind. :]</p>

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<p>Two words. The Bunny.</p>

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<p>This might not matter to everyone, but I didn't like the cliquey-ness and general attitude of the African-American community while I was there. I thought at first that it was just me being hypersensitive since I was staying with a black host and her roommate was black and all her friends were black, but then I met many, many more black people who had the same sort of "we ALWAYS stick together, us against them" attitude. I feel to an extent that programs like Ervin and Rodriguez, Multicultural Weekend, etc, enforce these sorts of attitudes. Also, I got a very "Mid-West" feeling from the student body- I liked that they were laid-back, nice etc, but there didn't seem to be any sort of eclectic people around. Everyone seemed to dress the same way, a lot of plain Janes and Joes (of course, this is a HUGE generalization). It was kind of disheartening coming from a school where people wear the most hilarious and eccentric kinds of things and people really love having their own style.</p>

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<p>As a current WashU freshman, I respect but disagree with a lot of the claims made on this board. Here are my opinons on some of these matters:</p>

<ul>
<li>Yes, the school is dominantly liberal (myself included). That said, the campus is generally accepting of all political mindsets... regardless of affiliation, you won't have trouble finding people you agree with. Try to avoid the College Democrats and College Republicans, both of whom are constantly picking fights with one another.</li>
<li>There is no racial tension or discrimination that I know of, but different minorities tend to hang out amongst themselves. That's purely anecdotal though.</li>
<li>As a premed who has survived Chem 111a and half of Chem 112a & Bio 2960, I totally disagree with those who say WashU's premeds are "cutthroat." I have never encountered anyone unwilling to help me with an assignment, ever. This includes total strangers in my labs and in my lecture classes as well as my friends. It is a pretty intense workload though.</li>
<li>You will find alcohol and drugs if you look for them. Weed is here, but it's considerably less prevalent than alcohol. Sub-free options are plentiful (floors only, no sub-free buildings) and I have met many who love the sub-free community. I am personally not sub-free, and I enjoy the party scene but do not find it overwhelming or dominant.</li>
<li>The traditionals aren't as bad as people say they are. I live in one and enjoy it a lot, and there is rarely a fight for showers/toilets (4 of each per gender per floor). It also gives you an excuse to leave your room, which is pretty vital during the first few weeks when everyone is getting to know one another.</li>
<li>Frankly, I love The Bunny. I might be in the minority here, but I find the contrast to the pink granite everywhere to be refreshing.</li>
</ul>

<p>What I DON'T like about WashU so far:</p>

<ul>
<li>The name recognition thing (i.e., the lack of it) gets tiring. You get used to the blank expressions.</li>
<li>I wish we had better athletics. We have some strong D3 sports (girls' volleyball, guys' tennis & basketball) but WashU lacks the unifying spirit that accompanies a strong athletic department.</li>
<li>Frankly, I find the administration to be out-of-touch with the students. Changes have been made that are totally unnecessary, even on the micro level (replacing the classically terrible pictures in Bear's Den, or the rumored renaming of Bear's Den to "College Hall"). The recent honorary diploma given to outspoken anti-feminist Phylis Schlafly also put about 80% of the student body on edge. </li>
<li>Bon Apetit, the company that does WashU's catering, offers high-quality food at ridiculous prices. Meal plans are a necessity but get used to paying 5.85 meal points (which is more than $5.85) for a box of Pop-Tarts at Bear Mart that you can get at Schnuck's for around $2. There is, however, a Subway on campus that is known and loved by all. You too will learn to love the $5 footlong.</li>
<li>The weather sucks sometimes, but you learn to deal with it. It averages around 15 degrees Fahrenheit in January and 30ish in February. Maintenance salts the walkways really early in the morning after snow or ice, which is great.</li>
</ul>

<p>I'm sure I'm forgetting some stuff here too. If anyone has any more questions feel free to ask.</p>

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<p>Bumpidy bump…in a forum of unrealistic optimism, I need some pessimism. Any pessimistic comments about WashU are welcomed. Any optimistic, wishy washy, omg i love WashU comments are clearly not welcome. </p>

<p>So you haven’t found some professors to be unnecessarily mean, inaccessible, biased, and ridiculously boring?</p>

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<p>Daughter definitely has had some inaccessable, possibly mean professors and advisors. I was kind of disappointed because we chose Wash U because it had the reputation of having great professors. She’s had some who never seemed to get tests back. For example, she did really badly on an exam but wasn’t able to get it back in time for the midterm so she didn’t know what she did wrong in time to possibly straighten it out. And one professor didn’t give anything back all semester so her final grade was a total surprise.</p>

<p>Probably the worst situation was her first semester. She took a class and had a hard time with it but she was working really, really hard at it. She switched to pass/fail and the professor had some kind of wacky grading system where you had to get 80’s or something to pass and wouldn’t guarantee that she wouldn’t outright fail so she had to drop it after putting in all those hours.</p>

<p>And a few professors were boring, too. And everyone’s favorite professor didn’t get tenure. Is this enough negativity? Besides this she loves the school and has been really happy there.</p>

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<p>1) Food can be overpriced. While I do applaud Bon Appetit for embracing “locavore” and “sustainable” practices, this can also mean that some things are just crazy overpriced. Always buy the smallest meal plan and add points as you need.</p>

<p>2) In all seriousness, the construction gets annoying. Its neat when a new building goes up, but you have to trudge through a year or two of really inconvenient noise and grime before its all shiny. When the DUC was under construction was especially a hassle.</p>

<p>3) Yep, some professors and courses are pretty dull, especially more introductory topics. Can’t say I’ve had an unfair professor. One was universally regarded by both students and other faculty as being pretty incompetent; needless to say, that professor did not get tenure. Most at the higher level definitely seem genuinely interested in teaching and very accessible. I’ve found it to be pretty easy to just drop by a professor’s office even outside of office hours. My adviser was pretty unhelpful at first, but after I declared my major early in my freshman year, my major adviser was definitely a great help.</p>

<p>4) I agree that school spirit here for athletics is really lacking. Coming from the SEC where college sports, especially football and basketball, are a huge deal, WashU can seem pretty dull. No tailgates.</p>

<p>5) Minority clique-y-ness. Probably my biggest complaint. Although, in talking to friends in Cali and Ivies, the problem seems pretty endemic. I think there is a view among college students that minorities are supposed to either fully embrace their culture or totally turn away from it. A dichotomy that does not allow for true multiculturalism.</p>

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<p>Now i’m getting really confused. I was on the verge of picking WashU because of it’s great academics. I thought its professors were all wonderfully loving and caring, but now that I’ve read some student/parent opinions, i don’t know what to think anymore. Can someone please help me out? How are WashU professors in general? How do they compare to, say, UCLA or Hopkins.</p>

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<p>Noob, there is NO school where EVERY professor is wonderful! What makes WashU’s undergraduate academic experience great is the school’s CULTURE of professors caring and helping and getting involved with undergraduates. At WashU, TA’s do not teach classes, they only lead discussion sections. Your classes are always taught by the professor. That is a BIG DEAL for a research university. In many research universities, the professors have very little interest in the undergrads and only care about their research and the grad students. My D has had some amazing professors and all of them have been willing to help her out when she has needed it. She has had the opportunity to work in a lab as an undergrad research assistant and has developed a great relationship with the prof at the lab. Sure, she has had some boring, less caring profs, but that has been the exception rather than the rule. </p>

<p>I don’t have any personal experience with UCLA or Hopkins, but do know that both schools are known for their graduate school focus. Look into their undergrad teaching. How many TA’s teach classes, for example.</p>

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<p>nooob - nervous1 is exactly right. Universities are still the real world (well, kind of, lol). I mean like anywhere, there are imperfections that are just part of life. Campuses have crime, universities have politics, there are unfair and incompetent professors, some of your fellow classmates will be jerks, or worse. And so on and so forth. These are things you will run into OCCASSIONALLY, for the most part. Mostly it will be great. And hey, there are ways to fix things when they are not right a lot of times, too. Have a really bad prof? Act quickly to drop the class and get a different section or a whole different course. Got a terrible roommate? They will try and make you work it out, of course; not that easy to switch, but it can be done if it is really bad and you can be REASONABLE and realistic in your expectations. You get the idea. While no school is right for every type of person and personality, Wash U is a great place where you should be able to find the right niche for yourself. And when you think about it, we all live in niches of one sort or another.</p>

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<p>nervous1 and chemist hit it right on the nose. i’m not going to refute what xiv21 said, becaues those are experiences by one person. furthermore, i can’t say that i haven’t had similar experiences once in awhile, but on THE WHOLE my experience here has been so positive. I think you’ll find that sentiment for most people here: Wash U as a whole is an amazing school, and while you might have a bad day or bad experience or get a bad grade once in awhile… the overall quality of life and your overall day-to-day experiences are going to be great. A lot of it, also, is what you make of it. You can’t expect things to be 100% sunny all the time and you can’t expect things to be handed to you on a silver plate. Go into college (where ever you go) with a level head.</p>

<p>I had one medicore professor for an introductory Antrho course, but an AMAZING professor for an introductory politics course. one of my friends hated his Calc professor, but loved the discussion section leader for Calc. </p>

<p>introductory courses can be somewhat large, but compared to my friends at similar univerisites (and ESPECAILLY compared to like UCLA), they are on the small side. i don’t think there’s a classroom on campus that is over 300 students (Lab Sci 300), and that room only has Intro to Chemistry. </p>

<p>i think what’s nice about the construction on campus, is that after this summer, there’s really not going to be a whole lot more. the South 40 will go on for one more year to finish up the Wohl area, but the main inconveniences on the South 40 are this year. Thankfully the DUC is done! That was a hassle for a little while, but it was worth it… the building is really nice.</p>

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<p>Well, I guess I wasn’t quite so clear. I was trying to convey that there are some professors who aren’t as great, as there will be at any institution. Do not expect every class you take to be stunning.</p>

<p>To break it down a little more by my own experience:
1 Incompetent professor (who no longer teaches, and will probably leave)
5 Dull professors
16 Good professors
16 Great professors</p>

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<p>bump bump bump 10 char</p>

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<p>^^^haha you already had 10 char with the bump bump bump :slight_smile:
and that’s a song by b2k, if anyone remembers these things…</p>

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<p>Well, I suppose I could attempt to nitpick at some minor things. </p>

<p>You can’t survive being a pre med/predent at WashU without taking calculus. Most dental schools(esp the ones I’m interested in) and some med schools don’t require calculus. Yet, they may require physics. One of the requirements for a biology major is that you take calculus. Even if you major in something else, the requirement for physics is concurrent/prior enrollment in calc.</p>

<p>It’s probably this way or similar for many major universities so its not really a valid complaint but eh I thought I would try.</p>

<p>Oh yea and their t shirts/hoodies are ridiculously priced, like 40 dollars for a hoodie. With most major universities you could buy shirts at steve and barry’s for a couple of dollars(back when they were in business), but I looked everywhere and no store off campus seems to sell them.</p>