Looking for feedback on the College of Engineering - specifically it’s location and facilities. My son is an honors college candidate who wants to be an engineer. We toured USC and loved the general tour, loved the campus, the vibe, etc. Then we went to a College of Engineering tour and it was disappointing. The engineering facilities were disappointing, mostly because they seemed so separate and distant from main campus. It really changed my son’s view of the school - he doesn’t want to be a 15-25 minute walk from campus for most of his classes by his sophomore year. The tour guide was a student with no prepared presentation who just walked us through the halls of Swearingenmwhicjnweer actually pretty depressing. Otherwise my son loved the school, but the engineering school location is looking like a dealbreaker to him - it didn’t even seem like it was a part of the university at all.
My D graduated from U of SC in May. She was in the Business school but her roommate, boyfriend, and another good friend were engineering majors and all are doing well (one is in a funded 5th year master’s at U of SC, the other two are in funded PhD studies at Vanderbilt and Johns Hopkins). All were in the Honors College.
Per her friends: Swearingen is a bit of a haul, but not worse than many students face (the walk between various campus buildings can easily be 15 minutes). From the Honors Dorm, the walk is shorter, but that’s for Year 1 only. Your choice of off-campus housing for Years 2-4 might make that walk better or worse; and of course some students drive.
Engineering students do need to leave early for class since the freight train tracks that run right by the building can delay one’s arrival. From the Student Union, it’s a 15 minute downhill walk, and the campus shuttle bus is good for the way back. There is a cafeteria in the building. The labs aren’t the newest around, but are serviceable. There is a good sense of camaraderie and teamwork.
Per my D: It may be hard to picture from Year 1; but once they reach upper level classes, students aren’t schlepping around as much, and it doesn’t matter much what building they’re in as that becomes their community. E.g., my kid spent all day Tuesday and Thursday in the B school for a few semesters; since that’s where all her classes were held on those days, she had no reason to visit the rest of campus. On MWF, though, she was hightailing it around campus, depending on her class schedule.
Thank you so much for your response. My son read it and said it was really helpful and made him feel more positive about the school of engineering.