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Personally for me FIU is close to home which is really good. As for the size of the school I think its small for the amount of students there is, but yes its a gorgeous campus. When I tell people that I go to FIU, most people react normal, I mean in Miami FIU and UM are like the only majors universities so not much to react for. I spend most of my time on campus especially since I have join Alpha Kappa Psi and ASB. I think that the FIU administration is not doing is job the right or efficient way, especially the financial aid office as well as the registrar office, I mean they seem to always take forever to get things done. The biggest recent controversy on campus has been the budget cuts. That money is really important especially now that we are entering summer, and like most know, most students do not get any type of financial aid before, and perhaps those that did won't get it. I feel that there is not much school pride as there should especially because a lot of students are commuter students and not much these students can participate in; since most work and just come to campus to take the classes and leave. If i can name one thing that I would change it would be parking: its horrible.
Angelica Junior
FIU is different from many other choices within the Florida State University System, because it is located in a metropolitan area rather than a "college town." The school also has a more modern feel since the buildings were recently constructed as opposed to the stereotypical campus style of brick buildings. The reaction I often get when I tell people that I go to FIU is "Why?" presumably because other Florida schools have more of a historical representation, but these people are often not aware of FIU's growth an expansion, including new medical and law schools. FIU's administration, like any bureaucracy, has its flaws. It is a typical college complaint, but athletics are put above academics in many instances. While this does have the opportunity to pay off for universities since athletics generates revenue, with the record of the Golden Panthers football team, it is sucking more money than it is bringing in. Especially with the recent budget cuts, many programs and services are suffering at the university, and it's hard to say that out of order priorities are not to blame. Yet, all that aside, FIU is a fine and diverse learning institution with positive aspects not well known to the general public.
Eric Freshman
It is a good school. I enjoy the "realness" of the people that go there, however, it is rather large. The classrooms fit the class sizes, but the parking lot does not. I spend most of my time in class, not around campus. South Florida as a whole does not represent a college town. It's too big a city for that. The administration hasn't done much that has impacted me to have an opinion on, and there has been no controversy, as far as I know. There is not much school pride outside of incoming freshmen, but hopefully with each new wave of students coming in that'll change. Not much unusual about FIU, best experience was Jack's Mannequin in the Pharmed Arena. Most complaints are about the parking situation and final exam scheduling.
Max Senior
FIU is a rather large institution with about 40,000 students. Anyone passing through (except on Fridays) can see the many, many faces that go through the halls and buildings all over campus. Because of its size, the classroom suffers high student-to-faculty ratios (Florida, as a whole, has the worst in the nation, about 31-to-1, according to http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2008/mar/15/30gtis-floridas-tuition-too-low/). I could tell as a freshman that FIU's ratio was a bit poor; I had between 40 to over 100 students in my introductory courses, which oftentimes counted as requirements for graduation (known as the University Core Curriculum [UCC]). But the number of students dwindled as I entered courses more pertinent to my major, and it was much easier to contact and communicate with professors outside of the classroom. School pride is mixed among the student body. It's difficult to establish "solid" pride in FIU within the body at large because it is primarily a commuter school. The general opinion is, "I don't want to stay on campus longer than I have to" - which means students may sometimes be unable to participate in activities and events the university offers in order to instill esteem. It's a rather unfortunate cir***stance; the school plans many activities for its students, primarily through the Student Programming Council. But until students see the university on a more personal level - as perhaps out-of-state students see theirs - then this attitude will change. Though venues for student involvement - social organizations, honors societies, service groups - are great opportunities for students to participate in events on campus, and therefore celebrate FIU pride. Mixed emotions about FIU also come through students' general opinion on the university as a whole. Many students feel FIU is "not as good" as other universities, making it less worthy of recognition compared to other schools in the area (in regards to academics and athletics - especially athletics). In some circles, there is some bitterness: "Yeah, I wish I went to [insert university here] instead." (Usually that other school is in the same city as FIU... to give a hint, it's affiliated with a natural phenomenon Florida is all too familiar with.) But over time, I think this attitude has diminished because of FIU's large and recent projects, mainly, the approval of a medical school and the opening/graduating class of a new law school. FIU is homegrown; it is relatively young, so it isn't taken in the same regard as say, Duke University or even the University of Miami (and the latter is only about 50 years older than FIU). The biggest complaint about FIU, is undoubtedly, the parking situation. Though I don't drive, I know through friends and others (even professors) that parking at FIU is like traveling to Hell and back. There are even Facebook groups dedicated to talking about how lousy the parking is on campus. Students are often caught waiting in line for spots, making them late for class or even unable to attend. As long as students are mindful of potential waiting times, they should be fine when it comes to getting to class promptly. (Teachers know about the trouble, but some will probably not accept it as a legitimate excuse for tardiness.)
Iris Junior
I spent most of my time in the graham center and in the library. There is a lot of school pride, but ONLY from the people that are involved in a club, organization or greek organization. I think that the school is getting very populated, so it will have to add more buildings, parking spots etc. I have high expectations for FIU. I think that it is a wonderful institution that can and will achieve great things. It has been able to offer new programs to the community such as, the Law School and the School of Medicine. This offers an GREAT education at a reasonable price, which is hard to find nowadays! There is something unusual about FIU, but it is the most incredible thing about it: FIU is TRULY DIVERSE! It is international, and people are tolerant of one another and this is a great thing.
Eliamelisa Alum
The best thing about FIU is the sense of close knit community when I'm walking around on campus. It seems I know more people than I originally thought; or more people know about me than I knew about? It seems where ever I'm walking to or from on campus there are at least five people I pass that say "HI" or "J-DOGG!" (the name I've acquired since coming to FIU). I believe my school is just the right size for me. When I first told my family I decided to attend FIU they didn't even know what I was talking about; and then after I explained to them where it was and what the institution was like, they told everybody else that I go to Miami University (some day they'll get it)! I spend most of my time at the Graham Center or just hanging around the common areas on campus: the Fountain, the Green Library, the dorm quad (Lakeview and Everglades), etc. There tends to be a lot of school pride in the form of apparell worn by students and at the eve of sport games. However, the main complain I hear from fellow students about FIU is that of the food service. Although these complaints mainly come from housing students and not the majority of commuter students.
Jonathan Sophomore
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