Florida International University | Student Reviews | Best College

Student Profile

Jonathan

Class: Sophomore
Major: Education
Gender: M

High School: Port Saint Lucie High School
Transfer Student: Y

Big Picture

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.

Academic Life

Professors tend to not know my name when I'm in their classes, probably due to the large size of most of my auditorium classes. However, the professors I've had in my major classes (education), have gotten to know me in their classes and I've gotten advice from them regarding my future plans and further topics. I know first hand that my friends and I prioritize our studies over any other activity. Every now and then we get out and "let loose"! I tend to hear a lot of students (outside of class) having intriguingly, intellectual conversations. The most unique class I've taken is that of Gay and Lesbian in the United States. It is the most interesting and intriguing class I've ever taken and I definately recommend it to anyone looking for a class that would spark their interests! I believe FIU has some very rigorous requirements for academic studies. I know for sure that education major students must dedicate tremendous amounts of their time outside of class schedules to obtain their observation credits/hours, and spend time over scores of paper writing pertaining to: observation in classrooms, lesson plan writing, standards research and incorporation, etc. The education program at FIU is a most rewarding opportunity for any education student in any state institution who seeks to acquire a teaching position within any school district. FIU and Miami-Dade Public Schools perform collaboratively in a most positive fashion to cator to the needs of aspiring educators; and provide more than adequate classroom participation and training to prepare education students for the "real-world" in teaching.

Student Body

Personally, I have a lot of experiences with LGBT and racial groups on campus (I'm the student assistant for LGBT Initiatives and Programs within the Office of Multicultural Programs and Services). There is a lot of inclusivity on campus, although there is also a lot of people on campus who tend to act ignorant and disrespectful to multicultural characters of fellow students. I've heard anti-LGBT slurs yelled on campus towards certain students before. Despite this harshness and misfortune, there is a mixture of interactions amongst a majority of students. For a personal example, my friends are Jamaican, Caucasian, Hispanic, bisexual, transgendered, lesbian/gay, straight, etc. Most students tend to be politically aware, however fail to participate in local/state/national political.