Howard University Student Reviews

Big Picture

The best thing about Howard is the student body. Howard has a very diverse student body. Washington, DC has a lot to do with that, seeing as though it to has a very diverse population. You'll meet students from a wide variety of countries, cultures, upbringings, and beliefs. Howard is also known for its "recreational" activities. Howard's homecoming is legendary and largely attended by more than just locals and alumnae. Celebrities often make it a point to be present at the homecoming events. However Howard has its issues. One of my major issues with Howard is their inconsistency when it comes to procedure and policy. It is common for you to receive several contradicting suggestions or comments with the same department. Many of the administrative offices will send you on a treasure hunt to complete simple tasks like receiving your financial aid refund, paying your Howard balance, applying for emergency loans, etc. It can be quite annoying and discouraging. Howard is also known for losing do***ents after a crucial deadline has passed, forcing you to have to resubmit your information "late." Because of these issues, I have learned to make copies of everything I give Howard; I take down the names of every individual I speak to and the date I spoke to that person as well; I am also forced to harass them with phone calls to assure that any do***ents requested of me have been received, processed, and logged into my personal account. Howard teaches how to be cautious and meticulous. These are amongst the most complaints I hear on a daily basis at Howard. Another issue the students have is the subpar conditions a lot of our facilities are in. We are currently renovating several buildings but it makes no sense for the majority of the main campus to have so many physical problems. Some buildings lack functioning heaters and air conditioners; some don't have enough desks. The dorms also could use a lot of remodeling. Some dorms are older than others and lack amenities like air conditioning; even some of the newer dorms are infested with roaches and sometimes mice, one of our dorms have extremely sensitive sprinklers which causes problems, and our freshman dorms have smoke detectors with the nose of Superman and are guaranteed to go off and force us all outside at no specific time at least once every two weeks. The food is overprocessed and served on sometimes dirty dishes that I am forced to sift through for the least dirty of them all to then rinse under the hot water spout supposed to be used for tea. I could go on and on about my issues with Howard's campus, dormitories, and lack of fresh foods. With all that said however, Howard offers you an experience second to none. I used to consider my feelings about Howard similar to those of a woman unable to leave an abusive relationship; he hits me but I love him and I know he loves me. I was wrong. My relationship with Howard has been most similar to that of a family. There is this unconditional love between me and Howard. We will always fight and we will constantly fail to see eye to eye. But I would never trade my family for anything in the world. Howard is one of a kind. Not only will you have the time of your life enjoying the new friends you make from places you've never been or even heard of; you will also be bombarded with opportunities to advance in any field you may be interested; and most importantly you will become a part of as expanding network of the best and brightest of America. Howard is not for the weak, or the unsure, it is for the determined and motivated who will contribute to its rich legacy. The Real HU!! Bison for life. Ms. Wright