Howard University | Student Reviews | Best College

Student Profile

Dominique

Class: Junior
Major: Business
Gender: F

High School: Whitney M. Young Magnet High School
Transfer Student: N

Big Picture

a) The best thing about Howard is the experience. Each person that sets foot on campus will have one, both good and bad. From the friends one can acquire to the social experience to the realization that you attend a university full of history, it is all quite inspiring and even heartwarming(not to be cheesy). b)If I could change anything, I would enhance the level of difficulty of the coursework where it is needed. c) For me, the campus is just right. 11,000 students(6,500 of which are undergrad). I couldn't see myself at a smaller school or a larger school. d)Well, it depends on who you tell. If you tell fellow African Americans that you attend HU, some are impressed. If you tell some corporate figures, they may be impressed, that depends on their company's experience. If you tell an everyday Caucasian, they may 1) look at you in amazement as they initially think you say Harvard or 2) look at you in a dumbfound way as they have NO CLUE what or where HU is. e) As a business student, most of my time was spent in the School of Business or in my dorm, by preference and workload. For the other students, "The Yard" IS the chill spot. f)You could say "college town" because once you hit Howard territory, you KNOW you're on campus and the radio stations are abreast of Howard events etc. Other "competitors" could be considered Georgetown, American, etc...g)THE ADMINISTRATION SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I HATE IT!!!!! I'm sure my peers can confirm this sentiment from 1989 to the present. (In 1989, the students protested, as they stood in front of the Administration building in large numbers until their needs were met. Historical moment and unfortunately, still needed to this day. (SAD FACE) h)Biggest recent controversy is difficult. Not to say we had plenty, but that question again is subject to one's interpretation. We receiving a new University President for the 2009 year and their selection is pivotal, but aside from that, I really couldn't tell you. i)I would say there IS a lot of school pride, but not athletically which is where it would mostly show. We don't have the best sports teams. Some are good, but they are few in numbers. j)I don't believe there is anything unusual about Howard besides the fact that it is a great institution(again, not unusual). Period. j)I'll never forget the relationships I established with my dorm floor(yes, the whole floor) freshman year. [NOTE TO FRESHMAN GIRLS: For the full dorm experience, you MUST, I repeat, YOU MUST stay in "The QUAD". It will do you an injustice if you don't]. We had extra dorm and floor spirit. During a dorm ceremony, we walked outside with a chant and a hand signal(NO GANG STUFF) which made the other girls follow suit. We were remembered for all we did that year i.e. getting in trouble from time to time as a floor(it was soooo much fun) having our own fashion show on the floor, creating our own runway with the drawers under our beds, dressing up the girls, and opening it to all other students and doing our chant at the Homecoming game that year. We were extra proud and truly enjoyed ourselves.(One of the greatest experiences of my life) k) the most frequent student complaints come from the Administration Building, as unqualified, non-professional employees treat the students horribly in our time of need.

Academic Life

a) It depends. If you are a good student, the professor will know your name. If you're a butt kisser, they'll know your name then too. If you do nothing, well hey, they may still know your name. Lol! b)my favorite class was Business Orientation. It provided all the basics I needed for my career pursuit. c) That's the problem, STUDENTS DON'T STUDY. A handful may, but typically, there is not a need to. Maybe some classes, but definitely not most. d) Class participation is common, especially in classes where professors are able to evoke the students' interest e) YES! When do they NOT have intellectual conversations?! No, but really, the students on HU's campus, discuss a number of topics, from politics to student advocacy, all of which sound so invigorating when listening in. Realistically speaking, some students don't talk about things like that, but for the most part they do. f) Students don't need to be competitive; Everyone has their own path. Compete in class, maybe, but not likely. g) The most unique class I took, again was Business anything my freshman year. The program that new entrants into the School of B must take is unique and there is no other of its kind in the nation. g) I was an Insurance Major with a concentration in Actuarial Science. It is a heavily analytical study with a business background. I associated best with the business portion and changed my major this year to Finance(at another University, but I'll explain that later). My department was Finance/International Business/Insurance, but possibly the most efficient as it dealt heavily with Investment Banks and has the most students. h) I didn't, other students may have. I spent a lot of time with different Directors of programs due to my affiliation with them. They may have taught some classes, but were not faculty, of course. i) Howard's standards are low. They should make the standards higher in order to recruit a more attentive and academically focused student body. j) Both. Again, the School of B is geared towards getting students a job by the end of their 4 years. Other schools may offer that too, but I don't know about the capacity to which they work towards that. On the other hand, students attend for the learning's sake as well.

Student Body

a) My experiences have been great as I associate with many of them on campus. The diversity on a black campus is just as fruitful as on a mixed campus. The variety within our own race is abundant; we tend to lose sight of that. b) No student would feel out of place at Howard. Everyone finds the "group" that makes them feel at home. c) Students wear whatever they feel like. It's college, what'd you expect? d) Yes. e) First table is full of jocks. Second table is full of "pretty girls". Third table is full of the fashionably inclined. Fourth table is full of a mix of everyday people. f) There is no general group from a certain spot. However, as a Chicago native, there are A WHOLE BUNCH OF US who attend Howard.(Smiley Face) g) The financial background is mixed, but there are numerous spoiled brats whose parents pay for everything and you can see it in their value system, if they have one. The average student comes from a very average household, most of which have to work to make ends meet. But the mix is just that, a fairly distributed one. h) Not enough students are politically aware and we certainly aren't as active as we should be. i) I won't label the student body as the diversity in opinion and political perspective is so huge. j) Business students do, of course. Possibly other students too, but I'm not sure.