Lehigh University | Student Reviews | Best College

Student Profile

Jessica

Class: Sophomore
Major: Art/Art History
Gender: F

High School: St. Lucy's Priory High School
Transfer Student: N

Big Picture

I love Lehigh. There are so many good opportunities that Lehigh presents its students, I'm sure I'm getting a fantastic education. For starters, I love the size of Lehigh. It's small enough that when you walk around campus, you always know or at least recognize most of the people you see, but big enough where you don't know everyone and everyone doesn't know you. I spend most of my time on campus either in the Performing Arts building (Zoellner) or in the Design building (Wilbur). Even though most people know Lehigh as an engineering school, we have excellent facilities for the arts. Up to date computer labs with the latest design software available to all students as well as unbelievable theater equipment for lights, sound, etc. One of the best things about Lehigh is that the professors who I've come across all care about their students. They want you to succeed and they will help you achieve your goals in their classes. I know specific professors who go out of their way to make sure that you get all the help that you need and teach you everything they know. They honestly care about you and what you want to do with your life. I feel like there is a lot of school pride, especially when it comes to the Lehigh-Lafayette rivalry (the oldest college rivalry in history). As for things to do off campus, you're pretty limited if you don't have a car. Bethlehem is a little scary at night, but as long as you're cautious, the Lehigh police try to patrol and do their best to keep everyone safe.

Academic Life

Academics at Lehigh are definitely very important. Depending on the size of your classes, the professors usually know your name, but they also usually want to take it one step further and actually get to know you on a personal level. I know that I have one professor, in particular, who has gone above and beyond to push me to excel in his classes and really find out what I want to do with my life. He really cares about his students. He even has a Facebook because he thinks it will eliminate the weird barrier between students and professors. I call most of my professors by their first names and can definitely go to them for help on anything. Students at Lehigh study a great deal...at finals time. It depends on the person, some people go crazy studying throughout the semester, while others rarely show up to class, let alone prepare for exams. I think when it comes down to it, studying is a choice and most Lehigh students choose to do it when necessary. I'm a double major in Art with a concentration in Photography and Design Arts with a concentration in Graphic Design. I'm also working on a minor in Theater. These departments tend to be very relaxed. They focus on new ideas from students and generally rely on students to take the initiative with their own work. I love the art and design classes, but the studios are 3 hours, twice a week, which is a long time to focus. In general, its easy for students in these departments to find a professor to talk to about the future and career plans. I feel like even though Art and Design are not necessarily money making jobs, Lehigh strives to provide us with a general foundation and then will work to help us get a job as we graduate. I will say that I think the administration puts a lot of money in their engineering and business programs and neglects the art and design departments. I think that they focus a lot of their attention on these major programs, but a lot more could happen if they put more money into the College of Arts and Science.

Student Body

I don't think anyone would feel out of place at Lehigh. We have all types of peole from all different backgrounds, it may just take extra time to find that particular group that you will click with. A good majority of students at Lehigh are white, come from a wealthy background, and tend to rely heavily on their social (drinking) lives. Even so, there are other opportunities for students who are not like this...such as Substance Free housing. Many different types of students interact with one another. I'm sure that financial backgrounds play a role in every students life, but I don't necessarily think it makes a big deal to everyone else. Students are not really politically active, unless you count the campaign for Obama that happened for about a month or two on campus before the primaries. For me, the amount of students who drink constantly shocked me when I arrived. Now that I've gotten to know more people, it doesn't bother me quite as much. You're obviously going to run into people who you don't like or don't click with everywhere you go, it's just a matter of finding that right group for you....and I belive you can find it at Lehigh if you give it a chance.