Student Profile
Yanina
- Class: Senior
- Major: Journalism
- Gender: F
- High School: Solomon Schechter Day School of Essex and Union
- Transfer Student: N
Big Picture
Rutgers is huge. That is the best and worst thing about it. The different campuses feel like different worlds. It can be very difficult when you live on one, but have all your classes on another and your social activities on a third. Commuting between the campuses means sitting on a crowded bus, which oftentimes get stuck in traffic around New Brunswick. There are also strong stereotypes about each campus, which can be hard to deal with. The school is very disorganized. When I first started it was divided into separate colleges. It has since merged to form the School of Arts and Sciences. This transition has caused chaos for both administration and students. Several of my important academic questions have been juggled around various departments, forcing me to run around different campuses trying to get an answer. In the recent years, with the success of the football team, pride in the school has improved. The national recognition has renewed the students pride in Rutgers and has united the university
Academic Life
Again, Rutgers is huge. Therefore, most classes are lectures with as many as 500 other students. If you want your professor to know your name, you have to make a great effort. Academics vary greatly, and depend mostly on the individual student and their major. It is hard to generalize because of the great range of students and academic fields. I donÕt think there is a general competitive nature in students, at least not a well-known one. I am majoring in Journalism and Media studies. I have really enjoyed the classes I have taken and knowledge I have gained in various subjects, such as media law, photojournalism, and global media. The fact that it is a small department has given me the opportunities to get to know some of my professors, who have been very helpful in both academics and helping me find outside opportunities. In terms of RutgersÕ academic requirements, these range, according the college (which, as I mentioned earlier, have merged, creating a new set of requirements). I have been very frustrated with my collegeÕs academic requirements. Because there are so many, I have been limited in pursuing a double major or even a minor. One drawback to the great Rutgers education is that it does not really help you find a job. Though there are resources such as career services, it is still very hard to find job prospects with only a bachelorÕs degree.
Student Body
Rutgers is extremely diverse, but unfortunately its hard to see different kinds of people together. Most students spend their time with people of the same race or religion, and there is minimal interaction between different groups. I donÕt think any student would feel out of place, because there are so many different kinds of people, and although they might not find a close social group, nobody would feel ostracized. Most Rutgers students are from New Jersey, and are from middle or lower-middle class families. On the whole, I donÕt think Rutgers is a politically aware or active campus, but there are definitely students who are trying to change this. With the upcoming election, I think Rutgers students will become more vocal.
The Best Things
It's diverse and offers a good education.
The Worst Things
Its huge and hard to get the guidance you need in terms of classes and academic goals.
