Student Profile
Lauren
- Class: Junior
- Major: Pre-Law
- Gender: F
- High School: Lincoln Southwest High School
- Transfer Student: Y
Big Picture
I transfered back home to UNL after my first two years out of state. It was really refreshing to come back and experience UNL. I think that Lincoln and UNL offer a lot more than what meets the eye. For me it was the atmosphere on and around campus. Theft is a HUGE problem at a lot of other colleges but at UNL and in Lincoln people just maintain a higher standard of conduct most of the time. People are very friendly and helpful and the professors are really accessible here. Another thing is safety. I feel safe in Lincoln - the corruption, drugs, gang violence, guns, rapes, and bar fights from other larger cities hasn't come here yet the way it has to other places.
Academic Life
I love the size of UNL and it makes for a great academic environment. I've been in lecture halls at other universities with 500 other students - and no recitations or section meetings! The professors here are down to earth and easy to talk with and really interested in making sure students get a great experience if they're willing to work for it. My classes are small enough that I know all of my professors and they know me, so if I need help on an assignment or guidance they're available and willing (and happy!) to help. Like many other college students, I've jumped around from major to major and minors to minors. Once I transfered into UNL, my professors and advisors really helped me narrow down what I wanted to study and where I wanted to go. I'm double majoring in Psychology and Philosophy with a minor in Anthropology. I've always known that I wanted to study Psychology and then after taking a few classes for fun, I found I really liked Philosophy as well. I started to think about adding on another minor, so I looked around for an undergraduate philosophy advisor. I didn't have to look far because my current Philosophy professor was also an advisor and she gave me solid, straight-to-the-point information. All of my other advisors give equally honest advice, which I really value. The professors here have really changed my college experience. Not only do I get great advice from them, I also get to know them and they get to know me. During office hours or review sessions or appointments, we get to discuss topics from classes but we also have good conversations that branch beyond what we cover in the classroom. I
Student Body
Diversity on campus and students attitudes towards diversity on campus may be one of just a few pitfalls of UNL. It is difficult to separate UNL and the surrounding Lincoln area because it definitely blends. UNL is a great environment and while it's not liberal, it is definitely more liberal than the town it is in. I cannot speak from personal experience in this category because I am a "typical" student here, but I can imagine that there are students that face problems here on campus due to intolerance of different lifestyles and different backgrounds. I think that UNL is definitely making very small steps to change this but it only has influence on campus and I think that Lincoln in general may have a lot more to do.
The Best Things
The friendly Midwest atmosphere that the Heartland is known for - can't be it!
The Worst Things
The focus on athletics - but it's not just a UNL problem, it is a problem of society in general. There's more to college than football, there's more to life than football!
