University of South Florida | Student Reviews | Best College

Student Profile

Jennifer

Class: Junior
Major: Communications
Gender: F

High School: Bedford High School
Transfer Student: Y

Big Picture

The best thing about USF is the teachers. The staff is so fantastic. You can tell they take an interest in their students and you're not just a number. The school is large, but it is definitely not too large. Because of the size, there is a chance for everyone to find a niche. There are a lot of programs on campus to get students connected, and there are also a lot of opportunities to help students find career paths. It is really hard to fall between the cracks at this school. I don't think the Tampa Bay area qualifies as a college town because it's so large, but there are definitely some areas of the city that are geared toward the college crowd. There are a lot of great places to live around campus, and it's a very accessible city. The USF administration is quick to aid in any problems the students have. Issues are resolved quickly. There is a space on the website for commonly requested forms if you need fast access to your transcipts. The administration really tries to provide for the students and the grounds of the school are upkept very well. Our football team was ranked #2 this year, which was a really exciting time for us. We have a newer team, so it was exciting to be nationally recognized. A lot of students attend the basketball games, and you cannot walk across campus without seeing someone in USF gear. The student goverment elections are taking place for President and Vice President right now, which is getting a lot of attention from our student newspaper, The Oracle. This is probably the biggest issue occurring on campus right now. My best memories of USF are the football games. Our games usually take place at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers stadium (which is in downtown Tampa). The stadium is brand new, and everyone makes a day out of going to tailgate. So much fun!! The most frequent student complaints are about parking. Parking is a problem on a lot of campuses, but USF is building two brand new parking garages. They also opened up a grass lot right in the heart of the campus so that it is easier to get to classes.

Academic Life

My favorite class was Communication as Performance. The teacher I had was so great. We spent a lot of time outside of the classroom. The weather is nice down here all year, so it's great to be outside! The professors here usually know your name, unless you're in a big lecture class. Most students end up in one of these classes a few times, but if you go to class on a regular basis, the teacher will definitely get to know you. Class participation is very common among USF students. The classes with debates are really fun because everyone gets involved. You can tell that students usually come prepared to class, whether it is doing the reading or the worksheets. You can always tell who hasn't come prepared because of the teacher-student interactions in class. The most unique class I have taken is my Communicating Gender & Identity course. We're currently discussing the concept of identity and what it means to classify yourself under certain categories. The topics are really controversial, but the material is interesting. I am in the Communication Department. My major is Interpersonal/Organizational Communication. I LOVE this major. All of the comm students are like a big family. We collaborate on assignments and do a lot of groupwork. You can definitely count on the students that study this major. I am also minoring in Psychology. They just built a brand new Psych building. The staff in this minor is also fantastic. You get to choose from a lot of interesting classes. The professors are always available for office hours when you have problems. They are there to clarify concepts that you don't understand. Also, they are great about missed classes and assignment make-ups. Every college (business, math, science) at USF has different academic requirements. You have to take core classes, but once you get into your major (which can happen quickly), the classes are interesting and practical. USF combines post-college prep and a good learning experience. You get to learn about a lot of "real-world" issues, but you also have a great opportunity to prepare for the working world.

Student Body

There are a vast number of religious and multi-cultural groups on campus. USF also has multi-cultural sororities and fraternities. USF students also have the opportunity to apply for Honor's College. Some departments offer honors programs for specific majors. For example, the College of Arts and Sciences offeres an Honors Program for Communication Majors. It is very difficult to feel out of place at USF. There is always so much to do, and there is a common place on campus to get to know people and get involved. Most students dress casually to class. It's warm here all year so we wear a lot of shorts and t-shirts. Winter gear is definitely not necessary. It seems as though most students come from middle-class families. Though I have to say from my experience, this school is accepting of people from all racial, ethnic, and financial backgrounds. Students are very politically active on campus. We have a student newspaper that prints daily. It covers local and world issues. There are also free copies of the TBT (Tampa Bay Times) on campus. This newspaper is geared for the younger crowd. There are a lot of articles in it about world issues. There is no specific political affiliation at USF. There are students that are Democrats, Republicans, and neither.