I'm starting at University of Houston this fall (transfer)...and I was wondering if there are any online resources where I can find students' opinions on various things, you know, food, living, etc. I submitted my housing application for Cougar Place; I'm not sure if campus housing is the way to go or not. I want to know things such as...can you ride a bike to your classes? How's parking? Are meal plans worth it? Things like that. All you get on uh.edu is the bland description, I want to know what UH students actually think about things on campus. Are there any resources for things like this? I've been googling "UH message boards" and of course only sports boards come up.
princetonreview.com usually has a "Students Say.." thing on it, but then again all they would say on a website like that is good stuff...
Parking sucks. I personally wouldn't want to live on campus, but thats a very personal choice. Based on my experience as a grad student at UH, the percentage of students that participate in campus life is very small. This may be why you're having a hard time finding message boards.
U of H is really a commuter school - you're not going to get a lot of the 'college experience' there, apart from classes. Don't ride your bike unless you actually live on campus - in which case, it'd probably be easier to walk. The campus isn't too big, most places aren't that far away. I didn't live on campus - I was really too old for that sort of thing. I lived in the Montrose. If you can afford to live in the Montrose/Museum district, you should definitely do that. It's a great little area of town, a short drive to campus (but not so short that you're in the ghetto - U of H is surrounded by ghetto), and you'll be near all the museums. I can't imagine living on campus would be any fun at all in comparison. U of H has some great professors in the History and English department. Take a history class from Holt, and an English class from Pipkin. Also: get the student health insurance if you're uninsured - it's a pretty good deal, and the health center on campus is decent. That's where I had my type 1 diabetes diagnosed. Dr. Gray is a nice guy. And yes, parking truly sucks. Here's a trick I learned: It's cheaper and much less frustrating to just park wherever the hell you want and risk getting tickets than it is to shell out $240(?) for a parking pass then spend the last 15 minutes before class driving around in a circle trying to actually find a spot. Maybe things have changed since I was there about 2.5 years ago, but I doubt it. I have to say there were a lot of good things about U of H, and a lot of not so good things. But I guess the biggest thing I'd emphasize is: Don't hide yourself away on campus. You're right near the center of a great city, why waste that time holed up in a sub-par dorm room surrounded by people who probably have even less experience in life than you do? Make the most of your time in the middle of a mini-Metropolis.
Max...I know! I'm so excited about it. bejezuz...I really hadn't thought of that. I've never been big on school spirit...but I would like to meet people while I'm there. thadeus, I've heard of Pipkin. I'm an English major so I'm sure I'll have many great professors. About the parking--$240?? Damn. I'm most likely going to be living on campus, a few yards away from Roy Cullen...so maybe I'll just walk to all my classes. Saves gas money I guess. (BTW, I'd love to live in Montrose, but my parents are still supporting me, and they hate anything rich in culture). Thanks so much guys, I really obtained some insight.
It all depends on your personality type finalsbound. Look I knew going in that UH was a commuter school and for the first year and a half I treated it that way. Basically College was an appointment that I had to go to 5 days a week in between work. I was getting a very good education in the department I was studying (Entrepreneurship-CEI program is incredible there!!!) but I was not getting much else as far a school spirit and college experience. If thats what you want, more power to you. However, I decided that I wanted more than that and with UH I realized that I would have to put forth the effort to get what I wanted out of it. I actually became a founding father of a fraternity on campus and lived in Bayou Oaks. For everyone that has "heard" that the on campus living there sucks I again say, it depends on your personality or interests. Take it from me who actually lived there. In my case I had the time of my life making friends, playing intramurals, becoming involved on campus in different groups and university sporting events, lots of house parties and work to better our fraternity. Its location made it great to go out and really enjoy all facets of Houston nightlife and Houston sporting events as well. Most importantly I created lasting memories there. For me UH was much much more than a commuter school. It was the greatest three years of my life. (the last 3 years was when I decided to get involved) You've got a great opportunity because you are just starting. If I could go back I would have gotten a lot more involved as soon as I arrived, but like I said that is me. Yes what everyone says is true about UH being a commuter school and the University life being sub-par to other major schools, but if you actually look and make an effort I guarantee that you will not look back and regret the fact that you didn't have a "true college experience."
