Great Grad/Bad Undergrad School
Written: May 11 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: great grad departments and outdoors opportunities
Cons: poor undergraduate education, ticky-tacky city
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| jamesmcook's Full Review: University of Arizona |
IN SHORT: The University of Arizona is:
1) great for grad school if you pick the right department
2) a bad place to get an undergrad degree unless you're aggressive
and
3) situated in a ticky-tacky city with the great outdoors nearby
I am finishing my PhD in sociology this year (2000) at the University of Arizona. I've been at the U of A for six years and I've taught seven courses in that time. These are my thoughts on the U of A as a place to be...
Grad School
This is a great place to go to grad school, especially in sociology, psychology, and astronomy. The sociology program I've been in consistently makes the top 10. Surprised? Well, that's kind of the point. Nobody in the general public thinks of the U of A as a great place to get a PhD. This means that the U of A departments will try extra hard to help you succeed. If you went to a "name brand" school, you'd have to deal with professors who might not have as great a motivation to help you out -- after all, there are scores of other applicants who would take your place. Now, while the public in general doesn't think much of Arizona, the above-mentioned departments have great reputations in academic circles. Sociology students in my program have gotten jobs at places like Stanford, Ohio State and Duke because they went to Arizona.
If you're interested in one of these programs for grad school, I strongly urge you to consider Arizona.
Undergraduate Education
Like I said, I've taught 7 classes here as a graduate student. My experience from teaching is that Arizona has a small number of dedicated, inquisitive and involved students who struggle against a tide of (at best) apathy and (at worst) antipathy toward education and learning. Partying is more important here than good grades, and good grades are more important than learning. Sad. Motivated and enthusiastic students have found it difficult to persevere in this climate -- they even get made fun of sometimes. That's appropriate in high school, not at a university.
On the other hand, if you're motivated and can resist the effects of your peer environment, you can get a top-notch education. You just have to push for it.
My wife got her Master's degree in sociology here, then decided she'd like to be a doctor. She took undergrad science classes at Arizona to fulfill her prerequisites, and therefore was in a unique position to compare the grad and undergrad experiences here. She was appalled that it took months to meet with an advisor, that there weren't enough lab supplies, and that she had to show up 15 minutes early just to find a chair to sit in for some classes. Not a good experience, to say the least.
The City of Tucson
The City of Tucson was mostly built in the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s. 'Nuff said? Most streets follow the strip mall formula of Jiffy Lube-Quik Mart-
McDonalds-Target-Blockbuster Video-Jiffy Lube.... In addition, the city
is built around cars, not pedestrians, so getting from place to place is hard -- few sidewalks exist even on the main streets! The public transportation system works, but it's no San Fran or Washington, DC -- and
the latest proposal to "fix" the bus system is to shut down a few lines. Sheesh.
That said, if you do get out of the city (20 minute drive from the middle), there's an incredible amount of out there out there. Desert hiking, mountain climbing, bird watching, you name it. Tucson is surrounded by mostly unfettered nature. That, in my mind, almost makes up for the garish environment of the city. Almost.
IN SHORT: The University of Arizona is:
1) great for grad school if you pick the right department
2) a bad place to get an undergrad degree unless you're aggressive
and
3) situated in a ticky-tacky city with the great outdoors nearby.
Whether you come to the U of A or not is, of course, your decision. I recommend that you take a close look before you make any commitments.
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
jamesmcook
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Member: James Cook
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Reviews written: 167
Trusted by: 40 members
About Me:
I am a father, writer and gregarious gadabout.
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