The University of Delaware

Date: Nov 19 2003
Major: English (This Major's Salary over time)
Quite honestly, this was far from my first choice school (that was Boston College, which I couldn't afford), but it turned out to be a good choice. The campus is gorgeous, the faculty is great, the college has a very traditional setting and most of the people are pretty chill though generally apathetic.

Unfortunately for the ladies, by the time I graduated, many people felt the campus was getting pretty dangerous. There seemed to be a surge in reported rapes and robberies with UD students as victims around when I graduated last year. Oddly enough despite multiple rapists on the loose, many of the local cops seemed to be spending their free time violating students civil rights and ticketing underage drinkers. Go figure. Just check out the UofD webpage for their crime stats in the Clery reports and make up your own mind. Personally, I never felt in danger (then again I am 6' and 190 lbs), but it's something people should know that they don't really tell you on the blue hen tour.

When I got there in '99, the party scene was a hell of a lot crazier than it was when I left, especially since many bars stopped having drink specials. Still, it's a really fun place to go to school. Gotta love the ladies. This campus is pretty as hell and something like 2/3 women. Major selling point. There's a half dozen bars within a 2 block radius. The balloon, the deer park (my favorite), kate's, main street tavern, grotto's, iron hill, and timothy's. Another Major Selling point.

Most of the faculty in my department were great. However some of the math and physics faculty do not speak english and don't care about students, though they're in the minority since most departments are good.Grade Inflation is virtually non-existent. This is a hard school. Lots of people fail classes. A 'C' is an average grade here in most classes that aren't sociology. I've had at least 3 classes (2 of which were comp sci) where the average grade on exams was around 55(100). This school is

work hard, play hard

personified. You can have lots of fun, but if you want to do well you have to work hard, too.

This university is so big sometimes it's easy to get lost in the shuffle. Registration is hell and all the intro classes and some upper level classes were taught in lecture halls. I had to get an exemption from a professor to get into at least one class every semester for four years. Guidance is horrible and it's extremely difficult to graduate in 4 years. If you change your major, you won't. The administration do not care about students, and generally act against the student body's best interests in order to make UD perform better in college ratings. Career services is also terrible. Thankfully though the professors and other students were very helpful.

The food in dining halls is terrible, but there's many good places on main street. Try margherita's, or dp dough if you're ordering in or ali babi's if you're eating out.

Even though I didn't particularly like the town, the local cops or the administration, I still would've gone there if I had it to do over and loved the UD experience and would recommend it to others. I received a great education and had a lot of fun too. Hope that helped. Good luck to future blue hens.