The University of Central Florida

Date: Jul 02 2010
Major: Political Science (This Major's Salary over time)
UCF has its positives and its negatives, just as I'm sure every school does.

Pros: UCF is the third largest school in the United States at the moment and is getting more and more selective by the year. I believe they do a great job with making sure you don't get "lost" by being in such a huge school, especially during the two-day mandatory orientation. There is someone always there to assist you if you need help, and students seem to be pretty friendly if you get lost walking around campus. With the school being so large, there are loads of classes to choose from, and the online system makes choosing/changing/dropping classes a breeze. I absolutely love the choices for taking classes. Most are available online, but a good number of them are available as online courses as well. Online courses make the state-wide university policy of taking three classes during the summer at some time during your college career super easy, especially if you go home during the summer. Don't think that your online courses are ridiculously easy or that your professors suddenly won't care about you because you're not in the classroom. I've found that a lot of professors I've taken online are surprisingly good with communication and in fact are easier to approach.

Cons: A lot of students don't seek help if they're feeling "lost" and end up feeling really detached from UCF. I'm not one of them, but I can understand where they are coming from. For example, in Political Science, we don't have an adviser assigned to us. I can imagine that would turn a lot of students away from the Political Science department, feeling like they had no one to speak to about their education. This isn't the case; any one of your professors in the Political Science department would be more than happy to answer your questions about the department in general and assist you in any way they can.

Another con is…the area. Orlando is a beautiful city, but like most huge cities, there is a lot of crime involved. Thankfully UCF's Police Department communicates frequently with us via e-mail & text messages about crime in the area and with tips on how to stay safe. Just don't be stupid and lock your car and your apartment door! I can't believe how many people keep their doors unlocked while they sleep. You don't have to live in fear, just be smart about where you are.

Overall: I think UCF is a GREAT pick for any student serious about their studies. Don't believe the line "U Can't Finish." I'll be graduating in three years. UCF's variety of classes and ability to choose classes a year in advance (if you have a 3.5 GPA or higher) makes it super easy to graduate on time. Those that don't either wasted time taking electives and then got "shocked" when they realized a class they needed to graduate was only offered in the summer, or they changed their major too many times. You CAN finish, and you WILL just like in any other school. If you need constant attention and professors calling you if you didn't turn in an assignment on time then UCF isn't right for you. If you have a sense of responsibility and want to learn, you will love UCF.