The University of Nebraska - Lincoln

The education department is awful. If you're considering attending UNL for the College of Education and Human Sciences, go somewhere else. I wish someone would have told me that 4 years ago

3rd Year Female -- Class 2014

Campus Maintenance: B, Faculty Accessibility: F

If I had to do it over again I would not major in Criminal Justice. A cop told me back in college to major in something else, but I blew him off. If you want to work in Law Enforcement it may help you to have a college degree, but your major doesn't matter to anyone. I really didn't learn a single thing in CJ. Major in something that interests you, like Spanish or English. That way if law enforcement doesn't work out for you, there is always something to fall back on. Besides, CJ is very subjective even though they use the term 'social science'. So your professor's opinion will be peppered throughout the lecture. If you are really interested in law enforcement study Spanish and accounting. Beyond those two majors nothing you learn in college will carry over. Real world experience is what you need, and this can't be taught in any college.

Alumnus Male -- Class 2000

UNL has a fairly strong academic reputation, but I can't emphasize enough that Nebraska isn't for everyone. I ultimately transferred out after two years, but not with any hard feelings towards any of the people here. It just wasn't the right fit for me.

The pluses: people in Nebraska are incredibly friendly, especially in comparison to the urban west coast where I'm from. It's a large university, but not large enough to fall through the cracks. Most of my classes were fairly large, but the professors were usually accessible either before or after class or in office hours (although there are a few cranks, unfortunately). Same goes for Lincoln-- it's big enough to have what you'd expect from a large city, but no big that it overwhelms you.

The minuses: If you're not from the Great Plains, there can be a bit of "culture shock." Most of the students I encountered were from rural Nebraska, and while typically friendly, weren't always as open-minded as I wished. While not a "bad" city per se, much of Lincoln is quite ugly and difficult to navigate without a car (to be fair though, there is ample on-campus housing available and there are also parts of Lincoln that are quite charming). Also, the winter weather here is shocker. I have never felt so cold in my entire life! Also, not necessarily a good or bad thing, but be aware that football is HUGE here. People eat, drink, and breathe football during the fall semester, almost to the point that it's like a religious tradition or something. Even if you aren't a football fan, you'll inevitably become aware of it because it's all people can talk about.

2nd Year Female -- Class 2004

Perceived Campus Safety: A+, Surrounding City: C