Temple University

I would have to say that, despite a strong faculty, the administration and red tape here really are enough to break your spirits. The campus is not socially cohesive - at over 80% commuter, there is a prevailing "get in, get out, get my work done" feel about the place, rather than a typical college feel.

2nd Year Male -- Class 2005

Education Quality: B-, Individual Value: F

I'm more resentful of my own decision to spend time at Temple than I am of the school itself-- it serves its purpose: education factory. The school is filled with either thoughtful, lost and lonely kids, baseball cap fleece vests, or city-"emo"-hipsters too cool to be seen at school... too much red tape to make your own way through the administration, too much 'nobody left behind' to really be challenged or to stand out in class... and this all gives Temple the unavoidable smell of HIGH SCHOOL. If you were happy high school ended, think twice and ask some hard questions of Temple.

Classes are easy and muddled. Psych professor was an "eccentric" dinosaur who would moan lectures in a comical "presenting important information to middle school kids that could never understand" kind of way. Remember that American history teacher you had who threw chairs around just to scare kids? Same deal. My Calc 3 prof was confused, disconnected, disorganized, and spoke in the low ghostly volume of a heavy ketamine user.

The honors program is held together by socially awkward kids who are bound by their being so out-of-place at Temple, and the program is directed by a helpful-but-condescending mother-figure--a positive note, since she has administrative power to place students in desired classes, instead of being stopped by the system... but unfortunate that it's HER whim, in my personal experience.

Sciences professors do not speak English. Most math do, though.
Positive points--the availability of study abroad programs (campus in Tokyo), Dr. David Zitarelli of the math dept, the pianos available to anyone in the music building, the eastern European couple who own and dance in their coffee stand outside the library, the easy-target watered-down Christian debates under the belltower (a street preacher disappears every other year due to some sex scandal), and the availability and low price of delicious bacon-egg-n-cheeses at any hour of the early morning.Go see for yourself, but my general suggestion is go somewhere else.

2nd Year Male -- Class 2008

Perceived Campus Safety: A, Collaboration/Competitive: F

The CS department has a lot to improve upon. First off, I should say that I have taken Computer Science in high school and received an graduation award of recognition for how well I did in it. My teachers were sure I would do very well in CS in college. Temple gave me credit for a freshman course, which would allow me to skip to the sophomore level course.

I knew that I would be the only one or one out of two female students there, but I did not think everyone would be so unfriendly. The guys had already formed their own groups to finish lab assignments, and were for the most part very unapproachable. It was like everyone was for themselves. The only person who was friendly was the one other girl in the class.

The lecture class was soooo boring. All you see is the professor reading off of a Powerpoint, which you can get yourself and read on your own time. The book was written by Temple faculty which is probably the only reason it is assigned, because it really should be a lot more in-depth than it is. Students rarely ask questions, and it's usually the same one or two people who ask anyway. About half the students or so either fall asleep, or do other stuff on their laptops. Labs are the only time you feel like you're doing something productive, but the TA has trouble helping you sometimes because he doesn't know Java. My TA was pretty lenient with grades though, but we were behind in labs and from the other section and our section probably did worse on tests, which has a huge affect on your grade.

That was my only CS class, but I do not want to see anymore. My professor was friendly when I finally saw him outside of the classroom, but I did not like his style of teaching. I would definitely recommend trying to go somewhere else for CS at least. My GenEd professors and Calc teacher were all amazing, though.If you're into drinking and partying, then you will love being here. Otherwise, you will be grossed out by how trashy the students can be here. A lot of the girls wear short shorts and mini skirts, even when it's freaking 40 degrees outside. In the dorms, girls are not potty-trained. They don't know how to flush the toilet. On the last few days of this semester, one girl must have exploded diarrhea twice in one day on two different toilets and did not clean it up properly. Maintenance left it dirty the entire week. Girls don't wash their hands either after they leave bathroom stalls where people poop and pee and touch the same door handle, so I can only imagine what the boys do. Even just overhearing the boys talking about girls in the cafeteria is disturbing, as they're just rating girls left to right deciding who they will have sex with. The smell of weed will find you. You will not be able to go through campus without inhaling second-hand smoke. It's like this place is filled with animals. If you are one of the few mature/grown-up people here who are serious about school, relationships, and life, then you will have trouble finding/making good friends here. Most people here are just super shallow.

1st Year Female -- Class 2014

Surrounding City: A+, Innovation: F