UH is one of the most diverse college campuses in the U.S. Every fall, the campus is filled to the brim with incoming freshmen, transfer students, returning undergraduates and graduate students. The students and thier reasons for choosing UH are quite diverse.
‘In all honesty, I chose wherever my friend went. I told her I’d go wherever she’d go.
We’re roommates,’ psychology freshman Tiffany Banda said.
While some freshmen came to the university for social aspects, others had more practical reasons.
‘One of the main reasons I came to UH is because it is close to home and I had friends here already,’ biology freshman Mike Allen said.
Allen came to Houston from California at age 10. When the time came to choose universities, Allen did not head back west, but decided to become a Cougar.
After his first few days on campus, Allen seems pleased with his choice, saying he has some great classes. The only surprise might have been the size of the campus.
‘I’m going to get in really good shape from walking all over campus,’ Allen said.
Amber Olmedo and Kayla Mizell both chose UH because of its reputation.
‘According to statistics, it’s a really good school,’ business administration freshman Olmedo said .
Mizell is pursuing a degree in interdisciplinary studies because of her affinity for children.
Political science senior Will Barret transferred to UH as a junior to take upper level classes and experience a true college community. However, he says he has not experienced this so far.
‘Academically, UH has not disappointed. However, I find the social aspects of campus life lacking,’ he said. ‘This probably isn’t the University’s fault as much as it is the city’s sprawled-out nature, but I still feel a bit jealous of my friends at UT or even St. Thomas. I go to class, take my notes and drive home. I’ve met some great people here, but there’s nothing that compels me to stay on campus after class.’
Kinesiology freshman Alex Gee chose UH over Houston Baptist University for financial reasons.
‘It was cheap and affordable, and I didn’t want to spend too much on just taking basic classes, and it was convenient for me to drive to,’ Gee said. ‘The economy had an impact. If I went to HBU, I would have to pay off student loans and whatnot and by coming to UH, I did not have to take out any loans and paid everything up front.’
Hotel and restaurant management freshman Roger Ly wants to open a hotel or club. UH has one of the nation’s best hotel and restaurant management programs. Plus, Ly’s older sister is a Cougar.
‘Well, since she goes here, I don’t feel like I’m going to a new place, and I don’t know anybody,’ he said.
Some transfer students came to UH hoping to find a more prosperous community for themselves.
Computer science senior Ramit Prasad transferred from Texas A&M when he realized the campus wasn’t suited for his tastes.
‘I didn’t like the environment at A&M. They were very conservative, and I’m not,’ Prasad said. ‘The environment here is more flourishing and it is more diverse. It’s something I can relate to.’
Management information systems junior Samuel Faluade also transferred from Texas A&M. He ran track for the Aggies and, when the athletic part of his college career fell through because of injuries, he decided to transfer to UH to study at the C.T. Bauer College of Business.
‘The school of business here is one of the best in the nation. A&M’s is good too, but I prefer the business school setup here instead,’ Faluade said.
A number of incoming freshmen choose to attend UH over Texas Southern University, St. Thomas, Rice or a college outside of the Houston area.
Biology freshman Shreya Aggarwal opted for UH over Rice for its lower tuition and honors program.
‘Rice was too expensive, but I really enjoy it here much better than having to go to Rice,’ Aggarwal said. ‘I like the Honors College. I’m in their program right now, and it’s a lot of challenging courses, so it’s really intense. It’s the perfect thing for me because I get a lot of regular courses as well as honors.’
Additional reporting provided by David McHam’s Advanced Reporting class.
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