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UH provides a great education

As the fall semester started, and while the other thirty-seven thousand plus University students were buying books and finding their classes, I was keeping my eyes and ears open. What are the great things about UH?  What are the not-so-great things?

Parking was one of a few complaints that were discussed ad nauseum.  What follows is a breakdown of all the best (and the worst) things about campus.

Academics:  B.  The University is a major research university, which means two things: one, our school has research money, and two, you can truly benefit from a UH degree if you know where to look.  Most students have probably never been inside the Science and Engineering Research Center, a new construction building which houses 40 research laboratories, but you should take a look around, it’s a beautiful building with fascinating research capabilities.  While you’re exploring, you should also take a look at the Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture building, which is aesthetically pleasing and houses the best library on campus: small, quiet, and full of comfortable chairs.

As far as national opinion goes, UH has plenty of great programs to offer, including some of the nation’s top programs such as creative writing, the entrepreneurship program at the C.T. Bauer College of Business, the Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management, and the UH law center, which are all nationally recognized. UH may not be anywhere near as lauded as Harvard or Stanford, but an education here will get you where you want to go.

Cost: B+.  Yes, the cost of tuition is on the rise, but there are plenty of scholarship opportunities if you know where to look.  Books are also expensive, but you can cut costs by avoiding the UC bookstore and buying books online from a textbook broker or from your fellow students.

Dining:  B+.  If we’re talking about the dining halls, Oberholtzer has the best food, and Moody Towers the worst, but neither option is that exciting.  McAlister’s Deli at the Welcome Center is a good choice for fresh sandwiches, soups, and salads, but there’s always a large lunch crowd.  There are a few restaurants at the UC, including Chili’s Too and Wendy’s, but the best part of UC dining is the ice cream at Shasta’s Cones and More. Avoid UC cookies: they are rock-hard. The UC-Satellite has the widest selection, with a Starbucks, Smoothie King, Pizza Hut, Burger Studio, Goe’s Bar-B-Que, Kim Son, Chick-fil-A, Montague’s Deli, and Taco Bell all at arms reach.  Last but not least, there is a Subway, Pizza Hut, and Murphy’s Deli across from the Rec Center.

Diversity: A+.  UH is the second-most diverse University in the country according to a report done by U.S. News and World Report.  Many of us may be from Texas or Houston, but we do have about 3,000 international students of all different ethnic and social backgrounds. College is a time to expand your mind and learn how to interact with many different types of people, and at UH it’s impossible not to interact with people of a different background other than your own.

Facilities: A.  If you haven’t been to the Recreation and Wellness Center, I strongly urge you to go.  The pool always has at least a couple of lanes open, the locker rooms are clean and spacious, and there are numerous group classes including cycling, yoga and Zumba; all but the martial arts classes are free.  Other amenities include a rock climbing wall, inexpensive day care, and a friendly staff that is often helpful.

Parking: D.  UH is a commuter school; only about 4,000 of us live on campus, which means a majority of students are driving here. For most of us riding the bus, walking or biking to school is not feasible, and so we must fight the rest of the student population for parking spaces — of which there are never quite enough.

Professors: B+.  The faculty at the University of Houston includes a Pulitzer Prize winner, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, and a National Medal of Science recipient, these awards may not mean much to some students but our staff has been stocked with excellent professors.

After a week’s worth of learning and exploring, I feel confident that I am getting a quality education at the University. This is a large, diverse campus, which means there is something for everyone here; whatever your interests, there is a club or a class for you.  Like any school, UH has its shortcomings, but as long as you show up early enough to get a parking space, there is no reason not to have a great day at school.

Overall our university deserves a B; they do many things well, but as a University we do have our own shortcomings.

Danielle Wiitala is a English sophomore and may be reached at [email protected]

8 Comments

  • There is plenty of parking, students just need to know where to park. The parking area near 9C always has spots, sure they may be towards the end, but there are spots. Those who complain the most about parking are the ones circling near the front of all the parking lots thinking they're Columbus and are going to get lucky…and then complain that there's no parking.

    Suck it up, park where there are spaces, and walk or get on the bus. All else fails just get a pass to one of the two garages, I hear there is plenty of room in them.

  • I am actually amazed at the parking situation this year. For the first time, people aren't complaining about a lack of parking in articles in the Daily Cougar. Whoever is responsible for the decision to build Cougar Village should be given three cheers. Somehow, maybe several hundred extra freshmen decided to live on campus instead of commuting, which means that parking lots that were at full capacity at 10:30 AM last year are nearly desolated at 10:45 this year. Just awesome.

  • NICE ARTICLE

    JackGonzo said –

    …Those who complain the most about parking are the ones circling near the front of all the parking lots thinking they're Columbus and are going to get lucky…
    ::
    Now that's funny! And true! And they're all over town! Perhaps that is a primary yet unknown symptom of Bi-Polar disease.

    I wonder if they eventually learn for their mistakes?

    Amazing what I learn if I just take the time to read.

    🙂

  • @engi – That's the most out of place building on campus. Even my neighbor who drives by on I-45 sometimes wonders what the heck it is and why it's still there.

  • I guess it depends on when you get there and where you have be. For me, parking is awful unless you get there early. And I have no trouble walking a mile or two if necessary as I run about 5 marathons a year and average more than 40 miles a week. To make matters worse, I am a staff member doing a research fellowship and post grad studies so I have a faculty permit. I tried parking at ERP for the first 2 weeks. 14 minutes my you know what. I timed them each day. 24 minutes was the best they did. Two days I waited more than 35 minutes for a bus. That is unacceptable. Not to mention that the ride to campus takes 12-15 minutes on top of that. That is ridiculous. Unfortunately, I teach a class off campus on Tues/Thurs and even though I have more than one hour to drive 5 miles and park, I am still late or almost late getting to where I need to be on campus. And this happens whether I try to park in faculty, student or outlying lots. And to compare UH with UT is silly. I never had issues parking there or getting campus transportation because they accommodated both their on campus and off campus student body with better parking options and better mass transit options. And at UT they towed students cars out of faculty lots. Wish they would do that here! I counted more than a dozen tickets on cars in the faculty lot near my building today, and that is not unusual and has almost become a game amongst other faculty members in my department that are similarly frustrated. UH is a commuter school. 5-10% of their students live on campus. I am very disappointed with their lack of attention to this issue. Most simply because this should not even be an issue. Faculty has to pay for their permits too. And I paid over $200 to park on campus just to drive around in circles or ride a shuttle loaded down with all my teaching and study materials. Shame on you UH!

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