The University of Washington - Seattle

Date: Jul 08 2004
Major: Other (This Major's Salary over time)
I am a U of Washington alumni '99, and I received my MA in International Studies (from the Jackson School of International Studies). For those of you who are seriously thinking of going to U DUB (a nickname for Washington), I'll give you both PROs and CONs of going there.

PROS:

U Dub is a very beautiful campus. It looks just like the post card/pictures you've seen of the campus. The rain seems to make the area greener, in comparison to other metropolitan areas.

The campus is pretty diverse, and diversity is respected in this school. Whether you are left-wing, right-wing, Christian, gay/lesbian, Asian, African American, White, etc. you won't feel out-of-place. [Fewer Latino/Hispanics though.]

Seattle itself is a small but safe city, compared to L.A. and other major cities. The transportation (bus) system is good, so even if you don't have a car, you can get around pretty much anywhere.

The AVE (University district) has variety of restaurants you could enjoy, including: Chinese, Indian, Thai, Vietnamese etc. cuisine. Mexican food isn't as good in Seattle as it is in Southern California.

Language courses (especially East Asian courses) are very good. Many people are interested in East Asian language/culture (and Japanese classes fill up rather quickly.).

Grad programs in Medicine, Nursing, Sociology, Social Welfare Asian Language/Literature, International Studies are among the top ten in the nation (according to US News & World Report survey on grad schools).

The AVE also have record shop, clothing store, used book stores, HOF, etc., and the people are generally friendly and respect people from diverse backgrounds.

It is close to Vancouver, and you could take a two-hours bus to Canada.

CONS:

Too much rain. It has been said that suicide rate in Seattle is higher than in other states. If you don't like rain (which is pretty light), then this is not the place to live.

Some professors can be rather condescending and standoffish. [That pretty much goes with most schools.]

Dorms are like dungeon. I was shocked to see the dorms when I first visited U of Washington. The dorm food seem to be very small amount and overpriced. I talked to students living in the dorms about this.

ADVICES:

Visit the school before making your decision. I chose U of Washington over UIUC (U of Illinois Urbana-Champaign), and I sometimes wonder if I made the right choice (especially since UIUC offered me scholarships which Washington didn't.).

GO to ORIENTATION. I missed mine, and I regret taking classes I was better off not taking.

Be sure to talk to previous students about what classes to take and what not to take.

This is a large school, so don't expect to be shown around. If you are a type of person that needs to be "guided" or hand holding, then this is NOT the school for you.

Best wishes in your studies, and make the best of your college life, which ever school you decide to go to.