Bucknell University Top Questions

the campus is nice

the best thing about bucknell are the people you can choose to surround yourself with, including professors. i was lucky to meet my best friend our freshman year, but the monolithic social life at bucknell presents you with a lot of challenges - well, coming from my own experience. my social life was really miserable, and my professors were understanding enough to help me through the transfer process with really frank advice, but i decided to go abroad for a year instead. people at bucknell sometimes it isn't people from the most coveted greek chapters that make the most of your experience, but it happens to be a group of very few people 5-10 maybe that define it. i gave up greek life and drugs to afford time to hang out with people i actually like and to do things that interest me and along that path, i made time to meet people who i hope will become life-long friends. and there are things to do in the general Lewisburg area - i'm surprised when i read this. i think you have to be either unimaginative, boring, or an alcoholic to think like that.

Bucknell life is termed "the bubble" for good reason, because most activity is usually contained on campus. Rarely do we venture out into neighboring areas of PA. There is a "downtown" portion of campus (not technically campus), where students live in single townhouses and it is here where many weekend drunk festivities are held. Also downtown is market street, which is a quaint road that has many cute shops and restaurants, including CVS and Bull Run, our school's favorite nearby pub. There is also a wallmart less than 3 min from campus, as well as a Wendy's McDs, Pizza Hut, Subway, and the FREEZE! (that was said with the enthusiasm that every Bucknell would show for their beloved ice cream hut! Nearly everyone has been to the freeze and claims it serves a Lot of great ice cream at a low price). Selingsgrove, a neighboring town is 20 min down the state road and has a target, best buy, bed bath and beyond and a mall. So even though Bucknell is in a rural area, you will always have a place to find things that you need.

The best thing about Bucknell is its size: to me, it's not too big or too small. It's rare that I can walk across campus and not run into at least one friend, but I can still find anonymity when I need privacy. With the exception of ASTR101, all of my classes so far have had less than 35 students, most of them averaging at 15 or less. Thus, students and professors really get to know each other, which helps with your social, academic, and soon-to-be professional life. When people who actually have heard of Bucknell hear that I go there, they seem happy and impressed. It's a shame that Bucknell isn't as well-known as I think it should be, but it's getting there. I'm extremely proud to be a Bucknellian. I love everything about my school... Except, of course, for its giant price tag. And if tuition and room and board weren't enough for you, the food here can be pretty expensive as well. Market Street, too, is more of an upper-middle to upper-class main street, so prices there aren't too forgiving either. Oh, and I also don't like how very liberal faculty and staff can be, but I'll write about that later.

The Best thinig about Bucknell is the attmosphere, we are a small tight knitt community, although one thing I would change is the amount of diversity. For me, Bucknell is just the right size, not too large or too small. When I tell people that I got to Bucknell, they have either not heard of it or very impressed. When I am on campus, I spend most of my time doing school work and then hanging out with my friends. Lewisburg is definitly a college town, there is main with lots of cool shops, most of the professors live in town and the community really supports the school. The biggest controvery, I think has been back in September when someone (a townie, not a student) painted a swasitka on outside wall of our Student Union Center. There is a ton of school pride at Bucknell, everyone has tons of Bucknell appearal and comes to Basketball games in full force.

The best thing about Bucknell is the faculty. They are paid to teach first and do research second. They are always there to help, and a good faculty to student ratio makes for a great balance.

The student population is the perfect size -- not terribly small, as you can meet new people whenever you want, but not so big as you never feel like you belong. It's pretty much guaranteed that you will see someone you know everytime you walk around campus. It's the same exact case for the town we're in, too, however, which gets a little boring when you're tired of being on campus.

The school is the right size, and my relationships with professors have been great. They're all really interested in helping students. The administration, however, only pays lip service to student needs. They run the school like it's a for-profit business, and the students are just like pawns in their game. They also have some really sexist policies, especially for the Greek system. Greek life is really big here, but not all of the organizations are the "typical" animal house type sororities and fraternities. I've found my Greek experience to be really valuable.

I think the friends I've made on the XC and Track teams is my favorite thing about Bucknell. I also like that I've been able to organize a number of service projects easily with lots of campus support. If I could change one thing, I'd allow for more options in classes, so that students can take a few more classes just out of interest rather than by requirement. Size wise, it's just right for me. I spend a good portion of my time at BU at the fieldhouse, library/computer labs, and my room. I wouldn't think of Lewisburg when I think 'collegetown' (which is more like a penn state or uga to me), but it's a good college atmosphere. I like small towns, so it works for me. There's a lot of school pride, and the alumni I know are always excited to hear about the latest BU news. Not a fan of some of the administrative politics, but whatever. Biggest controversy lately...arming public safety i guess. There are so many experience I will always remember. Calling my hs coach and telling him I placed at the league meet in the steeple will always be one of favorites. Great weekends relaxing with friends are at the top of the list too.

Bucknell is not too big or small. Class sizes are small, so it is really easy to get extra help from a professor when you want it. My some of my favorite things about Bucknell are the beautiful campus, and the great caf. No really, the caf is really good!