Portland State University Top Questions

Something that I wish someone had told me about freshman year was how much I would have to balance work, school, and social life together. I need to plan out every hour of the day practically in order to keep high grades and work to pay my tuition as well as having some friends outside of class.

That there is a lot of miscommunication between administrators and the rest of the school. A lot of our systems that are in place are a lot more complicated then it should be.

The worst thing would be the size. There are thousands of people, so the classes are large and it's not always easy to get to know people.

The worst thing for me at Portland State was the lack of interest of guidance counselors unless you were a part of certain programs. I started out in business and changed my mind, eventually leading to a triple minor with a major in Liberal Arts -- no guidance counselor wanted to deal with me, instead I was forced to deal with four different guidance counselors, all of which didn't take my study seriously.

I have not been there long enough to know what the worst thing is.

A large number of people have been studying at that campus for 7+ years and are not any closer to completing a degree. It is not a traditional university, so don't expect it to look like one.

The worst thing about my school is that there is a lack of community. I feel like im still in high school except we are not forced to talk therefore its hard to make new friends.

The worst thing about my school is that lately everyone has been worried about the rights of our teachers. Their union and the administration have been going through a contract debate. If things don't go fairly, our teachers will strike and risk Spring term due to the unreaosnable working conditions. We have been having several rallies to pull in staff and student support. The students are ready to back up the teachers, even if it means pausing our degree process. We love our teachers, they have our backs and we have theirs.

Extrememely large class sizes make it very difficult to get any individualized instruction. Most of the lecture classes are just general overviews of the text. Nothing is learned that can't be learned simply by reading the book.

You advisors can leave or quit their job without a notice

The worst thing about PSU is that it is a large institution with a more nontraditional, commuter student population than most public state universities. This makes it more difficult to develop social networks and a unified campus culture, which tend to be especially important for more traditional college students. However, in spite of this, PSU has a lot to offer to all types of students, including: a breadth of academic programs, campus activities, and student resources; great faculty and staff; a progressive and activist campus environment; and an urban atmosphere that is never boring!

As a vegan living in Freshman year houseing who was required to have a meal plan, I found the cafeteria selections appauling. Their idea of a vegan entre was a side of potatos.

PSU has the largest number od students in Oregon, so classes fill up quick. It can be difficult to get into classes you want/need when you want/need them. Also, class sizes are a large making it difficult to get one-on-one assistance from professors.

I consider the many unhygienic restrooms and classrooms as one of the worst things about this school. I also consider as well that some of the buildings and dorms are very old and really demand remodeling. I must also say that because the campus is especially located in downtown, you will see many homeless and racist people as you pass by. You may experience theft, harassment, being stared at, and being picked on. This experience doesn't happen that much though. You may also find some educators from nearby schools that are ignorant and racist as I have experienced.

The worst thing to me is the weather. It rains all the time in Portland and is always overcast and cloudy. Also it's chilly. It's seldom that it's sunny. It can go 2 weeks and the sun will never come out. It was nice in the beginning of fall and in the summer, but in the winter it rains constantly. For me it's a bad thing because I love sunshine and kind of get seasonal depression. I'm getting more used to the rain, but it makes it hard to want to go do anything.

The worst thing abou Psu could be the fact that they don't award Clark County, Washington residents in-state tuition for living so close to campus--this means paying over two times as much to go to school and commute there when you just live across the river.

Privet transportation is really expensive.

There are too many things I want to do/join, I can't pick!

The worst thing about my school is that there is very little student-teacher interaction, and the student is forced to teach themselves more than they are taught in class. The lecture style is good for students who can learn that way, but terrible for interactive learners.

Because most people live off campus, it is sometimes hard to feel part of the university experience. The wide age range of first time students and older students returning to school, while it makes for a great classroom experience, can make some social situations a little awkward.