University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Top Questions

I must say first off that I love the University of Pittsburgh. The reasons are simple, I live close to home, I love the city of Pittsburgh (it's truly unique), and the people are extremely nice. The hot spots to study on campus vary because there are many depending on what kind of environment you are looking for. I like the Hillman library it has every resource you might need including, books, magazines, newspapers, computers, and of course beautiful girls who love to study. School pride is huge here. We have the Pitt Panthers basketball team which is currently 16-0 and #1 in the nation. Students can go to the games for 5$, it's truly amazing. Pitt also has that mixture of large lectures for those of you who want to stay below the radar, and smaller classes for upper level courses for those of you who like to participate and really get involved. The teachers, just like in any school, are good and bad. I have had my fair share of teachers who drive me crazy along with teachers I still speak to regularly and look to for professional advice. All in all, Pitt is an awesome university and I have had some amazing experiences in and out of the classroom.

One of the things I complained about most as a student was the lack of green space. Pitt is missing the big grassy quads that are in all of the movie college campuses. This was partially offset by the fact that at all times, you are within a 20 minute bus ride from downtown. Bus fare is included in tuition, so students essentially ride the buses for "free." It was nice to be able to go to the symphony, ballet, or a play as a student. Since the school is so big, it can offer tons of interesting classes. We used to joke about taking underwater basket weaving. I did however, take both judo and skiing for credit. The school is also not so big that all of your classes have 100+ people. I had quite a few classes after my first year that were under 10 people. Since graduating with a B.A., I have returned to Pitt for my law degree. One of my continued complaints is with the career services department. My mom said the same thing about the M.B.A. program. You just can't count on the school finding you a good job after graduation. You'll have to do that yourself.

Everyone is miserable at Pitt. Even the name is ugly. I don't know if this because of the miserable weather, the dangerous gritty urban milieu, or the constant stress of everyone wondering, "How the hell do I get out of Pittsburgh?"

When I tell people I go to Pitt, they usually hear Penn. After I explain to them that I do not in fact go to in Ivy league school but I attend a state school in the western part of PA they give me a sort of uncomfortable look, one that encompasses the movement from loooking excited for me all the way to a look of question because they have never heard of Pittsburgh. I was just abroad for a semester in Israel, where most of the people were only familiar with the really big cities in the US like NYC and L.A. But one great thing about Pitt is that they encourage you to study abroad from the moment you begin your career as a freshman. You are hardly there for 2 weeks before they are telling you to leave the country! But studying abroad is one of the best experiences a student can undertake.

Pitt's a larger school; but I never feel neglected by my professors. Being as "the city is [Pitt's] campus", there are a wide range of activities and opportunities available.

Pitt is a very prestigous school. It has very large class sizes, and is somewhat hard to adjust to from high school. The professors are very nice and are always there to help with anything. There is also many oppurtunities for academic help all over the campus. The administration at Pitt is very helpful and kind. Pitt has a lot of extracurricular activities that it offers and are great oppurtunities. One thing that Pitt has is school pride. There is a very big fan basis for all of the sporting events, and Pitt students love their school. It is a great university, and I would reccomend it to everyone.

Pitt is a great city school with a lot to do in a fairly safe environment. The university provides great opportunities to succeed and explore new things. Pitt also brings in a lot of big name bands for entertainment and interesting people to speak and entertain, like politicians and hypnotists.

There is really no campus at Pitt but if you are a city person its wonderful! It does get really cold here and is overcast a lot, it also rains a lot. And unfortunately the sidewalks never really get cleaned so they become dirty slushwalks. This makes it really miserable walking to parties during the winter, but if you party hard enough you won't care too much about the walk back! However, the lack of good weather forces you to study because you defintely don't want to be outside!

I loved going to school here. The architecture and grounds are amazing, despite it being an urban location. People from all across the state, and the nation, come to Pitt. We actually have applicants from all 50 states! Everyone here was eager to help you succeed. The school offers almost any extra-curricular activity or student organization you can think of...and people get involved. Most of the students here engage themselves well, but there's always room for new faces and ideas. I lived off campus and rode the bus everywhere (you get to ride all public transportation for free with a vaild ID). Parking is a problem across campus. Space is extremely tight and permits are expensive. The student government board (SGB) is trying hard to rejuvinate school spirit. It seems to have been swept under the table lately...who knows why. I love this school and proud to be graduating this year.

Pitt DOES NOT CARE about its students. Pitt cares about UPMC and making as much money as possible. If you come here, be prepared to be lost in a bureaucratic mess, and if you need any help- none will be made available. Though some of the teachers here are excellent; the vast majority are either horrible, non-English speakers (yes, thats right, you'll be taught math by someone with a hand-held translator) or so old that any information they teach is worthless in contemporary society. Everything on campus (including food) is incredibly over-priced. To eat well and go to Pitt is an expensive endeavor. The campus is incredibly crowded, and to make matters worse- Pitt loves to give tours so expect there to be a decent number of non-students roaming the halls of school buildings (especially the Cathedral of Learning). Most Pitt students live in the surrounding city borough known as Oakland. Oakland is a ghetto, in case that has not been made clear. The homes and buildings are in a state of decay, and many students find that their apartment/house has been foreclosed and they are thrown out into the streets. There is NO PARKING in Oakland....well there is, but good luck finding a spot. Once you do find a spot, odds are the next day you'll find a $45 parking ticket. Oakland is also very LOUD, so don't expect to be able to study in a quiet environment. Oakland is also DANGEROUS. Students get jumped, robbed and held up on a weekly basis. Gunshots are as regular as police sirens, helicopters, and ambulances. And watch out for those city buses- at least one student a year gets run down.