University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Top Questions

Getting the schedule that you want.

Trying to recieve financial aid without proving a very large need for it

The most frustrating thing about Pitt is that some classes have finals on Saturday, while most students are finished for the semester/year and are going home.

Sometimes non-specific academic advising, and impersonal relations with faculty. The school has very large class sizes especially in the introductory classes (especially in the natural sciences) and so building quality relationships with faculty members is difficult. Although the university isn't nearly as big as some other schools around the country, it is still big enough to feel lost at times.

not a lot of financial aid

The Athletic Department

The most frustrating thing about my sachool is that tuition is high and continues to rise every year, but you don't really see the money being spent on useful things. Instead you see money wasted on dumb things like a big plasma T.V . that displays messages and advertizemants in the Pete, and on panthers that people painted. These things among others are examples of unnecessary spending of my tuition money.

Since the classes are so enormous it is often difficult to get into the classes you need for your major, or to get the proper attention from the teacher.

stereotypes

academically focused. very hard for teachers to make it fair.

not really encouraged to explore the city outside of campus

The Advising! I had a wonderful advisor during my freshman year, but as soon as I declared my major, the quality of advising went down. I was not told until my last semester that I was 2 classes short of graduating during the Spring of 2008. While everything worked out great in the end, it was still very frustrating to find out last minute that I would have to take two more classes during the summer.

There is always a lot of bureacracy and red tape.

The most frustrating thing is that Pitt's clerical staff is not always compliant or good at getting what you need done for you. But they are not as bad as other schools and if they make mistakes they are the first to own up to them.

The bus system for several buses to go shopping at places such as target and american eagle

Getting Financial Aid can be tough. The amounts they give out and to whom they give it to each year varies - if you enter in the right year, you could get a decent scholarship, but in another year, a similar applicant could just get federal loans. Scholarships are focused more on varsity sports then anything else. There are academic scholarships but they are very hard to get and there is no ongoing aid (ie after freshman yr, there are no upperclassmen scholarships available through the school), so if you didn't get one before, you won't now.

High priced meal plans.

Senior housing and also parking.

Most work has to be turned in on time without exception-- late work usually isnt an option.

The most frustrating thing about PItt is the lack of study space during Finals Week, where everyone is looking for the right, quiet place, but there is hardly any room available. The library tends to overflow during this time, and many students end up studying in their own dorm study spaces, which can be incedibly distracting.