Drexel University
Reviews

Academics Are Tough

Despite the fact that the classes themselves may not be extraordinarily difficult, the quarter system really puts a strain on all academics. The ten week term feels very rushed, and professors tend to expect a lot from students. There is no time to mess around, and assignments often carry a great deal of weight. There is also no time to put things off.

Ultimately, although the quarter system is fast-paced, it is fairly convenient, in that the terms go by fairly quickly. I would not, however, necessarily say that it is conducive to learning. Students seem to learn for the sake of the class, and then promptly forget that information once the new quarter has begun.

So So, So Far

I'm not at all against the idea of organizing parties where people can relax, refresh and enjoy fun together. I, however, don't think their timing is good. A party is usually held in late evening and continues until midnight, and if its participants get too excited, it can go all along to the early morning of the next day! The noise from overnight parties annoys other students who just would rather have a good sleep than have drinks with their friends in such a chaotic social gathering. Nonetheless, the school has done very little to control the dorm noise and underage drinking problems here. Not surprisingly, a lot of students have a lot to complain about.

Diversity at Drexel

The diversity at Drexel University is a wide variety. As i went for my orientation, I found that there are many different ethnic groups and cultures.

Get a Suite

Each dorm hall has its own feel to it. The Suite style dorms for freshman, (Race and Van R) are great and have plenty of room to move around and spread your stuff out. But dont be shocked if you dont know any of your neighbors or people on your floor because everyone kind of sticks to themselves. Calhoun, although with smaller rooms and permanent furniture, has great interaction with everyone in the dorm. Everyone knows everyone and gets along usually great. This is also the same with Towers, although towers is very crowded due to overflow housing. Myers is a mix of both, the rooms are normal size, unless your on the top floor, then you have higher ceilings which give it a bigger feel.

Hans/Northside

So far from the dorms and miserable to get to in the winter. Food is not so great but its an okay atmosphere. Northside is far superior and I love currito

Biology

Drexel just recently had a new integrated sciences building built largely for the biology program and it is GORGEOUS. I feel that Drexel cares about the biology program, however, I feel as though their biggest focus is on the engineering programs and the business college.

Diversed Campus

The campus is full of many diverse groups of people. One can always find a group and fit in easily. Drexel is continuously improving its buildings throughout the campus. It has many accessible facilities right on campus. There’s a gym which offers wide range of exercising activities. It has many food trucks throughout the campus which offer diverse selection of food choices- from Arabic to Chinese food.

Chilly in Philly

Recently its been rather cold at Drexel. Considering most students have to walk at least a block to get to their classes, cold weather makes the walk to class even more intolerable. Not as bad when it is warmer.

Nightlife at Drexel

There is tons to do at Drexel University since it is located in the city including plenty of bars if you are over 21. Parties are located from anywhere to here at campus to a neighboring school such as Temple or Penn. There are clubs that are available such as Roxy's but that could cost money. Your best bet is to walk if it is not too dangerous or to take the Septa station on 30th Street to Center City which is free if you get off at that stop.

Interior Design

I love the interior design program at Drexel. You learn so much, so fast and gain a lot of experience. They have great teachers and everyone is willing to work with you or be there to help if needed.

A Lot of Options

Public Transportation is really good around Drexel. There are a lot of options to choose from as well. There is always buses running, subway is right on campus, cabs everywhere, and train station is right next door, walking distance to campus.

Very Secure, Expensive Health Services

I would give the security an A, I always feel secure on campus, even late at night. However, the Health Center is very expensive and doesn't accept any insurance.

Fast!

The whole campus in wireless and it never really goes down. When plugged in, the internet is the fastest I have ever seen. There are always open computers in the library and around campus. The university does not care whether you use a mac or pc and provides tons of free software for both. They do offer printing and copying, but you will have to pay.

Campus Housing

Dorms are not that great and housing process is not that good either. But, the transportation is available and they are less costly compared to other cities.

Stay on Campus and You're Safe

As long as you stay on the campus, you are safe. The campus security is top notch and very responsive. However, if you stray too far from campus or are alone at night, it is not safe.

Wireless

When you are a freshmen it is advertised to you that the wireless is the fastest around and this is not true at all. When you are in your dorms trying to do homework it is so slow and goes out a lot. Sometimes it tells you you dont have access to networks that you really do.

Research Is a Must

Before taking any classes at Drexel, a smart student searches the web for reviews of professors that teach the class they are looking to take because there is so much diversity in the way classes are taught, graded, and the workload given.

Students First

I chose Drexel because of the Co-op program they offered. They are nationally known for their Nursing program and after completing a year, it is easy to know why. The professors on both Main Campus and Hahnemann Campus make it their priority to help the students. The overall city of Philadelphia was welcoming enough, but being at Drexel makes me feel right at home.

International Area Studies

Overall, the major is an excellent one. As a person who originally wanted to pursue a French major, the program is fantastic, as it is very language-based and allows you to obtain a minor in a foreign language with relative ease. The upper-level language courses tend to be hit-or-miss with regard to professors, but Drexel does have a wide array of study abroad programs available.

The workload is definitely heavy if you take the maximum number of credit hours, but it’s definitely do-able and entirely worth the time and effort.

I am extremely happy with how easy it is to customize the major, since you can choose from one of four concentrations. Because I chose to concentrate on International Business and Economics, I have taken a number of classes in the LeBow College of Business.

There a ton of fantastic professors in the department, who are ready and willing to challenge you, although there are certainly those who rely entirely on their TAs and don’t answer your emails, just like at any school. The advisor for IAS is AMAZING. She keeps you updated and is an excellent resource for everything IAS-related.

The co-op opportunities are very diverse, in that you can do practically anything, so long as it is somehow related to international relations. I am currently on co-op in the Pharmaceutical Operations International department at a major pharmaceutical company in the Philadelphia suburbs.

Overall, I am extremely happy with the major.

Greek "Life" at Drexel

There is a plethora of sororities and fraternities at Drexel, and most are average and full of very nice people. Unfortunately, some of the frats are downright disgusting, and are full of some of the most chauvinistic males I have ever encountered. If you are a female, and are desperate to get your ass slapped by some sloppy, over-eager lax bro who just wants to grind and feel you up, definitely go to Apple Pi or the crew fraternity! The other frats are perfectly find, however these two really make me want to throw up and slap everyone.

More Guys Than Girls

Drexel apparently has about a 40-60 girl to guy ratio. You might not realize this at first since you usually see girls in a flock on the way to a party, but it's true. One of the dorms, has one floor of girls for every three of guys. This is good and bad, since it means girls have more choice, but it also means your average guy is more desperate. And there's definitely a good amount of decent to very attractive guys on campus, so Drexel's not a hideous campus. Same for the girls, you'll see a large number of attractive girls. There's probably just an equal or larger amount of duller looking girls.

Delaware SUCKS!

Rivalry with Delaware (DELAWARE SUCKS)!

Athletics here are awesome.. the teams are good and the games with the Dac Pack are fun as HEEELLLLL!!!

Bland, but Edible

The Hanshumacher Dining Center has really stepped up their game this year. The breakfast is delicious, the lunch and dinner are mediocre. I guess because they serve a vast variety of people nothing can be seasoned too much, so everything's pretty bland.

There's also a Taco Bell, Currito, Chic-Fil-A and Subway which are typically crowded but decent.

Ross Commons also has a meal deal that's decent. Pizza, a side, and a drink.

Lebow College of Business Is Terrific!

I am in the Business College, and I only have good things to say about the school. The professors are more than engaging, willing to stay after class and talk about projects, the stock market, or anything really. I am always hanging out with friends who are engineers, and I have a substantially lower work load. As a a business major, I am able to attend many extracurricular events, career development workshops, and activities throughout the city more frequently than engineering majors. Besides social aspect, Drexel has career development workshops that help develop resumes, teach you how to network, and anything else needed for the business world. There are so many activities going on everyday, but it is up to the student to take advantage of them. You are paying well over $20,000 a year, so you might as well beef up your resume, learn how to present, and get a bunch of business cards!

Food

Philadelphia is home to the Philly Cheese Steak. You can find a good one almost everywhere, but if you go to Pat's or Geno's you can find the best steak (although which one is truly the best is still up to debate). There are many places to eat both on and off campus, and the main campus is right next to UPenn, so you can make use of their places to eat as well. Over all, the food is pretty cheap and you can find almost anything, from pizza and burgers to middle-eastern food and sushi. The really unique part is the food trucks. It sounds weird, but the trucks are actually really good, cheap (a whole meal can be as little as $3), and clean.