Georgia State University — Attraction in Atlanta

I was so excited to come to GSU, but I seriously regret even considering GSU as an option. Its embarrassing to tell people I go to GSU or tell them about the school.

Any time you have to deal w a department whether it is advisment or admissions, the true organization of the system is clearly shown. Nothing can be done efficiently. If you call someone, it'll be at least an hour wait. If you go to an office, you'll wait in line to have someone tell you they cant help. If you give them documents, they lose them. They lost my AP scores which nearly caused me to lose my spot in my physics class. I was the last one to register because the loss of the score denied my entry into the class. I was forced to literally run back and forth between advisement and admissions about 5 to 6 times in a row because they were going back and forth saying you need to go to advisement... you need to go to admissions... you need to go to advisement. Eventually I lost it and told them to call them and put it on speaker and solve the issue now. Also, they simply get mad at you when you tell them you dont know what to do.

Currently, I have been waiting in line at T-deck to get a parking pass because the guy is late. I'm forced to get a regular pass because the schools system broke down, so the money taken out of my debit card never got put into my regular parking pass. I put the money in almost 5 days ago. Literally every move you make, there is an issue. I'm watching people scramble in this parking garage because they are confused as to why their parking passes don't work today. After about 20 min, the guy finally got here, so I'm finally able to park this morning. This is just the beginning.

If you're a science major, good luck.... I can't believe they hired some of these people. The instruction is degrading. To be quite honest, I'm furious that I paid for this quality of teaching. The teachers do not care, they are rude, and they do not instruct the class well. I've been teaching myself everything from my textbooks since day one. I've been here for a year.

Now let's talk about the safety. Downtown Atlanta is a mess. Homeless people sit around, especially in the park, and they scream out loud at God knows what, it is apparent that they are on drugs and not conscious to their actions, they are constantly begging for money, students get robbed on a monthly basis, there was a stabbing incident between 2 students around a month ago. Sketchy construction workers and other grown men are often seen around campus, and I wouldn't doubt that they have a sinister agenda on their mind.

Safety in my chemistry labs has also been an issue. Someone put an alkaline (BASE) solution in the ACID waste container, so when I went to go open it, poisonous vapors started smoking out of the top of the container nearly in my face. Thank God I was paying attention. The lab coordinators fail to make sure everyone isn't screwing around. I constantly see students screwing around or talking or not paying attention to the boiling beaker of chemicals that they have next to them. Of all places, this should be a place where safety guidelines are important and very strict.

These are just a few of the issues I see often. I'm sure some of these can occur at other colleges but not to this extent. Thank you if you have taken the time to read this review. I am completely honest with my experiences because other future students deserve to know what they are up against. If I were to give one solid, concise piece of advise for any high school or transfer student thinking about GSU then here it is: GO TO A DIFFERENT COLLEGE. If you want the medical field, go to Emory. If you want science and technology, go to tech. If you want a social scene with everything in between, go to UGA. Do NOT waste you time, money, and patience on a mediocre, unsafe, and unorganized university...

I'm graduating from here tomorrow, I think. At GSU grades are due after graduation and my professor for the class I'm worried about won't get back to me so I've worked six long and hard years to walk and I'm not even sure I'm actually going to graduate when I do which is a complete travesty. I've given up the past six years of my life to get my degree and won't even be able to celebrate during a ceremony I paid $50 for along with an $80 cap and down, not to mention the thousands that I am now in debt. I just feel broken at this point and like the very extensive amount of time and money I spent at GSU is ending with a harsh slap in the face and a powerful kick to the bleak hobo-ridden curb.

My degree is in Film and Video and while some classes were beneficial, many of them, as I assume is the case at any college, are mind-numbing. You memorize stuff, spit it out on a Scantron or superficial essay, then forget it. Now you're educated, or rather, you're learning to more willingly jump through hoops for your masters and follow orders regurgitating and writing things that make you completely miserable in the process. Sure, there are good professors here that have very in-depth lectures on course subject matter, but there are also a few whose lessons and assignments do virtually nothing to truly expand your understanding of what they're supposedly teaching their students.

A couple of my film classes, for instance, consisted of making short films and having them ripped apart by the class. Sure, making them was good practice and I received some good feedback on my work, but couldn't I have done that outside the setting of this institution? I'm also an English minor and your average writing class is the same empty void: read assigned and student works and subjectively hyper-analyze and critique them. Can you not practice writing outside of the sterile brick and concrete confines of Georgia State? I guess not.

Don't get me wrong, I've intermittently enjoyed my time incubating and postponing employment here and did like some aspects of GSU. They have cool speakers from time to time (you pay for them in fees), decent events (more fees), a somewhat nice gym (fees), and other amenities that you can expect to receive at today's colleges but overall do I feel intelligent and optimistic after graduating? No, instead I feel mangled, old, weak, and straddled by a mountain of debt as I near my completion on the GSU assembly line. Maybe since I'm so educated now I forgot what it was like to not be, or maybe I've just been slowly having my mind molded by the powerful force that is the college institution. One last note if you're still forcing yourself to take them. I lived on campus freshman year and I would not recommend living in an overpriced dorm since you will be at risk of sharing a room with a complete sociopath. You've...

The worst university that you can attend. I began my studies in 2003 by transferring my credits from my college in newyork. At that time I was a junior pursing an associates degree. When I transfered I lost 2 years worth of course work because GSU said the classes I took in New York were considered advance classes and senior level so they could not be used. I started again from square one. As years want by GSU always found ways to screw up my records first was when they converted to Oasis which I believe now is Banner, but then numerous students records were lost or missing due to the conversion. Then it was twice when they put holds on my academic record because they mistake for other students. This happened twice. Then there were the late fees added to my registration for classes both times . You would think because it was there mistake they would wave the fee but no it was accident so they can't be held responsible so they say. Second they failed to refunded my money when they were over paid. I had to physically go to student accounts and speak with the manager to have the check issued within that week. It wasvover $1000.00 i was owed and its funny how they stop you from attending for non paymeny but when money is owed to you they are experiencing difficult returning the money to my account. My repayment was three months over due. Then I took 2 years off from school due to unemployment in 2008 and took some time off from school when I returned they added additional classes to my degree, even though when I registered as a returning student admissions said I would have that final class to complete. Now, In 2016 Ibam trying to returning to finish the degree and the University has now added again additional classes to complete the degree so I have reached my limit and I am withdrawing completely from the GSUniversity . Now mind you I already have over 124 credits completed. So is georgia state a waste, yes it is. You are better off going out of state or going to Clanton state, the University of Georgia or any of the other universities, you will have less trouble and will probably have a better chance...