I absolutely love AU.
I was never one of those kids that was excited about going to college-- in fact, I dreaded it right up to the day I left home. I never liked the idea of the typical college experience, with the hordes of students, giant lecture classes, football-obsessed mania, and more interest in partying than academics. From the very first day of orientation, I knew I had picked the right place, and what I had dreaded for so many years became even more enjoyable and enriching than anything I'd experienced before.
The best thing about life at AU is definitely the location. It's possible to find just about anything in DC, and you can live here for years without ever feeling at a loss for something to do. There's just so much to explore, and so many educational opportunities as well-- no wonder we're #1 in the nation for internships. I usually take the metro into the city at least twice a week. Plus, DC is really good about providing discounts to college students. There are always deals online for free or inexpensive food and the Smithsonian museums are free. I love seeing Shakespeare Theatre Company shows, which provide $15 student tickets for shows that normally cost above $50, and many other local theatres have similar deals. Because most other students here are so curious and eager to explore, I always have people to join me in my adventures. The metro's pretty easy to navigate, too.
If I could change anything, it would be the way the administration sometimes seems to ignore the students' wishes in their quest for improving the school. Lately, AU's been advertising with the so-called 'WONK' campaign, which has been hugely unpopular among students. I personally don't feel too strongly about 'WONK,' although I have heard that it was really expensive. A lot of my friends say they feel like the school doesn't care about them when they keep on promoting 'WONK' despite the student outcry. Still, AU takes very good care of its students in other ways. I've never felt like just a number. My other biggest problem is one that they're remedying as best they can-- there often isn't space for events or classes. That's because they're renovating and expanding, so I know that'll be fixed sooner or later.
I have actually loved every class I've taken at AU. All of my professors have been knowledgeable, engaging, helpful, down-to-earth, and generally cool. The classes have been small, the workload challenging but not overwhelming, and even the Gen-Ed classes turned out to be really positive experiences. The University College program lets freshmen take special seminars and do activities and trips together, and mine was on the Nature of Evil. As disturbing as the subject matter was, the professor was brilliant, we had some fantastic opportunities (including touring the Crime and Punishment Museum and visiting the Supreme Court), and I made some of my best friends there.
The campus is really nice. It has a distinctive look to it that's especially gorgeous in spring and fall (I toured in the winter, when it was gray and dreary, and wasn't too impressed with the appearance until I came back to move in). I like the small size of it, because it makes it easy to journey from class to class or from dorms to the dining hall. It's compact but never seems cramped. The school's really the perfect size, because you do tend to run into the same people, but there are always new faces, even in a smallish department like Literature.
Because AU doesn't have a football team, we don't have as much overt 'school spirit' as many other schools, and most students consider displays of 'AU pride' to be cheesy and unnecessary. That said, there's a lot of support at many other events. Basketball and volleyball games are pretty popular, and so are a capella groups and student plays.
I believe literally anyone will be able to find a niche at a school like AU. Even though most students have strong personal opinions, they are usually open-minded and appreciate that college is a time to experiment with new ideas and question their own views. A huge chunk of the population studies abroad at some point-- I'm planning on going to London next year-- and there are clubs on campus for basically anything that could interest anyone. My family can't believe how busy I keep, since I perform with the Rude Mechanicals (a student-run Shakespeare troupe) and improv team, participate in all kinds of events with the wonderful United Methodist student organization, help out with some Queers & Allies events, volunteer as a classroom assistant at a preschool, contribute to the literary magazine, and still have time for both schoolwork and a social life. Fraternities and sororities are visible, but it's very easy to be extremely involved without joining one. I don't see AU as fitting the normal cookie-cutter college mold, and I love that about it, but there are all kinds of people here, from every walk of life.