Overall, Andrews University was an excellent choice for higher education. Although the lake effect snow drives students indoors in the winter, and I have caught myself wishing the school had chosen a different location, they make up for the weather with a warm, welcoming school environment. While Andrews itself is fairly large, class sizes, especially in any chosen field are small, and the professors know their students and strive for a relationship, which in turn fosters a close-knit learning environment.
Each department has a lobby area that attracts students, and often the departments draw large crowds as students hold impromptu discussions between classes. Intramural sports are a big part of the Andrews lifestyle, and students congregate on the soccer or football field or in the gym to watch games and socialize. Andrews also boasts the 2011 USCAA national championship basketball team, and games are another great way students socialize. The campus is located approximately twenty minutes from Benton Harbor, Michigan, where students go to fulfill basic shopping needs or catch a movie. If students are looking for more shopping, and their choice of restaurants, South Bend, Indiana is forty minutes in the other direction.
Because Andrews is a tightly knit community, there are several issues that have come up. As an Adventist university with a fairly conservative administration, students must be careful of their activities with clubs or associations that tie their name to Andrews. There have been several events led by students in Andrews' name that the administration did not endorse, and that has led to some controversy, but overall the faculty and students have a working relationship that is mutually beneficial and mutually agreeable.
As in every school, students will find reasons to complain, and the overarching reason at Andrews is the cafeteria. Recently Andrews sold their cafeteria rights to Bon Apetit, an outside company that has made several changes that the students do not support or agree with. Bon Apetit established an "all you can eat" buffet plan, so students pay a flat rate and can have whatever they want. Many students find that they do not eat their money's worth, and others are dissatisfied with the various options available to them on the serving deck. Either way, students eat, and the cafeteria continues to make food.
In conclusion, despite inherent issues that will be present at any university, the small class sizes, relationship with the faculty, excellent academics, and friendships that will inevitably be formed, Andrews is a great choice for higher learning.