University of St Thomas-Saint Paul Top Questions

What do you consider the worst thing about your school? Why?

Stephanie

Everyone goes home on the weekends, and I am too far to be able to go home, so there is nothing for me to do.

Stephanie

Everyone goes home on the weekends, and I am too far to be able to go home, so there is nothing for me to do.

Sarah

The school has a very homogenous atmosphere. It's difficult to find that right niche to fit into. During my graduation ceremony, the student speaker talked about how everyone had made their best friends during the first week of school. This was incredibly alienating for me who never really fit in and didn't find that group of friends that he thought everyone had.

Breanna

The worst thing about my school is that there are few tunnels for students to walk in during the winter. I think that this is a problem because winters in Minnesota can be very cold, and although my school has a relatively small campus, on very cold days it is possible to get frost bite in as little as 10 minutes; it can take longer than 10 minutes to get to some of the buildings on campus.

Leah

The only thing I dislike about St. Thomas is the private school tuition price tag. It is more expensive than any state school, but the college gives out scholarship awards to 95{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of students.

Carly

The lack of academic rigor at my school because I don't feel challenged currently and for what I see college as a symbol as, I don't feel like my university reaches that standard from what I have experienced. However, I still have a level of hope that St. Thomas will push me and I will grow as a person through my experiences.

Stephanie

I am really struggling with making payments for school. Although the university does give out significant financial aid awards, the courses are pay-per-credit, not just a set tuition. For that reason, the more classes you take, the more expensive it is. Being that I have a major and two minors it is hard to make my payments.

Mackenzie

The worst thing about the University of St. Thomas is the amount of required courses. Many of the courses that we are required to take can benefit everyone. However, it is required that we take three Theology courses. The University of St. Thomas is a Catholic school so it is no surprise that this is a requirement. However, I do not believe that it is necessary to have students take three Theology courses.

Richard

My school lacks diversity.

Mohamud

Ethnic diversity. There is too much of the "sameness".

Shawn

The worst thing about this school probably would have to be the lunch trays. They took away our trays, so we must make multiple trips between the table and the buffet line in the cafeteria. Having lunch trays made carrying plates and cups a lot easier and more efficient. Now, multiple trips are needed before one can begin eating.

Lily

People are clique-y and exclusive. Once a group of 4-10 friends has been made, they're stuck together and wll not branch out. Advising is often not timely or helpful in the way hoped. Besides core required classes (because this is a liberal arts school) many classes required for your major have nothing to do with your major and are a waste of time. Although I am 50{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} white, my features reflect my other 50{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c}. It seems I am discriminated against based on my looks, thus no one wants to get to know me.

Ngoc Thoa

The food at my University can get a little more help. It is not teribble, it just not good. There is not enough soup, main course always run out first, do not have the comfort food, etc.

Marissa

The lack of a student social life. Most people here commute so making friends is not likely unless you happen to live in the same area.

Abigail

The worst thing about my school is the amount of cliques that are here. I know it's something that happens everywhere but it seems a lot like high school because of how cliquey this school is. I would say if anyone can avoid the cliques then St. Thomas would be the best school ever!

Annika

The worst part of college is walking to class. In high school the walk from you car to the building is brutal, but after that you are safe inside the building for 8 hours, in college that isn't the case. I make a walk at least 3 times the lenth of the walk from my car to the high school--on a busy day when I had to park in the way back of the parking lot--at least 6 times a day. And in the winter, that is a lot of time spent being cold.

Sarah

The cost is high which makes it hard for lower income students to attend.

Eve

The cost of tuituion is very high, and I do not think that grants given reflect the true cost of living and attending college.

Lauren

I think the biggest thing is the cost. College is expensive.

Jayme

The worst thing about St Thomas is the old dorms. I live in Dowling Hall, which was built in 1958. It used to be an all boys dorm, but now its all girls. We still have urinals in our bathroom! The building makes creaking noises and we've had some trouble with the water pipes this year. Plus, there's no air-conditioning! It's an old building.

Rachel

The worst thing about my school is that it is assumed that everyone who attends is wealthy. I am there on a scholarship anad I hear a lot of the time that we need to help people that are in harsher conditions and fincially burdend. I agree that we should help everyone in need but there are also people with need present in the classrooms.

Morgan

The worst thing about my school is definitely cost. Although it you have more one-on-one interaction with your professors, the cost is quite higher than most schools around this area. However, our school offers most of their students with scholarships and financial aid, the final cost is still very high for me and many families.

Molly

The worst thing about St. Thomas is probably the cost of the Univeristy and the housing. However; the shcool does do a good job of making the price more affordable if you work for it.

Michael

Nothing, this school is just what I expected.

Rachel

While I understand that the liberal arts core requirements are in place to ensure that students such as myself receive a well-rounded education and graduate from St. Thomas with a cultured perspective of the world, the exorbitantly high cost of tuition makes having to take five theology/philosophy classes as well as a fine arts course a significant financial burden and prevents opportunities to take interesting electives. For this reason, I would be much more satisfied if we were not paying for tuition per credit.

Gabriela

The price. Cost of living. This school is really expensive.

Ana

I'd say that the worst thing about the University of St Thomas is that many students do not realize how many clubs, organizations, and on-campus services there are to help them connect to campus, do well academically, and get personal assistance. As a Resident Advisor, I was trained to know about these services, but the majority of students have no idea some of them exist (an example is Psychological Services).

Luke

I think that, though our safety services on campus do a relatively good job and keep campus and the surrounding area safe, there are times when more could be done. I have personal experience with safety services at St. Thomas not communicating well after an incident, and they also recorded the incident incorrectly. Most incidents are not even very accessible to student knowledge, so while there may be one report of, say, a 'window peeper', people don't worry much because they believe it to be an isolated event. In reality, there may be many more unreported like it.

Angela

The worst thing about the school are the rules that are set against clubs ordering food from off campus. Not all of the food made by the dining & catering crew are great. I do not know where these rules come from- they may be for caution, but I'd like to be able to enjoy many foods from different cultures made by people who know how to make it.

Abigail

The worst thing about my school is the pricetag. I understand that a college education is an investment, but that doesn't make it any easier to pay upwards of $15000 out of pocket for a single semester.

Gretchen

people leave on the weekends

Vera

Very expensive! i wish it wasn't so expensive to get a degree.

tony

Too close to home, but that may not be that bad.

Ulla

I have not come across the anything that I would consider bad except the tuition - it's roughly $30,000 per year.

Nicole

I consider the parking to be the worst thing about this school. As a commuter, I have a fairly long drive and when I arrive at school, all the street parking is taken. There are plenty of parking spots available that I buy a parking permit for, however, the parking permit is expensive, and the lots are a couple of blocks form the school. In the warm season, this is no problem, but in the winter, it is very cold and slippery and I worry about falling down.

Sarah

The worst thing about my school is that while if you are obviously a student the other students and faculty are kind and inviting whereas if you are not a student you aren't treated with any regard at all. It's kind of like a tight knit family or clique and has a reputation for snobbery.

Aileen

The worst thing about my school is how expensive it is to go there. It is a wonderful institution and I couldn't imagine getting my education anywhere else, but it is very pricey.

Lauren

The worst thing about the school would be that there really is not a lot to do on the weekends. Most weekends, campus gets dead because many students go the U of M to go to parties. As someone who does not drink or party, I find myself staying in a lot more than a lot of other students. Another thing I think competes for the worst aspect of the school is the stigma that St. Thomas is a "rich kid school"- this is not true. Students come from all different economic backgrounds.

Matt

The worst part of St. Thomas is the administration. UST has taken on large finacial construction projects which have not been fully paid for. This has lead to an unsustainable finacial bond situation for the university. Their response is to increase tuition, often at 8+ percent. When the cost of school is already $40,000+ this is not reasonable. Students are mislead, enter this school, and then are burdened by high tuition and fees. The administration takes no input from students, and overpowers student organizations to not think independently.

Hayley

I really have no complaints about St. Thomas, however the cost of tuition is high and having to take 3 semesters of Theology to earn a degree is the only concern I have.

Nick

The cliques that people develop and never break out of during their time at school. There is a weak sense of community which leaves some people feeling lonely and left out.

Mariah

I think the worst thing about my school is the cost of tuiton. Although UST does offer scholarships and financial aid, it is still expensive! I went into college thinking that I didn't have to have any idea of what I wanted to do after college until my sophomore year. For many of the degrees, you start taking specialized classes your freshman year. If you don't, a lot of times you can't graduate in four years. Because tuition is so high, you want to graduate as soon as possible!

David

The check-ins at the dorms, sometimes I just want my girlfriend to be able to stay over.

Amanda

I am going to be a a transfer student to St. Thomas for the spring semester, so i don't really know of anything bad about the school yet. I would probably say the worst thing about St. Thoms would be their campus visit tour guides. I got a bad tour guide when i first toured the school as a senior in high school, and i think that is what turned me off from going to St. Thomas in the first place. Although, now i wish i had gone there form the start.

Amy

I think the worst thing about UST is the divisition between the science and business programs. Most other colleges receive credits for science labs that are required to go along with the lecture course and at St. Thomas we do not. I put in 8 hours of lab time plus approximately 4 hours of homework/prep time to my labs and I receive the same 4 credits for the course as a business major that just goes to their lecture 3 times per week. This is unfair to me since I spend more time and put in more work.

Dan

I do not think there is a worst part about the university of st.thomas. I think that buildings, especially the engineering and science buildings could use more equipment and updated material/labs especially with how much we pay for schooling.

Korbyn

The worst thing about by school is that it is so expensive. I need a lot of financial aid and even some extra loans just to cover it. A lot of the students here are having their parents pay for their college tuition which seems to not be a problem for them, but for me it's really hard.

katelyn

Nothing.

Kelsie

At St. Thomas there isn't that much diversity in the undergraduates. I find this to be one of the worst things at the university because of the lack of resources diversity brings into a population of a school.

Adam

It's very expensive and the people that go there a very clique oriented.