Rutgers University... Anyone live by it?

[supportivemom]

Posted: 9/14/09 at 8:34am

I posted on the student board and got no response. Just wanted to know about the campus/community of Rutgers. Do you need a car or is it a walking campus. Info on their BFA program would also be nice! Thanks in advance!

[madbrian]

Posted: 9/14/09 at 8:45am

While it is not a walking campus, they have an extensive bus system that runs everywhere you need to go, so you don't necessarily need a car. However, depending on where your dorm is, and where your classes are, you could wind up spending a lot of time on the busses.

[bdwaygirl]

Posted: 9/14/09 at 8:48am

And the Rt. 18 corridor and New Brunswick can be a real b*tch at times.

ETA: I'm about 10-15 minutes away.

Updated On: 9/14/09 at 08:48 AM

[supportivemom]

Posted: 9/14/09 at 8:49am

Thanks brian and bdwaygirl! Is the campus in a safe neighborhood? I know this is superficial but is the campus itself pretty? There aren't many pictures on their website and I was just curious.
Updated On: 9/14/09 at 08:49 AM

[madbrian]

Posted: 9/14/09 at 9:01am

This is all second hand info, but as far as I know, it's a safe campus and neighborhood. My kids go/went to other colleges in NJ, but we've known tons of kids who've gone there, and I've heard nothing about safety concerns. And there have been safety issues at other NJ colleges, so I think any issues at Rutgers would have garnered attention.

As for the campus itself, I wouldn't call it 'pretty'. It's spread out over a huge geographic area, so it doesn't have that picturesque look that some campuses have. Also, like many large campuses, there's almost always some sort of construction going on somewhere.

[Leia947]

Posted: 9/14/09 at 10:27am

I went to Rutgers. There is a bus system that will take you to and from all the campuses in the New Brunswick area. The buses can have a tendency to be late though, due to Route 18. It's a major highway and is always busy and congested (Not only did I drive it to get to school, I have to take it to work also). So if you wind up going to RU, make sure you get the schedules down pat. You don't need a car really unless you commute (like I did). I also don't believe you are allowed to have one until you are a Junior (correct me if I'm wrong anyone).
The campus is definitely not pretty, though some of the older buildings on College Ave. are nice. Everything is pretty modern and in some buildings, a bit run down. But you'll find that anywhere. But, recently, Rutgers likes to spend money on football and not much else.
I don't really know much about the dorms.
Safety can be an issue, again, like any college. But part of the Cook/Douglass campus can be a little shady, as is part of downtown New Brunswick. I don't want to scare you, but I did receive many, many emails from campus security about muggings that happened (though, usually around 11pm - 2am) once every 2 weeks or so.
What else? Though I didn't really enjoy my experience at RU due to the explosion of the one good year of football they had and the condensing of the all the colleges into The School of Arts and Sciences, RU does have some wonderful, wonderful professors. I did learn a lot, despite getting the R-U Screw a few times - and I'm sure every college has their own version of that LOL
I was an English Major, so I didn't go to the school for arts, but it's the Mason Gross School of the Arts. You can find some info here: http://mgsa.rutgers.edu/theater/thea.html

[Eris0303]

Posted: 9/14/09 at 10:33am

A lot of kids from my high school end up at either Rutgers or Rider because of how close they are. I know a current student and could ask if I could give you her email address.

When I go to NYC I take the NorthEast Corridor Line and the New Brunswick stop is two stops after mine when going toward New York. So I know the public transit is fairly plentiful.

[supportivemom]

Posted: 9/14/09 at 11:05am

Wow! Thank you all! Eris,I would love to talk to someone who goes to Rutgers. All of this is for my son. I went to Florida State-which is avery beautiful campus and you do not need a car to get around. My son is interested in going out of state so we are trying to see what is out there!

[jasonf]

Posted: 9/14/09 at 11:40am

I went to Rutgers for grad school as a commuter. What others have said about scheduling is important - the drive there and back can be a NIGHTMARE on 18. I live two exits down on the Turnpike - what should be about a 20 minute commute often took me a good 45 minutes to an hour. At least back 8 or 9 years ago when I was there, parking was horrible. I remember sitting in my car literally for over an hour sometimes waiting to get a spot in one of the two tiny commuter lots.

Otherwise, safety was never something I was concerned about (though again, didn't stay in a dorm) and the campus has some pretty spots, some not as pretty.

[Eris0303]

Posted: 9/14/09 at 12:08pm

I can't make any promises - not everyone is willing to give their email to a stranger but I can ask when I get home from work.

Kudos to him for looking to expand his horizons a bit. As I said a lot of my high school classmates stuck close to home but I opted to go to college out of state. I was only allowed to go 2 hours in any direction but it was still far enough away to give me the change to spread my proverbial wings

Updated On: 9/14/09 at 12:08 PM

[supportivemom]

Posted: 9/14/09 at 12:14pm

Thanks Eris! If your friend wants, he/she can send me a PM through BWW. (or you can give them my e-mail address that is on my profile) I promise, I'm legit!

[madbrian]

Posted: 9/15/09 at 7:41am

By the way, if you're looking for a pretty campus in the same general area (and cost) of Rutgers, some of the 'other' NJ state schools are very nice. Ramapo in northern NJ has a beautiful campus, as does The College Of NJ in the central part of the state. Rider University, a private college, has Westminster College within it, and Westminster is an arts school. Rider's campus, however, isn't pretty at all, though they seem to be working on improving it.