Re: Considering transferring from Mason back to my old school
Date: November 14, 2010 01:56PM
MasonMan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I posted a while back that I recently transferred
> to George Mason from a small liberal arts college,
> however even though I was happy at the time to
> have transferred I think I might have made a
> mistake.
>
> As I've become overall disillusioned with Mason in
> general academically, socially, and culturally.
> For one, it's impossible to get anything done here
> academically due to the sheer disorganization, the
> lack of clear cut standards the fact that
> technology services like the computer
> labs/printers/ etc. are so behind the curb, and
> regulations, added to the fact that absolutely no
> one speaks English makes it hard to succeed here.
> While socially this school is also equally pretty
> low, there are no good places to get drunk after a
> very hard week's work, and even the fraternity
> parties card/demand you pay for the privilege, and
> my sobriety this semester has actually been
> hampering my success in school not helping it. In
> addition, much of the student body both on-campus
> and commuters treat this school more as a place to
> go to class for a couple hours not like an actual
> college.
>
> Culturally, Mason feels like a third world
> country, the sheer number of third worlder's,
> Muslims in particular at this school is out of
> control. As this school just bends it's ass over
> for their culture, religion, and ways, my study
> time in the Johnson center is frequently by their
> calls to prayer and proselytizing, and the fact
> that Mason instilled footbath's in the JC so they
> could wash themselves before praying. And I'm
> often woken up/go to bed to their calls to prayer
> which are sometimes heard throughout campus In
> addition, I'm disturbed to see women dressed head
> to toe in black walking around campus,and men
> dressed in traditional clothing from their own
> countries. Also most of them like I said earlier,
> aren't expected to adapt to this country, culture
> and ways, and many of these people show no
> intention to, and in matter of fact show disdain
> for America despite the fact that we are giving
> them oppertunites and quality that they wouldn't
> get in their shitholes of countries. Furthermore,
> this ties in with one of the reasons the workers
> in admin and food services keep on getting
> everything I order wrong and why I almost have to
> surpravise people step through step to get the job
> done because no one at Mason speaks a word of
> English.
>
> Therefore, looking beck my other school was a
> shithole to be at with not much to offer, but what
> it had academically, socially, and culturally was
> very high quality it just needed more of it. While
> Mason on the other hand is an out of control
> bureaucracy paralyzed by political correctness. So
> these are just some of the many reasons I'd prefer
> the slum in Russia feeling of my old school, to
> the faceless bureaucratic Baghdad/Midnight Express
> feeling of George Mason.
I never had those tech issues while attending GMU. In fact, the computer labs, email programs, printers, and even the wireless internet worked pretty darn well. Standards? The standards are adequate and the degree programs are not just thrown together to crank out and obtain a degree. There are several places to go get your drink on after a hard week's work. There is Fat Tuesdays, Brions Grille, the wing place by the old Nations bank, and a few places by the old TT Reynolds. All of which are within walking distance to the campus. Yes the Muslims tried to have a separate but equal thing going on at GMU. Most were shut down since the Muslims point of view was not open to the rest of the student body. I would see some of the girls dressed in the black robes along with the guys in arab gear. My take on this was that they were trying to make a statement. Once a majority of the student body never gave a shit what they wore, the clothing stopped. I would hear debates from Muslim students trying to convert gentiles to the faith. The Muslim students could not even articulate their point other than Islam is the one true religion. This too fell by the wayside. I have never heard the call to prayer over any loudspeaker. The foot baths you may be referring to are the fountains in the JC. I attended GMU on a part time basis for 6 years where I was at campus either during the morning, afternoons, early evenings, or at night. The support staff and even the legal immigrants who worked the food places at the JC spoke very decent English. Most of the other students I met were either from other parts of VA or from out west. In not knowing how you are paying for school, I would surmise that you concentrate on getting a degree at Mason with a great GPA.