University of Houston

I had the unfortunate experience to have an encounter with a Unprofessional Professor by the name of OGLETREE. She has a Nasty attitude & everything that exits her mouth is Negative. She is a pitiful excuse of a Professor & a appalling representative of UofH. This is a horrible portrayal of a University to new students & their paying parents. I was terribly shocked & disappointed that UofH would have such a awful acting professor on staff. UofH needs to implement evaluations by students of the professors so that they can weed out the bad apples. If/​When I ever have to deal with another peofessor I hope they are professional & have a positive attitude as if they appreciate being employed & recognize Who actually is Paying their Salary!

I spent oh so many years on UH’s campus grounds.
Back in the days when I used to keep my brother company staying up all night while he worked on his architecture projects.
Back in the days when I worked many weekends over the years in the games room at the University Center and University Center Underground (now they’re called Student Center).
Back in the days when I used to curse having to find parking for day classes and even evening classes.
Back in the days when I would despise having to pay for tuition and books.
Back in the days when I wasn’t able to get on the computer because the lines were just too damn long.
Back in the days when the Cougars Football team had a winless season.
Back in the days when everybody used to gather up on the 3^rd floor of the library for socializing instead of studying (do they still do that?)
Back in the days when I would walk around campus in my t-​shirt, shorts, and flip-​flops while some of the girls would dress up like they were going clubbing (I think some of them still do this).
Many memories were made here. Good and bad.
I’ll forever be a Cougar.
Go Coogs!

I am trying to transfer into University of Houston. I have a 3.5 GPA and an associates degree. Online it says I am automatically accepted because I have an associates. This is obviously not the case since I applied two months ago and still do not have a decision. Classes start in less than two weeks and they still have not given me an answer. Overtime I call they are rude and not willing to help me out. I am very frustrated with this school. I have been accepted to other schools so I am going there instead. University of Houston does not deserve my money since they are so unorganzied and unprofessional.

It’s kind of weird to write a Unilocal review of a university (even though I did go there for law school), so I’m writing this review about the campus. So the law school is LITERALLY the ugliest law school I’ve ever seen, but the rest of the campus is surprisingly pretty. Seriously. It’s worth taking a walking tour around it once!

Rofl well it turns out if you want to order and transcript from here and send it to some other place, you can’t do it electronically. Which means you have to mail them a request to send it somewhere, wait for them to process it, and then have them send it to your desired institution. And when I called to verify this, because what kind of god forsaken school that brags repeatedly of «tier one» would subject their overpaying students to such medieval methods, some woman on the other end = told me «YUP THAT’S HOW IT’S ALWAYS DONE»
I had the severe misfortune to had to go through this, and after painstakingly making sure I did exactly what they told me, including writing in BOLD SIMPLE LETTERS: PLEASE SEND TRANSCRIPT TO INDICATED ADDRESS, and attached said cover form with the address circled several times, I actually was not all that surprised when they sent it back to my home address. Of course. Couldn’t let me give them too much credit.
Lol good luck trying to apply to jobs or grad schools

Love this campus! It’s s really awesome environment besides the fact that it’s in the middle of third ward. I spend most of my time at the library study with friends that attend UH and also at the Rec playing basketball. Parking is a little tricky but there’s many lots throughout. For the most part everyone is friendly and there’s no trouble when walking from building to building.

I think University of Phoenix is more legitimate and organized than this nightmare of an institution. Where do I begin?
One caveat: the professors in the theatre and dance departments are awesome. Nothing negative I say about this joke of a university applies to them.
1. In the middle of my educational career, having already declared my major, the former director of the theatre department destroyed it. The dude’s modus operandi is to literally swoop in and head a college department, shit all over it, create chaos and stupidity, and then raeg-​quit when he realizes he sucks at his job, moving to the next school. Under his «direction,» the school suddenly decided theatre students had to «audition» each semester. This is stupid for several reasons, the main one being it’s a STATE COLLEGE, and it can’t refuse your admission when a) your grades are adequate; and b) YOU’VE ALREADY DECLARED YOUR FRIGGIN’ MAJOR AND BEEN ACCEPTED. This «audition» process was a total and utter waste of time. You’d go in and do your dog and pony show and then get graded on a 5-​point, utterly, totally, and completely subjective scale. The «feedback» given was entirely unhelpful. Preparing for this charade was a gigantic time suck. Nothing was gained. By anyone.
2. Fortunately, AFTER I graduated, the school started requiring that you audition for and participate in their productions, which are typically terrible shows ONLY educational theatres produce because NO ONE is interested in them. This is a requirement DESPITE the fact that you may be working professionally in the business already, which is THE PRIMARY GOAL of attending in the first place! So again, total and utter stupidity.
3. The director who took over for the aforementioned one had to clean up a giant mess, and thankfully, things have improved TENFOLD. Production choices are better, and some of the fruitless paper-​pushing stupidity was eliminated.
4. Administration: Stupid. Ineffective. Oblivious. Incompetent. Trying to get ANYTHING accomplished with them is an exercise in futility. When I graduated, the geniuses neglected to issue me my diploma. When I pointed this out to them, THEY REFUSED TO SEND IT UNLESS I PAID THEM FOR A NEW «COPY,» even though I NEVER RECEIVED ONE IN THE FIRST PLACE.
5. Parking: A complete DISASTER. The college decided to build a giant parking garage, which would be great, except they built it on the EXACT OPPOSITE SIDE of the school from where EVERYBODY PARKS. Want to park in an outlying lot and take the shuttle in? That’s all fine and good, but because they don’t know how to plan ANYTHING, every single shuttle will be full at any stop after the apartments west of the school. No one thought to perhaps SKIP THAT STOP so that OTHER PEOPLE could get to class on time. Oh, and you get to PAY for the privilege of all of this. Nothing like paying someone hundreds of dollars for parking that does not even BEGIN to accommodate a quarter of the registered student body.
6. Improvements: Done without ANY logistical planning. The college got a metric ton of funding to renovate the theatre school. They built some nice dance studios upstairs. Then they decided NOT to build ANY actual classrooms, so any doctrinal course you take is CLEAR ACROSS CAMPUS in some other, random building. They also neglected to do a simple headcount of their professors and provide an adequate number of OFFICES for them! Seriously, folks?!
7. Moores School of Music: Cultish. Are you a singer? Well, if you want to be a music major, your ONLY option is opera. They are of the opinion that pop or musical theatre singing is inferior, despite the fact that it’s demonstrably as difficult and takes an equal amount of skill.
8. Peoplesoft: A NIGHTMARE. This is the school’s online database where you register, order transcripts, etc. You’re forced to change your password approximately 50 times a day, so you can never remember what it is (and they can NEVER repeat) and you have to sift through a ton of ridiculous protocols just to get whatever it is you need. And your .edu address will forward you nothing but SPAM.
9. Scheduling: AWFUL. Classes shouldn’t begin until 9. It’s conclusively established that starting classes at 8 puts students, particularly college-​aged students, at a SIGNIFICANT disadvantage; brains struggle to retain and process information that early.
10. Alumni relations: HORRIFIC. I have begged and pleaded and threatened and screamed and reasoned with these asshats to STOP SENDING ME SNAIL MAIL, to no avail. At least once a week, I get a solicitation for donations. SERIOUSLY?! Perhaps if they, A PUBLIC UNIVERSITY, knew how to manage their funds, they wouldn’t need to bother alumni, WHO HAVE ALREADY GIVEN THEM TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN TUITION, for MORE money. They sink far more into the «sports» at this school than is practicable; it’s not my fault they don’t know how to turn a profit on their lame investment.
My advice to you is simple: GO ANYWHERE ELSE.

Wonderful school to attend. Go Coogs!
The ambiance is wonderful. The teachers care for you to learn and most go out of their way to make you the best student you can be. Learning here prepares you for your career!

Great university with great people. I’ve been here for a while a du like the environment and the way that professor conduct themselves. It is not an easy school but you learn a lot by coming to this university. Diversity makes the school where you can get different points of view and UH has that. If everyone thinks the same then you are not learning, you are just reinforcing your beliefs; dear to challenge yourself and become a cougar.

The only people who rate it over two stars have probably never set foot at UH or been to any other school with which they can make a comparison. This is a sad excuse for a university, with virtually no social life possible as a commuter (and it is indeed a commuter school). Infrastructure is vastly outdated and the location couldn’t be any worse (in the heart of the infamous Third Ward). Parking is a problem and a pass is about as expensive as a flight to Europe. Many of the buildings are small and dirty and different classes can be VERY far apart (even for a single department). Tuition is too high for what you’re getting, education-​wise (which, in itself, is not that good) and student life leaves much to be desired. The good aspects would probably be McAlister’s Deli, the library (despite the lack of cell coverage) and the diversity of the student body.

Absolutely loved the campus and the extended tour we got was informative and interesting – it made me want to go back to college lol. We also got some great photo-​ops in the many gorgeous spots around campus: the cougar statues, the huge, majestic magnolia trees, the trendy student union, the chapel and the various other statues and monuments dotted around the campus. I was impressed!

Great school, getting pricier and pricier by the year. I have attended a few universities and UH education is quality.

some of the buildings are old and hard to access. I’m an alumni from UH, and don’t get me wrong. UH has improved a lot since I’ve been there! But they need to be more consistent on their upgrades. Of course they can’t do everything at once. Mainly I gave it 3 stars because of security… i don’t really feel safe when i’m leaving campus at night. I still heard a lot of robbery at gunpoints and all of that. so be careful when staying there late at night!

The University of Houston is an outstanding institution to receive your education.
Background:
My grandfather attended UH in the 1970s and graduated with a Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering. My mother and mentor attended in the 1990s and graduated with B.B.A.‘s. Now me and my sister at UH studying in The Honors College & Bauer College of Business. I received admissions offers from UT Austin (full-​tuition scholarship), Texas A&M, Baylor, Emory, Colorado State, Houston Baptist University, Texas Tech University, and Embry Riddle. My sister was accepted to UT Austin, UT Dallas, UT San Antonio, and Houston Baptist University. Both of us choose UH because of it’s humble background and ambitious future.
The experience:
The administration (Top leadership) at the University of Houston couldn’t be better. They are constantly working to advance the university and it’s reputation. Believe me, they more than anyone else want to see this institution and its’ students advance. With 40,000+ students, you are going to get the best of the best and those who don’t really want to be in college. I’ve found a great peer group in the Business Honors Program and an outstanding set of advisers. Get involved and your experience will improve.
I’ve read reviews from people who expect this university to have the resources to supply world-​class style facilities. I’m one not to complain too much about that. This is a state school and the money they receive from tuition and the state are definitely not enough to pay for expensive buildings and luxury. For me, a building that works is enough. If it looks pretty, nice — but not important.
The professors and programs are outstanding. Because it’s a research university, you will see many professors who care more about their research than their teaching (on the STEM side).
The students are humble, diverse, and ambitious. We had a graduate named on Forbes 30 under 30 list for energy recently. How amazing is that?!
I think the bottom line is how you expect to receive your education. For me, I am the driver. For others, it may be more on the university to guide you through your education (hand feed you opportunity). Honestly, I think the second mindset does you a disfavor. Reality does not hand feed you anything. You’ve got to be able to run after opportunity and be ready to pick up from failure. That’s what UH has prepared me for and I am more than grateful for it. Fancy buildings, a higher ranking, and a high cost are for those easily swayed by marketing tactics.

It seemed appropriate to save my 100^th review for my alma mater.
I graduated from UH a few years ago, but the experience remains. It definitely wasn’t perfect, but I really enjoyed it. Well, for the most part.
Let’s start with the bad. I have to say, there’s not much bad to gripe about, but the parking was horrible! And from what I hear, due to construction, it has only gotten worse (which I cringe to imagine). While I was still there, parking became so limited they started offer free shuttle rides from parking lots that are shared with the TSU students. Parking was probably cut by 30%, but enrollment definitely hadn’t decreased, and then they took away spaces from the students to make more for the faculty (and NONE of those lots were ever full)! Sigh, but I digress.
UH is smack in the middle of Houston’s historic Third Ward, home to some of the most talented jazz and blues musicians (I learned that in a world music class that I took). Not the greatest neighborhood, so you definitely want to be cautious if you have late classes, but I was often able to have campus security walk me to my car. (I took several late classes over the years that ended between 7 and 10 pm).
I didn’t have many problems with financial aid disbursement like a lot of my peers, but when they occur, it’s always bad! One semester, I didn’t get my money until November, and I was about to be dropped from my classes! Thankfully, the lady in the financial aid office that day was able to get it sorted out quickly, so that was great.
It’s a commuter campus, so it can be difficult to adjust to the fast pace of such a large campus, but that depends on the person.
And now for the good:
I loved my profs at UH! They all seemed to have their own interesting stories, especially my upper class profs in the English department. If you need a lit course, I highly recommend Dr. Wood, Dr. Weldon, Dr. McNamara, and Dr. Gonzalez. They know their stuff, and are INCREDIBLY smart! Many of the profs are ivy league educated, so they’re definitely quality instructors. All of my classes in my major were taught by the actual profs, but there were some that I took over the years that were handled by TAs, which I didn’t care for, since the TAs often seemed to be total jerks by nature. Oh, well.
The diversity on campus in incredible! I always felt like I was walking into a UN convention every time I stepped into a classroom, and I loved every minute of it! I had classmates and professors from all over the world, and I loved that I couldn’t walk 10 feet without hearing a different language. There are all kinds of campus organizations to choose from, and a great student union building with a bank, an arcade, an ice cream shop, a food court with MANY options, and even a hair salon! And there’s often SOMETHING going on – UH sports, concerts, plays, ballets, you name it. They even hosted John Legend in concert a few months back. If you’re a student at U of H, and you say that you’re bored, you’re not really trying!

The University of Houston has a lot to offer as a campus. There has been so much construction and remodeling the campus is transforming.
The football games are tons of fun and the new stadium is awesome.
Goo cooooogs!

As a UofH 1978 alumni, I’ve got to admit, I didn’t recognize my alma mater — it’s so modern and huge. The bookstore is massive and the Rec Center is as good as it gets, it has an indoor rock climbing wall, basketball courts and just about anything else you could imagine.
I was here for a football game at their new stadium and I wasn’t disappointed.
Go Coogs, Go.

I’ll admit, this school was my dead last choice and I only applied because I figured if I was going to end up going to school in Texas, I might as well stay close to home.
Huh, where to begin?
Well, location, location, location. It is important in housing and it is important with schools too. U of H is located in what is actually one of the worst parts of not only the city of Houston, but the entire United States-​3^rd ward-​and it shows. It seems like every other day students are sent an email about a crime that’s occurred on campus. Someone stole a freaking armored truck off campus one day. (I’m not even sure if they’ve been found yet!)
The campus’s aesthetics absolutely pale in comparison to schools like Rice and UT which are literally breath-​taking. The buildings at U of H range from looking as though they have not been changed since the day the school was founded to something you’d expect to see in 2099. I am honestly not a fan of the «technical» look many schools are embracing and personally prefer the older, castle-​like look of schools such as Harvard, but despite this, even I have to admit that the Bauer School of Business is absolutely gorgeous. So is the new math building.
During my four years of high school, everyday was an uphill battle with a different staff member to get something that would enhance my career accomplished. And throughout those struggles I never thought that once I graduated I would encounter the same struggles in college. I was wrong. I won’t go into specifics because of time and my desire not to upset myself over things that have been (mostly) resolved. At any rate prepare for some battles with staff.
I will say this however. Despite the nonsense, there are many things to be proud of at UH, and despite where it is now, it is has a considerably better future ahead of it.
The professors at UH, for the most part, (I would go as far as to say 7 or 8 out of every 10) are killer and genuinely care about their students. They are challenging, smart, funny and all around incredible human beings. I have been afforded so many opportunities through them, for which I can never be thankful enough. U of H is on an arduous journey to be recognized as a tier one institution in terms of the number of students living on campus and their four year graduation rate and if given time, I believe it will achieve those designations.
Parking is atrocious-​you get used to it.
Top reasons to avoid going here:
Poor housing: rates are not right for the area, nor for what you get
No parking
Mostly sub-​par programs
Office staff awful
Top reasons to go:
Pharmacy School
Optometry School
Business School
Engineering
Clubs
Great professors
Awesome, beautiful people
I wish I knew four years ago what I know now because I would not be here, not by a long shot. Nevertheless, I am here and trying to make the best of it. All of you forced to go here can do the same.
Go Coogs! \n//

I am about 4 weeks away from graduating with my doctorate’s degree at UH and have spent a good 8 years at this campus. The new president has done wonders for the school and I am excited for what the future holds.
Similarly to Mariah D, I was accepted into UT, Baylor, and A&M but UH offered me a full ride which I gladly accepted. As a Houston native, I was able to live at home and commute to school.
Campus life: be involved! your undergrad years are so limited, and because UH is mostly a commuter school, it is difficult to find new friends unless you actively join a club, student govt, etc. Travel! I regret not participating in the student exchange program. There are so many scholarships available as well. There are many new restaurants and student housing areas.
Parking: everyone has been complaining of parking and I completely agree. I remember there were times where I searched for parking for so long that I just gave up and went home… or other times when I had an exam and would illegally park and leave a note on my car (be back in an hour, taking a test, couldn’t find parking!) However, the parking situation has drastically improved over the years. As a graduate student, I have to be on campus by 8a.m. and there is always plenty of parking. Also, once the light rail is fully implemented there will be fewer cars on campus.
Rec Center: I.love.this.gym. Rock climbing, indoor track, huge pool, (did you know that the aquatics center offers scuba diving certification?!?) group exercise classes, there are also small private rooms I would use to do insanity or some other pre-​recorded exercise. the gym is fully stocked with good equipment, and the outdoor pool is amazing.
I am revealing (some) of my UH secrets that I have acquired over the years…
–discounted eye examinations of the University of Houston College of Optometry. I think as a student at UH, exams are around $ 35.00 and their glasses are $ 59. Thats probably the cheapest you can find. The exams are typically longer since you have student clinicians, but you will also be seen by an attending.
–Eric’s is a fine dining restaurant inside the UH Hilton that serves really good food. I would take my parents here when they came to visit the campus
–(forgot the name of the restaurant) inside the hotel restaurant management building that serves lunch and is run by the students. The menu changes and food is typically less than $ 10. side note: Tip money goes to the school and not to the student… so if you don’t tip, don’t feel bad
–ping-​pong: I am a ping-​pong fanatic! and the UH game room has ping-​pong for like $ 3/​hour, or something ridiculously cheap. cheap bowling too!
–It finals week and you need a nice change of scenery: Law library has awesome study spots, UH also has free pancake nights!
–free entry to the Houston zoo with UH student id (i found this out after being a student for 6 years)
The new campus is so beautiful. To all the incoming/​current students please cherish your time and fully enjoy all of the new amenities. At times, it may seem daunting to go to class or annoying to complete mindless assignments, but college years are some of the most defining moments of your life. Try your hardest and balance a good social life. You will have the time of your life =D

I saved this story-​of-​my-​life review of my Alma Mater for my 300^th Unilocal review.
I was completely immersed in the education, athletics, culture, student life and dining at UH from August 2006 until I graduated in December 2009. Also, I say this only for perspective and not to brag: I was valedictorian of my high school class and therefore, I was automatically accepted and received a scholarship to any Texas public school I wished to attend, including UT. I also got accepted to NYU and Washington University in St. Louis. I CHOSE to attend the University of Houston. I was not recruited. I was not bribed.
I always assumed I would go to the University of Texas. Growing up in Texas, it just seemed like what would happen. College was never a question in my mind; it was just what you did after high school. I visited and toured UT — twice — and even stayed in the dorms once. I was never feeling it. I can’t put my finger on why. Austin is a lovely town. The UT representatives I met were wonderful. UT shouts from the rooftops about it’s world-​class scholars, diversity and free-​thinkers, but I never saw evidence of that. What I saw when I was there, were white people. Just. Like. Me. I saw a lot of wide eyed sheltered kids ready to join a sorority or fraternity. I write this now retrospectively. I didn’t really know what I was looking for in a college when I was visiting them, but I did know that the UT I saw wasn’t it.
ENTER THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON.
When I toured UH, I was led by a funny, charismatic Asian student. It seemed he knew everyone on campus by name and he had so much SPIRIT. I think this spirit was what drew me to UH. Students here seemed HAPPY to be in college and didn’t take for granted being able to attend a University.
CAMPUS: I liked how the campus was completely self-​contained and not crossed with city streets or businesses. Regardless of the area it’s adjacent to, I felt safe at UH. They’ve been constructing new parking and buildings continuously: the campus is constantly growing and updating.
EDUCATION: I got a top notch education from UH. The variety of classes I was offered was more than I could have imagined. Only in the College of Technology for my minor coursework did I think my professors were unqualified to teach me. For most of my other classes (including basics) the coursework was challenging and interesting. My major studies in the Jack J. Valenti School of Communication were obviously my favorite classes. Keith Houk, Craig Crowe and Randy Polk are stand-​out media production professors. Jeremy Desel from Channel 11 even taught a few broadcast media courses during my term at UH.
ATHLETICS: Cougar football has really come a long way over the past few years, but even if UH was losing, the student section was still packed and spirited, rain or shine. And you get in free to all UH home sporting events with your student ID! At football games, they give the first 500 students free t-​shirts, too! The train sound that the band makes at the kick offs will forever be one of my favorite sounds.
STUDENT LIFE & CULTURE: Not only do you get to live in an awesome city with awesome food and art culture, your campus hosts many performers, events, food trucks and exhibits for you to enjoy. The Blaffer Gallery always has something interesting going on (and it usually includes free beer.) The Wortham Theatre and Moore’s Opera House are great to enjoy some beautiful melodies or see a play. The UH Rec Center is AMAZING. The rock wall and the outdoor leisure pool belong in a luxury resort. The cultural diversity of students is the greatest in the country. I met my husband and some of my best friends at UH, all of whom are different from me racially and culturally. We were raised on all corners of the world and were brought together at UH for our education.
DINING: The cafeterias in the dorms get old after a while, but you’ll never go hungry with virtually every type of food imaginable offered buffet style. The UC and UC Satellite have the expected fast food offerings like Subway, Starbucks, Chili’s, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Chick-​fil-​A and Smoothie King, but UH throws in a Houston favorite with Kim Son. Eric’s in the UH Hilton is run by the Hotel and Restaurant Management students and actually has a pretty decent menu.
DORMS: I lived in Taub in the Quads and in Cullen Oaks Building 3. Both of my on-​campus residential experiences were good ones: affordable, close to school, safe. My dorm room was small and old, but dang, my grades were great when I was living there. No frills, shared space living is good for first year students — you make friends and you learn how little you really need to live. Once I upgraded to a 2-​bedroom Cullen Oaks apartment, I got more privacy and a kitchen to cook in and life was good.
I love UH and I will always be proud to be a Cougar!