Jeffrey Rodriguez
Univ. 101
School reaction paper
the Drexel Engineering Curriculum
I came to Drexel expecting to get a good education. They boasted about tDEC (the Drexel Engineering Curriculum) until I could not hear any more. They boasted about their wonderful Co-op program. They boasted about the faculty and facilities. So far everything they have bragged about has stood up, except one thing.
The curriculum here is supposed to teach you the basic skills you need in the first year that you are here. The classes are supposed to be new material and cover it thoroughly. They don’t. I have learned all the material here in my last two years of high school. The class I’m most disappointed with is Engineering Design Lab. I have taken AC and DC electronics, Drafting, C++, Pre-Engineering, and been on the robotics team at my high school. Nothing covered in EDL is new to me.
The school should definitely look at what classes kids have taken in the past. If there was a placement exam for EDL I would have tested out of it easily. The only thing that has partially benefited me is the design projects. Even they have been pointless at times. It becomes very tedious when you have to make the same project twice. The first time you do it, you may learn new material. But the second time, you lose interest in it and don’t put as much effort in.
The other subject that has presented itself very poorly is chemistry. Almost all the students have had something to complain about concerning their chemistry class. The first test that was given in that class was exceptionally ridiculous. Many recitation classes have teaching assistants that speak very little English, or have thick accents. It seems that the university didn’t do a good job selecting a department head when they needed a new one for this year. I have heard rumors that the department head has had other jobs in other schools that have not gone well and students are still arguing over the grades that they received.
The only department that I cannot complain about is physics. Professor Venkat knows exactly how to run his classes. The tests have been fair, the TAs are knowledgeable about the subject, and the lectures are very helpful. Every aspect of running department has been looked at and taken care of. The only disadvantage of that class is that Professor Venkat is not running all of my other classes. I could only hope that my classes could be as efficient and effective as that one.
Overall I have had a good time here. The dorms are especially nice, although that may be because I don’t have a roommate and have a lot of room to work with. The teachers here do also seem to be real people and are very pleasant to talk to, with the exception of the chemistry head. The students also are very accepting of everybody and look out for each other. The first semester has gone well ad I am looking forward to next semester, and more importantly, looking toward my Co-op. Overall I give Drexel 4 of 5 stars.