10 Things That Totally Suck At University Of Delaware
Students at the University of Delaware know that it’s the best university. We love our school, but sometimes there are things about it that make our days a bit more difficult. From the late finals to the unreliable Wi-Fi, these ten things, in particular, are struggles that UD students can all understand.
Unusual Breaks
Making plans with friends from home seems impossible when UD’s breaks are so different from every other university. We finish finals late and have nearly two full months of winter break. Our friends at other schools are studying for midterms by the time we move back in for spring semester. It can feel like a relief to have such a long break after a difficult fall semester, but eight weeks at home definitely takes a toll.
Forced Triples
Every freshman understands the struggle of having two other roommates in one tiny dorm room. Especially for those students living in some of the older dorms; it’s cramped and uncomfortable, and you have to live that way for a whole school year. It’s difficult enough having roommates at all, especially when you’re used to having your own room at home, but to have to share your tiny space with two other people can be a real struggle.
Bus Schedules
Depending on the bus schedule to get to class on time can be stressful. On days when it’s particularly rainy or cold outside, everyone on campus looks to the bus as a means of transportation, but there are times where it’s actually less convenient. Sometimes the arrival time changes too much and you end up having to walk anyway, or sometimes the bus just doesn’t get there. Either way, UD students find themselves questioning whether or not it’s worth it to wait for it.
Parking
Every student at UD can attest to how awful the parking on campus can be. The different lots can be confusing, and once you finally figure it out, there’s always a chance there are no spots left. Especially for the gym or the library, it seems like there are never any open spots. If you want to get somewhere, most of the time you’re better off just walking.
Class Registration
Like at many other large universities, registering for classes can be downright awful. There never seems to be a sufficient number of seats or sections. Often times, we end up with inconvenient schedules and more 8 a.m. courses than we originally intended. It doesn’t get easier, either. Even seniors have trouble getting into classes they want because there are so many students and so few seats for certain courses. There’s a reason we all panic while we wait for our registration time slot.
Lights and Intersections
For students who live on north campus or west campus, the amount of traffic lights and crosswalks can seriously affect the amount of time it takes to get to class. Especially since the new traffic light was constructed on East Delaware Avenue, it feels like we spend most of our time waiting for walk signals or waiting for cars to let us cross. If you’re running a bit behind for class one day, these things can be the deciding factor on whether or not you actually make it to on time.
Stairs
Gore has steps that are spaced differently inside the building than they are on the outside. Purnell has totally different steps than Gore, and the steps on the green and outside the ISE building are different from those, as well. It seems like no two staircases are the same, which makes for a difficult walk to class if you’re not paying close attention to where you are stepping. No one wants to be the person that trips up the stairs.
Wi-Fi
The Wi-Fi on campus is truly a struggle. It never works when we need it to, and if you live on campus, you’re destined to find yourself stressed and upset when you have no access to the internet at all. The school always says they are working on it, but it still makes everything difficult.
Jaywalking Tickets
Many students have received tickets for jaywalking, and now there is not only a fine to pay but also a class to attend. On a campus full of thousands of students, one would think the priority would be the pedestrians so that students can make it to their classes safely and on time. That’s not the case. There are intersections and crosswalks everywhere that make it nearly impossible to get anywhere in a timely manner. Even where there are crosswalks, cars just don’t let students go. We end up spending most of our school days standing around and waiting for fear of getting a jaywalking ticket because who can even afford to lose that money or time?
No Days Off
UD does not give days off, aside from the occasional election day. We go to school continuously from August until Thanksgiving, with no breaks at all in between. Some say that this is okay because we get a week for Thanksgiving, but it would definitely be nice to get a day or two to catch up before December.
