Western Washington University

as a person of color, western was often a place of unsafety for me. It was hard walking around a campus with thousands of students yet only a few looked like me, and having to deal with the stares, invasive and insensitive questions, micro-aggressions, all from people who claimed to be "liberal" or "leftist". The education could have been better, it was a hit or miss with professors but when you had a good professor you wanted all your other professors to be like them. There were tons of events but... Read More again not a lot of variety and safeness for people of color.

Attending WWU had a huge impact on my personal development. The variety of classes/majors and clubs offered was crucial for me. Coming into college I had no idea what major I wanted to pursue and having so many great options to choose from was extremely helpful. Outside of the academic world I was able to find clubs on campus that fit my interests so I could have a balanced social and academic life. There are lots of opportunities to pursue at this university and I am very happy I chose to go to... Read More school here!

I decided to transfer to Western Washington University after my first year of college and I am so glad I did. Not only is the environment just absolutely wonderful, the studies I was enrolled in had a last impact on my life and career direction. I look back so fondly on my time at WWU. I think the school and life balance was great. There were so many activities for students living both on and off campus, such as clubs, open mics at the underground, the gym facilities and access to the outdoors. Bellingham... Read More in general is a great place to live. I had the time of my life living in the dorms the first year and making friends living in housing off campus. I met my fiancé at WWU as well. Working at KUGS changed my life and the journalism department was stellar.

Pros: Excellent location, right across the border for international opportunities, drivable distance to seattle for events, conferences and internships. Excellent School if you know exactly what you want to do, lots of structure for beaten path students. Diversity, equity, and accessibility are made a priority by administration. Abundance of alumni in STEM fields. Great university for the price. Cons: Little to no structure for off-the-beaten-path/undecided students. If you change your major, good... Read More luck in graduating in under 6 years. Resources exist but can be hard to find. Little to no school spirit or "culture" other than STEM, sustainability and veganism. While diversity resources are up to standard and becoming more abundant, actual diversity in student population and faculty is pretty lacking.

If you want a small university feel in a beautiful setting, WWU is for you. The one thing I loved about attending WWU was the city it was located in: Bellingham. Bellingham offers so many outdoor activities like hiking, biking, swimming in the Lake Whatcom, or just exploring downtown by foot. Bellingham's downtown offers a fun night life as well. You will meet a lot of great people, and make good friends, at WWU. However, if you want the traditional college experience of football, Greek life, and... Read More alumni connections/pride I would suggest looking elsewhere. WWU is known for its education program (Woodring College of Education) so this university is great if you want to be a teacher! However, before accepting your offer letter from WWU I would perform a deep dive of their programs and departments and see if WWU has what you are looking for. Do not expect to go to WWU and be able to utilize their alumni pool afterwards to receive a job, the university is not big enough for that.

I was very impressed with the college I attended as well as the degree program. As a student athlete at Western Washington University, it was difficult to balance classes and being an athlete. However, the professors were very understanding, helpful and flexible throughout my four years. We did a lot of traveling for softball which resulted in missing class, but each professor was happy to help me even when I was not in the classroom, always making themselves available and made accommodations when... Read More necessary. They were also very patient and made it a priority to explain concepts in a way that made sense. I was able to learn a lot while in my Kinesiology program and received many good opportunities both in class as well as off campus to learn more and grow in my future profession. The structure of the Kinesiology program was excellent in the sense that the material was just what we needed to create a basis for our future careers. The requirements, such as doing an off-campus internship, were helpful in applying what we learned in the classroom to a real-world situation to get a better idea of where we can continue to learn and grow.
One aspect of college that I was not particularly impressed with was the guidance from my advisor. I felt that I had to initiate every meeting when I felt lost and was never really given a sense of direction with what classes I needed to take unless I asked. After speaking with other students from other colleges, I believe my college lacked the assistance with direction of my education in comparison to others. Throughout my four years, I was choosing my own classes and trying to navigate my schedules by myself and ended up graduating without taking some of the classes necessary to apply for the particular graduate programs I hoped to get into. Though it isnt the advisors job to constantly be seeking out the students and seeing if they need help throughout their four years, I expected a little more guidance than I got. I ended up staying at Western Washington University one extra year after graduation to take more classes in order to fulfill the requirements to apply for physical therapy programs.

Overall, I loved my time at Western. The campus is beautiful and offers lots of opportunities to get involved in clubs, student-led events, guest-speaker events, and travel abroad programs. It is very environmentally-focused, with conservation projects and banning plastic water bottles on campus. Take advantage of the free bus pass that is part of your student ID card, as it goes all through downtown Bellingham and takes you directly to campus! It's big enough to feel grand and fit all your needs,... Read More but not big enough to get easily lost in or having trouble getting to class on time. The professors are understanding, humorous, knowledge, and easy to contact. I found almost all my classes super interesting ,relevant, and applicable to my future career. The cost is pretty average, and I personally got only a third or less of it paid through financial aid each quarter, so plan on that. If you make the most out of your time there, by getting involved in groups, meeting with teachers/counselors regularly, and exploring the nature on/near campus, it is definitely worth the cost. I wouldn't have gone to any other public university in the state. It isn't super prestigious like UW or a party school like WSU, and it was personally close to home for me. It also had a gorgeous library and pretty good (but pricey) on campus food! Would definitely recommend the school as a whole.

The Behavioral Neuroscience program at Western Washington University was a brand new program in its second year of existence when I was accepted into it. The professors and program coordinators were wonderful on both a personal and professional level. I was always given the opportunity to connect with them through office hours in order to maximize the effectiveness of my education. The research labs for the program provided an incredible experience as well! I would highly recommend this program to... Read More anyone interested in Neuroscience.

Western is located in the gorgeous small town of Bellingham, Washington. Bellingham offers incredible scenery and recreational opportunities in the great outdoors, while also being close in proximity to the greater Seattle area. Upon arriving at Western, I was lucky to live in a recently renovated dorm (Buchanan Towers) that boasted a private bathroom, and kitchen which was shared with just 4 "suitemates". I loved my living arrangement while living on campus during my freshman year, and I was also... Read More pleased with the reasonably priced housing options in close proximity to campus during my later years. I graduated from the Sociology program and had a great experience with all of my courses. I would caution other students to a sociology degree if they are somewhat directionless in their career path, as sociology might not push you toward any certain career. Many students go on to be social workers or teachers. Personally, I was somewhat frustrated with how little direction and career counselling the major offered me and I wished I had chosen a field that could have helped me find a career path rather than just a diploma. It has taken me quite a bit of time post-graduation to find my path and passion. I was also a member of the track and field team and I loved being a part of a Division II athletics program. Because the schedule was not as intense as most Division I programs, I had the appropriate amount of time to invest in my schoolwork, while also perusing a personal passion. Overall, I loved my 4 years a Western. Unbeatable location, stunning campus, numerous major options, and generally small class sizes.

I have a lot of mixed thoughts about Western. For one, it has a beautiful campus and is located in Bellingham which is an absolutely amazing town to live in. It is a great college town with lots of good food and a homey atmosphere. Western is very progressive but unfortunately not as progressive as they may advertise. I grew very frustrated by the end of my four years with their motto "Western cares" because the administration consistently made poor choices regarding standing up for diversity and... Read More against hate. The great thing is that the students do not back down, but many times the administration has seemed like a rock wall that is not willing to listen. As far as classes go, I feel like my education was not wasted. I had the opportunity to transfer and I chose not to. If I were to go back and do it again I would choose to stay at Western. However, I had several professors who were subpar and had to take some irrelevant classes in my time there. Overall I would say that Western is worth it, but be prepared to be a little frustrated with the system.