火爆社区

Located in New York鈥檚 鈥渕ost diverse borough,鈥� Queens College 鈥渙ffers high quality academics for a very reasonable price.鈥� As one student puts it, 鈥淨ueens is about getting a valuable and quality education that does not drain you financially for the future.鈥� In keeping with the fact that the majority of QC students live off campus in a variety of nearby communities, one of the school鈥檚 strengths is helping students become 鈥渢he best you can be so you can give back to the community.鈥� One student even goes as far as to say that QC is 鈥渃onsidered the Harvard of CUNY.鈥� The Macaulay Honors College and the Aaron Copeland School of Music both get high marks, with students saying that QC as a whole 鈥減rovides a strong liberal arts education to give [students] well-rounded knowledge and skills.鈥� Professors generally 鈥済enuinely care about [students鈥橾 grades and well-being鈥�; as one student puts it, 鈥淭hey won鈥檛 let me fall behind.鈥� But while 鈥渕ost professors genuinely care for [students鈥橾 success,鈥� it鈥檚 inevitable that they will 鈥渧ary in terms of quality.鈥� As one student puts it, 鈥淢any of my professors just lecture and don鈥檛 interact too much, however, some are very involved and passionate.鈥� Students appreciate the 鈥渃hallenging yet interesting courses鈥� but some lament that for the coveted courses, 鈥測ou have to really run and register for those classes like it鈥檚 a competition.鈥�

Diversity is key at Queens College, where, as one student puts it, 鈥淲e have a very diverse campus, so no minority is really ever a minority.鈥� 鈥淚f one were to ask me to name every ethnicity, nationality, and religious group on campus, I would not even know where to begin,鈥� says another. QC 鈥渉as a very friendly student body鈥� and some says that 鈥渢he friendships and bonds you make from taking transit together, or sharing stories is special in [its] own way.鈥� Others note that 鈥渢here is not much of an established social life鈥� and that 鈥渋f you want to make friends here you really have to work for it.鈥� Many students 鈥渉ave parttime jobs,鈥� some students 鈥渁re parents, and have to take care of their children鈥濃�斺�淥f course, many people are straight out of high school [too], but even these people usually spend a lot of time off campus.鈥� Students describe their peers as 鈥渃areer-minded and focused鈥�; they 鈥渓ove to have fun, but they [are] still focused on their studies and their futures.鈥�

Though the school opened the Summit Apartments, its first residence hall, in 2009, the majority of QC students still commute; as one student observes, 鈥淓ven though the Summit Apartments can only house 500 students, it still remains pretty empty throughout the semesters.鈥� Since 鈥渕ost students come here to go to class and then head home or to their job afterwards,鈥� many QC students say that it鈥檚 difficult to foster much sense of a school community鈥斺�渢he sense of community could use some work.鈥� But others counter, saying that, 鈥淚 would not expect a school composed mostly of commuters to bond as much as we do.鈥� Outside of class, it鈥檚 鈥渧ery hard to be bored,鈥� especially 鈥渂eing so close to the city, there are a lot of activities to do around the area.鈥� Many students explore Queens, which is accessible via a free QC shuttle. For those who live on campus, or those commuters who stick around after class, as one student puts it, 鈥淲e have clubs for everything, and if there isn鈥檛 a club for something you like, you could always start [one] up.鈥� One thing that students agree helps unite QC as a community is student government: 鈥淪tudent government provides us with events and carnivals during both the fall and spring semesters. It brings people together.鈥�

Queens College students praise the breadth and quality of the career services they receive. They view their professors as dedicated advocates who 鈥渟upport students beyond the classroom via letters of recommendation or trying to help them enter internships [and] various programs.鈥� Recent graduates also offer guidance and advice through the Queens College Career Mentoring Community, where current students are matched with alumni who are strategically chosen to provide the best support. The Center for Career Engagement and Internships offers a variety of services and benefits ranging from personality assessment, numerous workshops and trainings, resume assistance, individual career counseling, and elaborate job fairs that are a favorite among students. For promising liberal arts majors, the Jeannette K. Watson Summer Fellowship Program provides paid internships, unique seminars, funding for academic endeavors such as research projects, and extensive opportunities to explore New York City鈥檚 cultural attractions. For students seeking careers in education, the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program prepares persons of color and those who are demonstrably committed to achieving racial equity for the rigors of doctoral programs. According to Payscale.com, Queens College students earn a median starting salary of $63,100, and 54 percent report high job satisfaction and meaning.