jmcomicÂþ»­

Athens State University was a great college for someone like me who was working full-time to pay for school. Classes were a good size, the professors were really good, the campus was easy to maneuver, tuition was reasonable. Classes were offered at the main campus as well as smaller extensions in different areas around the city that I worked in, which made it very convenient to work all day and then travel to class. Classes were offered at all times of the day including the evening, which made it... Read More very convenient for me while working a full-time job. Since graduating from Athens State University, I have worked in the engineering industry. I would say that Athens State university was a positive experience overall.

The campus itself is beautiful, some of the buildings and parking lots are dated however, and there are little to no food options on campus. It is cheaper than most universities, but the quality of classes is subpar at best. Most of the professors I have encountered never taught, they would either read the material word for word, or give you a PowerPoint presentation which also reads word for word the material, and then they would just dump busy work on you. I encountered one (I will not name him)... Read More but he would constantly change assignment content, change exam/assignment dates, and would typically just sit there and read the text book, occasionally teaching or ranting about his taxes and life situation. However, he was a super easy to deal with teacher that would actually post a link to the required material on blackboard instead of having us pay hundreds of dollars at the bookstore (which most everything in the bookstore is outrageously priced). So I will give him a 3 1/2 of 5 stars because he seemed to care. The teachers seem to know what they are doing, but again, they just generally don't care that you have 5 other classes with pre-existing workloads, they will dump a ton of assignment work on top of you and expect you to get it done and learned to the letter. This university has a no make up work policy. I.e. even if you have a car crash, barely escape with your life, but end up missing that one single test. They will give you an automatic 0 and will not allow makeups. It is rare that they take pity on you and allow it. This university has little to no student life in the area of extra curriculars. No bands, almost no sports, its a sad site to see. I remember that band helped me so much through high school and community college. I actually made friends and they generally helped me through the hard times (bad grades, depression etc.) But here, there is nothing at all. A choir was a good start, but they need to bring back band, football etc. Big money maker football is. Here at Athens, I have no friends, the last friend I had was someone I went to high school with and we just ended up having two classes together. However, she was ridiculed in one of the classes by the teacher in front of other students, eventually causing her to drop all courses at Athens, and go straight to UNA. Therefor I am left with no friends. Their handling of the Covid-19 Pandemic was awful. They never followed their own guidelines (most of which were vague). Many teachers and students wore masks little, if at all. They closed down all gates except 2 therefor making it harder for students to access the campus. They also had checkpoints we had to cross (yes like a military base), where they would ask you why you're there and if you've been feeling symptoms of Covid-19, all the while taking your temperature with a thermo-laser-gun. They would make sure you were checked by giving you a big orange disposable wrist band (yes like a hospital patient), which students rarely wore anyway. They also forced the use of an app developed by UAB and UAH which was less than reliable, and gave conflicting information on tickets. They were supposed to check for your ticket from the app when going through gate checkpoints, however, this was never done as far as I am aware. They also took forever to update their Covid-19 policies. Their student helpline/financial departments honestly have no idea what is going on half the time. The helpdesk doesnt help, and the financial department takes forever to do anything,

Athens State University has a wonderful education department. Throughout my courses I was constantly required to observe in a large variety of schools as well as teach a lesson. The program made sure their students had experiences at every type of school, rural, suburban, charter, as well as schools with various socio-economical statuses. This ensured that I had as many experiences as possible in as many different settings as possible. Thus preparing me for my teaching career more than most other... Read More universities and colleges in the area; I had more experience than most to draw from before I ever did my student teaching. Most of my teachers were still either teaching in classrooms, or heavily involved in elementary and early childhood classrooms and this made them more knowledgeable as what was currently happening in the schools. The professors really make connections with their students and were always available whenever needed. My advisor even called me personally to be sure I was registered for the right classes-something my father (an English chairman at another university) shared with his colleagues at a department head meeting, stating this is what makes a great college. I cannot say enough how all the classroom experiences that Athens State made sure their students had prepared me to be the best teacher I can be. Not only the actual observing and hands on teaching was beneficial, the knowledge given in the classroom was also exceptional. Many teachers wrote their own supplemental material, and made sure that we had the latest research and study based knowledge on current events and best practices in education.