# How do you feel about your alma mater? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 8, 2012, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-your-alma-mater/612199 "2012-02-08T15:47:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-your-alma-mater/612199/41 "2012-02-09T16:54:07Z")
> [@Gagundathar](#): > > I could say something nasty about Gators but I won’t. \ > The place is so different than the bland suburbia where I grew up. > And the campus is absolutely lovely, and the trees and buildings are nice as well. Oh, you can. 🙂 I’m not in love with UF either, it just beats UGA by a hair. Like I said, the university I consider my alma mater is the one associated with my high school. ---
**Author:** ![Blaster\_Master](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cab0a1/32.png) [@Blaster\_Master](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blaster_Master)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-your-alma-mater/612199/42 "2012-02-09T17:01:43Z")
I did all of my undergraduate, graduate, and PhD study at George Mason. I was even attending when they went to the Final Four in 2006 and got all kinds of media attention. People kept asking me how proud I must be, my response was more or less “yeah, it’s kinda neat”. Honestly, I was happier that they were getting more attention because it would make my degrees more impressive. So, really, I just don’t care. I don’t really understand attachment to where I went to school. I might care more if they had a football program, since I do love football and only have a passing casual interest in basketball. But even still, I imagine I might just attend their games if I had nothing better to do, I got an alumni discount, and I thought it might be a good game. Otherwise, I very well may not even keep up on whether they were doing well or not. Then again, I never really understood the whole concept that goes along with that. Naturally, I do have favorite and hated teams in proportion to how closely I follow the sport, but beyond that, meh. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-your-alma-mater/612199/43 "2012-02-09T17:22:07Z")
I went to a small liberal arts college and feel I got a good education. The student population, though, was not very diverse. I sort of knew that going in, but not the degree. Many people who went there grew up together, having been brought up in that city and attended Catholic elementary and high schools together. There were of course _some_ not-white, not-middle class, and not-Catholic students, but not many. ---
**Author:** ![NinjaChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@NinjaChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinjaChick)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-your-alma-mater/612199/44 "2012-02-09T18:21:49Z")
Graduated from St. John’s College in 2009, love it. I loved my time there (mostly): it’s a beautiful campus, has an unbearably wonderful academic program, and I’m pretty sure that I’ll never again find quite the same caliber of academic community there (we’re all a bunch of unabashed academic elitists. Also, I graduated in a class of 85, so a sense of community was unavoidable.) When I was still in town I went to community events on campus. I’m as involved in the alumni community as I can be right now (admittedly not very), and once my financial house is in order, they’ll make an appearance on my list of ‘places to donate money’. Yes, I know it’s not some perfect paradise and there are problems, but I believe very strongly in what the college _does_. ---
**Author:** ![phreesh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@phreesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phreesh)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-your-alma-mater/612199/45 "2012-02-09T18:32:07Z")
The importance that many Americans place on their alma maters is mystifying to most Canadians. University is where you go to further your education. Some do some things well, others do different things well. I have no strong feelings about my alma maters (U of Calgary and Carleton). I had fun at both and learned a lot. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-your-alma-mater/612199/46 "2012-02-09T18:47:25Z")
I’m almost 10 years removed from the University of Dayton. It’s a private, Catholic university, but still a pretty good size with over 10k total students. I loved my time there, still keep in touch with friends, still follow the basketball team very closely. During my senior year the school announced they would be relaxing their admission standards significantly in the name of diversity. I didn’t like that idea, not because I don’t like diversity, but because I thought they should strive to achieve it without compromising their standards. ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-your-alma-mater/612199/47 "2012-02-09T18:50:05Z")
I went to Ohio State for both undergrad and law school. I’ve lived in Columbus for almost 25 years now. I met my husband there, and we still tailgate for all the home games and donate to scholarship funds every year. I am in the “love” category. ---
**Author:** ![Arrendajo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Arrendajo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrendajo)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-your-alma-mater/612199/48 "2012-02-09T19:03:05Z")
Oregon State '86. Had the best time of my life there. It was stimulating in every way. I participated in the first study abroad program in the People’s Republic of China. Now that I live in the heart of Duck country, I sport my school colors proudly. ---
**Author:** ![Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swords_to_Plowshares)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-your-alma-mater/612199/49 "2012-02-09T19:32:22Z")
> [@Arrendajo](#): > > Oregon State '86. Had the best time of my life there. It was stimulating in every way. I participated in the first study abroad program in the People’s Republic of China. Now that I live in the heart of Duck country, I sport my school colors proudly. Don’t they change every week? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![anu-la1979](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/47e85d/32.png) [@anu-la1979](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anu-la1979)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-your-alma-mater/612199/50 "2012-02-09T21:55:47Z")
McGill-meh (meh compounded by how rude the fundraising guy was 6 years ago) UIUC-meh Go Blue on the other hand…GO BLUE! They get 100% of my alumni contributions. Also…I am a K through JD/MBA public school grad, something of which I am kind of proud 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Electric\_Warrior](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Electric\_Warrior](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electric_Warrior)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2012, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-your-alma-mater/612199/51 "2012-02-10T00:20:03Z")
I’m a current college student. The way I feel about my school is much the same way I felt about my high school when I went there: that I happened to get there in the last year it would be a fantastic place, and I’ll probably leave in the last year it’ll be a good place. I hope I’m wrong but I was certainly right about my high school. ---
**Author:** ![BTEzra04](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9f8e36/32.png) [@BTEzra04](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BTEzra04)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2012, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-your-alma-mater/612199/52 "2012-02-10T01:04:42Z")
I like my alma mater all right, although I feel like it can be ridiculously pretentious and bureaucratic at times. **Monstro,** any input on how grad school is at Georgia Tech? 'Cause I’m seriously considering grad school there, and I’d like to know more about the coursework. ---
**Author:** ![markdash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@markdash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markdash)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2012, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-your-alma-mater/612199/53 "2012-02-10T01:18:13Z")
University of California Berkeley, Class of 2000. Loved the place, met a ton of friends there, and my wife attended as well (although we met after we both graduated). Still enjoy going back to the campus and walking around. I follow the sports teams pretty closely, too. Although I didn’t get nearly enough out of the experience as I should have (something I regret pretty heavily), I still look back on my college days with fondness. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2012, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-your-alma-mater/612199/54 "2012-02-10T01:31:34Z")
One more Go Blue! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2012, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-your-alma-mater/612199/55 "2012-02-10T02:00:05Z")
> [@Kemanchi](#): > > **Monstro,** any input on how grad school is at Georgia Tech? 'Cause I’m seriously considering grad school there, and I’d like to know more about the coursework. I did my undergrad there. Grad school is always a different experience than undergrad, no matter where you go. I will say this: It has definitely been fancified since I was a student there. New buildings pop up every time I go down to visit family. So it’s really a different school than when I was there. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2012, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-your-alma-mater/612199/56 "2012-02-10T02:43:40Z")
Love both my alma maters. Indeed, the one in Texas was a much-needed refuge from the madness of rednecks. And the U of Hawaii will always hold a special place in my heart for many easons. ---
**Author:** ![Maeglin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@Maeglin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maeglin)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2012, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-your-alma-mater/612199/57 "2012-02-10T03:28:27Z")
Columbia University, class of 2000. I absolutely loved it and still do. I am a PhD student at NYU but do part of my classwork at Columbia. I get a real charge just from going to classes on campus. It honestly makes me feel like a kid again. I spent a wonderful four years there and learned from some truly extraordinary people. ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2012, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-your-alma-mater/612199/58 "2012-02-10T04:35:12Z")
For my first college adventure I went to a LARGE state university. Meh. For my actual degree, I wound up at Jack Daniels University. It’s actually a community college at which I earned a nursing school degree(AAS) that is largely supported by the Jack Daniels distillery. I’m certainly not ashamed to say where I got my degree but it is definitely not a “prestige” nursing school. I’m happy it was there, inexpensive and relatively convenient for me, but school spirit in general is highly overrated, IMHO. The bottom line is I am entitled to put RN after my name and that was what I was aiming for. There were sports teams (one of my classmates played on the basketball team) but I never saw a game. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2012, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-your-alma-mater/612199/59 "2012-02-10T05:53:02Z")
UC Berkeley. Gorgeous campus, impressive scholarship, and still cheaper than private schools of similar prestige, despite the enormous increase in fees in recent years. I loved it there, despitre being too immature and unmotivated to get the most out of it. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2012, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-your-alma-mater/612199/60 "2012-02-10T06:19:31Z")
Several universities (Toronto, Laurentian, Waterloo) – each of them very different from the others, but each of them providing excellent learning opportunities. Do I love them or am I an involved alumnus? No. Do I feel fortunate for the experiences? Yes. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-your-alma-mater/612199.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-feel-about-your-alma-mater/612199.md?page=4)