This is it - #1,000. It *only* took ~10 years! Fewer than I expected, tbh. This one has to be BIG,…read moreand I am not talking about Bentley Investment Group.
I graduated a few years before COVID.
This is going to be tough - I've been to no other universities as a student, and a few things differentiate me from most of my peers. Plus, there are some bits of 'malarkey' not exclusive to Bentley.
If someone in public asks me about Bentley, I automatically reply: "good school." This is true, but it is *also* a mirage.
First, let me talk about some of the good:
+ For a business education, the curriculum is top-notch. Bentley has "GB" (General Business) classes all must take. These are on subjects of accountancy & finance, management, marketing, strategy, supply chain, and others. Business functions are highly interconnected. Having a basal understanding of how these functions work has helped me in my career. Bentley also has access to systems like Factset, Bloomberg, SAP, et al. Great for exposure, but not a replacement for on the job experience (more on that later). Also, you can't escape classes that have nothing to do with your major, but that is not unique to Bentley.
+ The people. Some of my closest friends today I met at Bentley. 'Characters' are everywhere, and all schools will have amazing profs and those who have no business teaching. Yet, I still whole heartedly stand by my statement that my peers were all incredible people.
+ Study Abroad. Bentley had an incredible catalog of int'l universities to choose from, and a great office to support those wishing to go abroad. I did my exchange semester in Vienna, and it was wonderful!
+ Career Services. The career services center at Bentley is top-notch. They are spectacular at helping with resumes, cover letters, etc. There is also a career site for students where employers can post jobs students can apply to. Further, some employers come to campus and conduct interviews on-site and then provide feedback! This was invaluable for me becoming better at interviewing.
One caveat: internships. Neither my family nor I knew how imperative an internship is. By not having one I shot myself in the foot, big time. I wish Bentley had done a better job blatantly advertising how royally doomed you'd be in without one. I FOREWARN YOU NOW: some companies seek fresh grads with 1-2 years of professional experience.
So, let's talk about the not-so good:
During my time, Bentley spent over a million dollars renovating the student center. It was very nice when new. Yet, parts of it quickly fell into disrepair. But hey, it looks really sleek and modern when a prospective student is on tour. Another example: before Jennison Hall was renovated, the Accountancy lab had a touchscreen TV. You could click on a prof's picture and see a quiz question. Except, if you did so, after the first sentence it was Lorem Ipsum (filler text).
Like I said, a mirage.
These are not the only things that are monobuttockular (I keep my reviews "PG" rated - you might want to Google this one).
Next, Bentley hosts activities on Friday and Saturday nights for those who choose to not party. However, these seem like they are from a teenager's birthday party where mom and dad were on a very tight budget. Further, attendance at these was sparse, people would come for five minutes and then go, and no wonder!
Also hurting non-partiers, the main dining hall wouldn't open until much later on weekends. If you're an early-rising non-partier like me - all you have is Dunkin. Look, I am a business student, I know it's inefficient to pay salaries and run ovens and stoves for a few dozen people. Still, *something* would be nice.
For student housing - I love that the dorms have A/C. That is a rarity and much needed, especially with today's climate. Also, some of the on-campus apartments (North Campus, specifically) are very nice. However, the roommate matching system is laughable. When smoking was allowed on campus, there were two questions: 1. Do you smoke? 2. Do you object to living with a smoker. That's it. Anything else, you were requested to figure it out (though you could switch if all else failed).
There's also noise from the parties, but that is to be expected anywhere.
Student Activities - During my time the activities went to being entirely student run. This was under the guise of allowing more "leadership" by students. Don't kid yourselves, it was to save money. Employers don't really care you were president of the xyz club, see above about internships. This change meant the clubs were less fun (even for regular members), and took away activities such as CBL - where speakers would come to the university.
The food - I am approaching the character limit, so let's just say "abysmal". Of all of Sodexo's plans, Bentley has the lowest. There were steak tips once - that were completely raw inside.
What can I say, I made friends for life, and was able to get my foot in a door and built my career.