SUNY College at Oswego Reviews

"I had always heard that Oswego's Teaching programs were top-notch; even nationally rated as one of the best colleges in the U.S. for teaching. However, as the tide of education has turned recently, with new national standards and curriculum, I would like to recognize how several aspects of the Elementary Teaching Program at Oswego have become highly irrelevant. One major issue is that Oswego requires incoming students (in this specific program) to choose an academic concentration area. For example; math, social studies, English, etc. In my first two years at Oswego, I therefore spent most of my time taking 30 + credit hours of social studies. I sat in class with classmates who were majoring in history or completing general education courses. It was not until my final two years of the program that I got to focus on the essential classes which Elementary Educators actually need for their career. These included; meeting the literacy needs of students, and creating and adapting curriculum for diverse learners or learners with specific needs in your classroom. I would personally like to see Oswego's Elementary Education program revamped so that more required classes focus on teaching literacy development and meeting the needs of diverse learners; instead of having so much focus on completing an academic content area track. In my opinion, completing the academic content area requirement did not prepare me to be a better teacher and the time I spent on this could have been much better spent on classes pertaining to my preparation as a classroom teacher. Other schools in the area and elsewhere do a better job as far as the classes they offer and the structure of their programs and I wish I had looked more into this before I jumped into Oswego's program. Finally, although I would like to see the major changes I have mentioned come about, I would still recommend the current program to others if they are interested in becoming a teacher. Mainly because the program does offer enough hands-on experience with teaching. Also, the cost of college is something to consider (especially as a teacher) and as a State University, Oswego is highly affordable."

"SUNY Oswego is located on Lake Ontario and maintains a beautiful atmosphere, even in the winter months which can be quite brutal from time to time. My greatest experience at SUNY Oswego came from my peers which eventually became my friends. In regards to academics, SUNY Oswego gave me the ability to pursue my degree but with little to no assistance on the academic institutions end. I went to SUNY Oswego for 4 years to obtain my Bachelor's degree. During that entire time, I had 1 maybe 2 teachers that really stood out and cared about me as an individual. I believe that a large portion of higher education has made the move from learning institutions towards money making organizations and this is unfortunate for the student as they are the one who suffer. In my opinion most schools fall prey to this predatory attitude and I believe that I would have had a similar experience if I attended a different university. If I could do it all over again, I would still consider SUNY Oswego because of the life long relationships that I developed during my tenure as a student, however I could have easily made lasting friendships if I attended a school that was more concerned with the students education than making $$$."

"I enjoyed my time at college. It was large enough that there was plenty of diversity and different people to interact with but small enough that it was easy to get around and class sizes were often small. Rarely was I in a large lecture class. I didn't feel like I go a lot of help in career planning or direction but I do think there is help available if you seek it out."

"I am currently attending SUNY Oswego and going for a Masters in Mental Health Counseling. My dream is to one day work for the U.S Air Force as a Clinical Psychologist. This program will set me on the right track to achieving this goal, therefore I see no cons, but only pros."

"The ability as an adult student to take classes that are located near me is a great bonus... I still get the in class experience but do not have the commute to deal with after working a full day AND with the NY winter weather"

"My graduate program at Oswego certainly has more pros. than cons. So far I have met many professors for the Mental Health Counseling Program and I am so far excited to be learning everything I can from them. The professors are kind, intellectual, and very caring for the students in the program. They make the students feel extremely comfortable with going to them for academic, professional and personal guidance. The amount of opportunities within this program is truly remarkable as well. The program has many connections to the city of Oswego which allows graduate students to intern and/work off-campus while getting experience. The only con for this program at Oswego is honestly the cost. I come from a low-income family household/background. Money has always been an issue for me, but it had not stopped me thus far. My ultimate goal is to dedicate my life to helping as many students and people as I can so that they are successful in their life and academic career."

"The graduate program is very flexible. They have made working and achieving my degree possible. The staff and support is some of the best of any school i have attended."

"I believe that the low tuition coupled with the willingness of professors to go above and beyond for their students are the definite pros of this program. The cons are limited but one is that the city in which the campus is located could use some economic prosperity."

"The professors are there because they want to teach. Excellent assistance and support from the professors!"

"Pretty nice, small and decent school. Nice environment, and people."