Tennessee State University in Nashville

I was a freshman this past year at TSU. I had the dishonor of staying in Eppse Hall (but I’ll talk about that later). I never had a problem with financial aid or admissions because I never had to use it. However, many students have complained that the financial aid was terrible and I believe it. In Spring 2019 semester, many students were purged (or forced to leave the university) because of the financial aid office lagging to update their information.Eppse Hall is where I stayed both semester of my freshman year and I was highly disappointed. For starters, each floor on Eppse Hall was infested with big, ugly roaches. I kid you not, every day I (and many other girls) would see giant roaches in the community showers. The showers shouldn’t be roach-infested. It is not only scary to see a roach appear while you’re showering, it is also unsanitary and flat out disgusting. The only time we didn’t see the roaches is during the winter time. During the winter time, Eppse had to face another problem. During the winter time Eppse didn’t have A/C at all. They only had heat, which is very nice and thoughtful in the beginning. However as time went on we would sometimes have 76 degree days in the winter time, and the heat would still be on in Eppse. Me and my roomate would sweat at night because it was so hot in our dorm room we would have to open windows and buy personal fans. The Eppse A/C will not turn on in the winter time, you only have heat (so be prepared to buy a fan ladies). With that being said Wilson, Boyd, and Watson, are the other dorm halls that face the exact same problems as Eppse. The only two good dorms on campus are Rudolph and Hale.TSU also has a bad weed and alcohol problem. It seems like a majority of students on campus either smoke or drink which I find ridiculous. If the students aren’t smoking or drinking, they usually are having hookups or sneaking ppl into their dorms. I say this because at TSU most students here see academics as their last priority. This is the main reason I’m transferring. It’s bizarre how most students here are failing easy classes because they choose to do illegal stuff on the weekends instead of doing their school work. Another thing I noticed about the students is that a lot of them are loud and obnoxious. They are very childish and some seem a little undereducated. But I suppose this is what you get when you go to a school that accepts everybody.My final thoughts on TSU, is that it’s a terrible school that’s going downhill. I was initially excited to go to TSU because it was an HBCU but after being there a year it really changed my outlook on what an HBCU is supposed to be. I believe the students who are currently attending deserve much better, especially if they care about their academic success. I could go on and on about how many cons TSU has but I would simply run out of space.

Very unorganized and rude to people. Could not keep up with papers and tuition was always changing. They didn’t have rooms for returning students they slept in lounge areas. Terrible experience at TSU.

Tennessee State University is an asset to the City of Nashville as it is the city's only public university. I have had very negative experiences there and many positive experiences too. The admin structure appears to be top heavy, leaving more essential areas staffed thin, this is why I believe administrative operations run slowly at times. I have encountered less than professional staff members but teaching faculty has been excellent. The Early Learning Center Staff is excellent as well. I have read comments about the area. While the area isn't the best, it is going through a urbal renewal and, for better or worse, the landscape is rapidly changing. Tips for incoming students: Keep copies of everything; be persistent in the face of adversity; and most importantly, remain calm and professional even in the rare occasion when staff members aren't.

I went went to TSU to get an endorsement for teaching. It was affordable and it seemed like I could be done within a year. My classes were online. I finished the program, only to be told that I couldn't be endorsed by them and I would have to find another institution. It wasted my time and my money. The reason they could not endorse me is because they didn't turn some paperwork in on time. This place is unorganized. To accomplish anything at this institution you have to do it yourself. You will spend a lot of time on the phone and you won't be able to reach the right people. I did not get my money back. STAY AWAY!

I'm an extremely "benefit of the doubt" kinda of individual. Yet it's remarkable how a collegiate institution excels in areas such as: lack of communication, disregard for student input, inefficiency of staff, lack of diligent staff, staff misconduct, the list truly continues. I'd highly advise alternate universities and staff positions else where.