Rutgers

[JKessler]

Hello,

I noticed that some acceptances to Rutgers have been sent out. I completed my undergrad at Rutgers last May. So I figured if anyone had questions about the English department, university, or just the area in general, I could offer my advice and experience. Feel free to message me or just respond below.

-Jeff

[guenevere01]

Hey, thanks! Can you give me a general "feel" for New Brunswick? My husband is nervous that it will be a huge metropolis, very dirty and crowded, a la NYC (I happen to like NYC, but you know...). He is (and I am, too) kind of worried about having our dogs in the city - any advice on how to manage 2 50-pound dogs in New Brunswick?

Also - how about the English department? Do you happen to know what the "scholarly environment" is like there? E.g. cutthroat, collegial, laid back? And, did you ever have classes with any of the medievalists - Scanlon, Klein, or Chism? If so, what were they like? I'm so curious!

[JKessler]

Well, there is a lot to say. New Brunswick does have a very urban downtown, but if you have dogs and don't mind a short drive or bike over to campus, the neighboring town of Highland Park is very pleasant, suburban and affordable. In any case if you are looking for housing, I recommend taking a look at the Rutgers Off-Campus Housing Website (I used to work in this office actually!):

http://ruoffcampus.rutgers.edu

It is the best place to find apartments and rentals in the Rutgers area. There are areas of New Brunswick, which I would categorize as "not good," but provided you look at an apartment before putting down a deposit you will know almost instantly know whether you are in a good part or not.

My interactions with grad students showed them to be very supportive of each other. I sat in on a graduate reading group, traveled to a conference with some and actually had my Intro to Theory course taught by an advanced grad student who was a phenomenal instructor.

I took an Anglo Saxon Seminar with Stacy Klein and she was wonderful. She really helped push me to think in some good directions. Additionally she was very understanding and gave me a needed extension on my final paper when I came down with mono.

-Jeff

[guenevere01]

That is excellent info, many thanks! My husband and I live in the 'burbs right now and drive upwards of 45 minutes to work, so a nice bike ride to campus sounds really great!

[silasflannery]

Jeff,

Thanks for the offer to share information about Rutgers and the New Brunswick area. I was lucky enough to be accepted to the program. It was one of my top choices and I am seriously considering the offer. I don't know much about the New Brunswick area, though. Is it possible to live without a car in New Brunswick? I prefer to travel by bicycle and public transportation when at all possible and I'm afraid that New Jersey isn't laid out for this. Are there viable mass transit options? Bike lanes? You mentioned a "short bike trip" in another response, so I assume this is at least somewhat doable. What is the weather like in the area? How much snow? Does it get below freezing there?

What did you think of the library at Rutgers? Did you find satisfying resources for researching papers? How large is the library and what is the general atmosphere? I suppose I can figure some of this stuff out when I go visit but I am curious to hear an insider's account.

Thanks

[JKessler]

I was an undergrad for four years and did not have a car for three and a half of them. This is an area of New Jersey that is laid out to survive without a car. NJ transit has a stop right next to the Rutgers campus, which connects to Newark Airport (35 minutes) and New York City (50 minutes). It is also one transfer away from Philadelphia (90 minutes via Trenton). Rutgers has a free campus bus system to travel around the other campuses (though the English department is on the main campus). There aren't bike lanes, but the area is pretty bike friendly.

The weather is cold in the winter, hot in the summer (the weather is comparable to NYC).

As for the library, it is vast, and there are 27 (I believe) libraries in the Rutgers University system, varying from Art History to Jazz studies. In addition, since Rutgers is close to Princeton, NYC and Philadelphia, travel to other libraries for special material is quite easy. Alexander Library, the main one, is a little run down, but the "graduate students only" area is a wonderful place to work (I got special permission to work on my honors thesis there).

If Rutgers were in the middle of nowhere I would have gotten a little stir-crazy, but being able to escape to Princeton for the afternoon (the Princeton Record Exchange is probably the best place to buy music ever) or to NYC for a night out is great.

-Jeff

[city of ladies]

Hi Jeff,

Thanks for the offer to talk about Rutgers!

I believe I've seen online that Rutgers offers on-campus housing for graduate students. D you have any sense on how these apartments compare with living off-campus in terms of quality and price?

Also, did you feel like the faculty were accessible? I know attention may vary between undergrads and grad students, but I thought I'd ask.

Thanks so much!

[Lisa]

Does anyone know if all acceptances for Rutgers have been sent out? I'm still waiting for a reply either way. (And the website is still saying "no decision.")

[JKessler]

I don't know much about the on-campus grad housing, sorry. Off-campus, there are tons of options from real cheap run-down stuff that undergrads living on the cheap inhabit to luxury apartments downtown and everything in between.

I never had much difficulty with professors during the semester and truthfully, probably took up too much of their time as an undergrad in office hours.

-Jeff

[city of ladies]

Thanks for the inside scoop, Jeff! Very appreciated.

[Lisa]

any recent news about rutgers in comp lit? does anyone know if all acceptances have gone out? the online status is still saying no decision. i wish they would just tell me already.