University of Rhode Island

I am honored to have attended this University. It is so beautiful and you feel very welcomed and part of the Rhody community early on.

I guess I am a little biased, seeing that I spent my undergrad years on this campus, then had the pleasure of owning my first restaurant in the URI Emporium, and now working for this institution. I love URi. some of the best times I have had in my life were spent on this expanse of rolling green.
URI in my experience was a fun rural campus. close enough to Providence to go visit, but with its roots in small town living. and with the beaches and oceans so near by, a great place to be when the weather gets warmer.
I look forward to every chance I get to spend the day down here. love it.

I certainly enjoyed my time at URI and feel that I received a rather good education. However there are a few nagging things about the school that you should take into consideration.
1. Dry campus = no campus life. Due in large part to the fact that URI was the perennial #1 party school in the country in the late 80s– early 90s, alcohol got nixed when the former school pres took over. Dorm life is hit or miss. I missed, getting stuck in Heathman, so I jetted down the line after freshman year. However, I can see how those that lived in Dorr or Ellory Halls wanted to linger on campus for their sophomore year to enjoy the look-​the-​other-​way RAs.
2. Living off Campus. Living in Narragansett has its perks: no alcohol policy, ability to party, proximity to the beach, shockingly low rent (which has increased though). However, be aware that you’ll be mixed in with older couples/​families who have been living in the area much longer than you and resent the hell out of your obnoxious late night gatherings. And the police have nothing better to do in the otherwise crime free town than to bust you every chance they get. There’s actually been plenty of town council hearings on the subject of URI students. Oh and NEVER rent from Durkin Realtors. Just ask around, you’ll hear some real nightmare stories of what a bitter and unjust landlord he is.
3. Quality of Education. Is lacking, but there are some tremendous professors if you seek them out. URI is rated last among the big New England public schools (so if you won’t be receiveing RI in state tuition, maybe consider UMASS?)
4. Meat heads, douche bags and Frat boys, oh my! Yup, there’s a lot of them at URI. They can be easily avoided by staying away from the Bön Vue or Georgia’s on Thursday nights, but a healthy portion of the student body are well off SUV drivers with Jersey and NY plates. Don’t fret though, there’s plenty of cool people and the nice size of the student body (about 12,000) ensures that you’ll recognize faces but can remain anonymous if you are the introverted type.