Coming to Temple University means a lot of hearsay, and many people exaggerate what attending Temple is like. Sometimes they are spot-on and sometimes they are completely wrong. Here are some of my truths and myths about attending Temple University undergraduate programs.
- Safety
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Safety is a huge discussion that has always drifted around Temple, making it a huge part of consideration when students are choosing colleges. Many students live in off-campus housing for various reasons; the most popular being its affordability.
It’s important to be aware of your surroundings matter where you live, but it could be useful to ask previous students who have lived in off-campus housing to help you to make a more educated decision.
Temple also has a variety of safety initiatives for students, like the FLIGHT shuttle loop services, which is available to every student with a valid TUid.
- The idea that temple is a public school
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One common myth about Temple, which was even a mistake I made when first coming here, is the belief that Temple is a public school. Many assume that Temple must be a public school due to the size of the university, and it kind of is, but not actually. Temple Identifies itself as a Pennsylvania state-related university, which means that only a small portion of its funding comes from the state of Pennsylvania. Other revenue comes from costs such as tuition, donations, and teams.
Temple has relatively affordable tuition, which can throw people off about its actual identity, but it’s important to understand what type of university you are attending and where your tuition money is going.
- Satellite Campuses
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Finding out how to study abroad can be difficult and very time consuming but hopefully this answers some questions. You can get a four-year college degree at Temple’s Tokyo Campus. However, there are a limited number of majors offered. Other majors, such as computer science, require all students to do their last year of studies on Main Campus in Philadelphia.
Be sure to read into all of your major requirements on Temple’s homepage. Temple’s Rome campus located only offers semester-by-semester classes, meaning you cannot get a four-year degree through this program. However, if you go back multiple times and meet your requirements, you can enjoy your time at the Rome campus. Remember, these are not your only options. There are joint programs, so you can study anywhere in the world. Ask about it at the study abroad office on the second floor of Tuttleman!
- Temple has hundreds of clubs
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Attending the club and activities fair is a great way to get to know some of the clubs on campus. The dates vary but are usually the first or second week of each new starting semester, information can be found on Temple University’s website. However, not every single club will appear these days, and sometimes it takes a little digging to find a club that you want to be a part of.
Thankfully, Owl Connect and the Club page on Temple’s website list every club recognized by the University. If you still don’t see something you want to do, you can start your own club! Contact the student’s activities department, who oversees all student clubs and activities, get a supervisor, and begin recruiting! Once you’ve done all the required steps, you will be considered a registered club and member. There are a bunch of different ways to get involved, you just need to pick what suits you best. Remember, it’s okay to bounce around until you find the place where you belong, and you will find a place, because Temple has a place for everyone.
I hope this helped and revealed some truths and myths about Temple University, if you are already attending, or if you are thinking about committing. Temple is an experience and is inviting to people of all backgrounds and interests! Good luck to all Owls!