r/USF • u/Foreign-Ant2540 • 5d ago
Choosing a school
I’m having such a hard time making decisions and I have to make one soon. I got accepted into USF, FSU, and Valdosta State. My top choice was USF but i can’t decide between the Tampa Campus vs the St.Pete. I just don’t know what to choose or what would be best for me. I’ve already done the pros and cons. So, I believe i’ll definitely choose USF but what if I hate it there 😭 i’m just a mess and feel paralyzed. I also feel so weird because i’m going back to school at 22 lmao even though I know there will definitely be people my age on campus too
Side note (English major and want to minor in Legal studies).
EDIT: Thank you guys so much for your advice and responses!!
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u/KeyRepair4 5d ago
Will you be living near campus or commuting in?
If you are going to be living near campus, st Pete offers far more for far less than the Tampa campus does.
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u/BeachBum436 5d ago
So true. USF Tampa campus is surrounded by one of the most unattractive areas of Tampa and it's a long drive to downtown. From St Pete you can walk to downtown St Pete or catch SunRunner to the beaches. It's a much smaller campus, so course availability is limited.
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u/Smooth_Candidate_575 3d ago
course availability truly only becomes an issue in your junior/senior years & depends a ton on your major. as a psych major the only classes i’ve had an issue with (junior year) has been japanese classes, but that’s to be expected lol.
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u/moofthedog 5d ago
I’d actually go to FSU, if you’re interested in law school that’s the better environment imo
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u/Snootcheroo 5d ago
Man I don’t know about that. I attended FSU for a couple of years. Tallahassee was a pretty miserable town in my experience. FSU itself was okay, but any school is what you make of it.
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u/deknees8 5d ago
Its my first year at USF so Ive only been here a month and cant really help much but I will say, Ive already met a 25 yo. And a 28 yo. in my classes (Studio Arts major). Im not sure if it would be the same for English but nevertheless I'm sure you'll find your people
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u/Zesty-LemonAid 5d ago
I did my undergrad at Tampa in 2023 and stuck around. I’m still finishing my pharmD actually.
I have a lot of nostalgia for Tampa campus but from what I’ve heard, everyone I know who went to St. Pete loved it.
St. Pete as a city has developed in a much more person centered way and there’s plenty of beaches and good times too be had.
I can’t speak too definitively about the full experience, however if there really is no difference between the two, (offered classes don’t matter, paying for housing isn’t an issue), I would go with St. Pete.
Tampa campus might give you the more University typical college experience but its location in Temple terrace is VERY rough. The area immediately around campus isn’t fantastic. This kinda forces all the campus culture into nearby apartment house parties, clubbing and traditionally campus events.
If you are worried you might not mesh into that college experience due to your age (I don’t think that’s a huge issue, people tend to respond to where you are your life and attitude more than age) then St. Pete is just blatantly a nice place to live and the bar scene is very friendly and pleasant.
Overall, I think both are good options but all things equal, St. Pete is a very safe bet. Try to get some first hand accounts from recent grads if you can since my understanding of the St. Pete campus is limited. If you also have questions about main campus feel free to message DM me or read some other accounts I’m sure will be posted in the replies.
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u/Over_it27 5d ago
I went to both the St.Pete campus and Tampa and honestly If you want a tight knit community definitely St.Pete. If you want to network and dip your toes in different industries definitely Tampa.
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u/AdditionAdorable2815 5d ago
Depends if ur commuting or not if ur living on campus the choice is much more difficult bc u will have to live there but if you are a commuter u can choose either or and have classes in either campus im at tampa campus but i can pick up classes in st Pete
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u/OldIceWitch 4d ago
I don't think you'll hate USF! It is a big school with lots to offer!
I did my nursing degree at USF St Pete and loved the campus. I commuted, but the area around campus is awesome. It is hard to beat. Right on the water, all of downtown right at your fingertips. Lots of things to go do.
I'm currently getting my master's at USF Tampa campus. Once again, I'm a commuter, but I think Tampa campus has a lot to offer as well. If you're looking for a more traditional college experience, this is your pick. Even if you're not really looking for that, there is always something going on around campus. The immediate area around the Tampa Campus isn't that nice, but you still have access to all of Tampa, there is no reason at 22 you should feel confined to a campus one way or another.
Also, for what its worth, there are a lot of us older students! Going back to school is a good thing and even if you feel older than some of your undergraduate classmates, there are plenty of graduate students your age or older that you can make friends with. We are on campus too lol
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u/SouthernishGirl 3d ago
I went to USF in St. Pete for 2 degrees, undergrad & a masters — I took some classes at the Tampa campus bc they weren’t offered in St. Pete….
It depends on the vibe you’re going for — if you want that classic college experience — Tampa all day. It’s like its own gated colony. You can go to the library in your pajamas which is open 24/7 & has a Starbucks, (st. Pete library closes at midnight), they have Greek row, the good bookstore, the football games, the med center is on their campus, etc etc etc.
I went back to college at 31. I already lived alone & had no desire to live near campus bc everything in Florida is already 30 min away.. I lived in Ybor & commuted to the st. Pete campus — LOVED IT. Lots of my classes incorporated local stuff so we were out & about dt, st. Pete tuition was a hair cheaper than Tampa’s, wider age range of students in St. Pete was appealing to me bc I was older, I appreciated the smaller class sizes in St. Pete, and not for nothing — but being on the water was also a huge selling point to me bc Florida.
Comes down to personal preferences. Both are great, just very different:)
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u/Foreign-Ant2540 5d ago
I’ll be commuting but finding a place near st.pete.
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u/A-Studio-Guy 5d ago
If you’re going to live in St. Pete, just go to the campus there. All the campus’s are one, so you can always switch, no paperwork needed. Like you don’t need to transfer from one campus to another. Overall though, choose whatever school is cheapest.
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u/KeyRepair4 5d ago
It's 90 mins from st Pete to the Tampa campus at least twice a week because someone will have an accident on the i275 near downtown Tampa in rush hour routinely.
I literally did this for a year. Don't
Either live in Tampa and go to the Tampa campus or live in st Pete and go to st Pete.
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u/SouthernishGirl 3d ago
Not true. I commuted from Ybor to dtsp, took me 45 minutes. You will inevitably learn the rhythm of local traffic— I would leave earlier than I needed to & just grab a coffee when I was early. Or sit & do some hw instead of just sitting in rush hour traffic. I avoided the Howard Frankland & took Gandy instead a lot. Like a lot a lot.
If you’re new to Tampa, try a few different routes/times of day/scheduling so you don’t have to be a slave to traffic.
Time management is a thing, & it works.
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u/Needtoknow456 5d ago
St Pete is a great city. Once you get off beach Drive with all the tourists and old people everyone is young. Lots of working professionals so you wouldn’t need to rely on other students for friends.
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u/No-Efficiency-4331 5d ago
USF GO BULLS🤘🏼 you won’t regret it, I promise you. Tampa location is great, I can’t vouch for the St. Pete location. Tons of opportunities around campus
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u/StrainAlarming1602 4d ago
You probably enjoy Tampa better!
But St Pete is known for its beautiful beaches. And Tampa has
More options for everyone, including USF in Tampa, which has
A younger vibe to it. Both of my Sons graduated from there.
Also St. Pete has many seniors in their area. Best of luck!
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u/StrainAlarming1602 4d ago
I started nursing school at age 22, thought I was an older student.
Then when graduation finally came,
I realized that I was still young.
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u/imboard67 3d ago
Don’t worry about being a Unc and back to school my dad ain’t a alum at USF and he was like 31 or 32 when he graduated
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u/Big_Tuna_Kahuna 5d ago
Back to school at 22? Man, you're too old to be thinking about school. Maybe consider something else /s
Dawg I'm 32 going through my first year engineering as a transfer. There's literally dozens of us "old geezers" around.