Portland, OR question...I need your help! (Hood River: credit, how much)

[Sam_White]

I currently am a college student in Michigan and I am at a point where I want to get out and experience more. I've been consindering transfering and have been looking at Portland State University and I was wondering if any one had any information on the university or could tell me about it from and "oregonian" point of view.

Also, I love the rain, but I was wondering if it is always raining . Are there any sunny days after the rain? And is it close to the coast? And (last one I swear) how hot does it get in the spring and summer?

Thanks!

[Sprightly]

Hi Sam, I don't know much about PSU but I'll answer a few other questions. There's a lot of rain here and it is not the kind of rain where it gets done and the sun comes out. You can literally go weeks without seeing the sun. Still how much that gets to you, or if it does, depends really on your biology more than anything else - some people are okay with it, really embrace the winter sports, throw on the Gortex and don't let it stop them. More power to them I say even though I'm not one of them. It is close to the coast 1 to 2 hours away depending on where you start from. Summer overall is "warm" with spikes of a few hundred degree days - check out wunderground.com statistics on the past to get accurate info for this and for the rain too.

Outside of the rain this is an awesome place in so many ways though. Especially as a student you'll be in a prime position to get the most out of it. From all the outdoors activities in what is really one of the most beautiful places in the US to a general population of more educated people who like to read. Most of all it depends on you - what you are really looking for but I'll guarantee you it'll feel very different from Michigan! Most of all you'll notice how incredibly green and lush it is - especially in the winter.

[PDXBADGER]

Portland State University ("PSU") is a great school. Furthermore, PSU is an urban school, almost in the heart of city center, Portland. Student can approach the Professors regarding their courses, etc. I moved to Portland from Wisconsin; won't move back to Wisconsin!

I highly recommend PSU.

[subsound]

It does not always rain, though there's a good amount of it and more clouds. During the summer (June - September) you see most of the sun, but it peeks out (my experience thus far). It's a good hour and a half from the coast, close enough to go on a hot summer day trip but not as much to get that fishy smell. So far 80-85 is the summer average, with 105 being the hottest on about 5-6 days this summer.

I still want more rain!

[BLAZER PROPHET]

I went to PSU for 1 year on my way to an aeronautics degree and was deeply unimpressed. The campus is marginally fair (when I went there the buildings were so cockroach infested that I could feel the crunch at night when I stepped on them). The academics were also sub par and PSU grads are not well received in general (to be sure, they have a few good programs). I had a work-study job in a department and was ordered to give preferential treatment to all foreign students (if they got 25% on a test, it was to be graded as a B) as the school coveted their bloated foreign tuition. It was a sham. I felt so bad for them as they'd do terribly in school, be "awarded" a bachelor's degree and then get laughed ourt of grad school.

On the good side, I also found the professors very approachable and if you do enjoy a truly urban university, PSU fits the bill. They also have, so fas as I can tell, a fairly well respected urban studies program.

[StealthRabbit]

There are plenty of 'other' U's in Portland if PSU doesn't fit.

What is your major ? That would give us a clue in referring appropriate school. Transferring can be a can of worms, and very dependent on the school and program. You don't want to lose 'expensive / time consuming credits'.

Rain is a seasonal thing here, basically Nov > April is really cloudy and wet with a few random days of partial sunshine. Aug is REALLY dry, plenty hot, but cool evenings, the adjacent months vary. Oct is usually my favorite. May can be tough if you want to get out and dig in the dirt, but rains keep soils soggy. Spring can be very cool, but usually a hot spell right around Memorial Day (a summer teaser) Usually cool during Rose Festival (mid to late June). After July 4, it may be completely dry for 2 months. The record of no rainfall, is around 100 days in a row. Grass drys up in a couple weeks without rain, as it is shallow rooted.

The beach is pretty, but swimming and surfing require a dry suit (or wet, depending on your tolerance). An alternate, is wind surfing, one hour east near Hood River.

[Sam_White]

I am a pre-med student. And I will be a sophomore by the time I transfer. As for recreational sports, I do a lot of snowboarding and I definitely plan on surfing. Can you still hike from Nov-April?

[Sam_White]

oh and one more thing, is portland a dog friendly area?

[Rob Allen]

Hike between November and April? - Most of the time, yes.

Dog friendly? - very definitely yes.

[BLAZER PROPHET]

Originally Posted by Sam_White

oh and one more thing, is portland a dog friendly area?

Absolutely! My Sammy loves to go all over.