When children learn about Texas history an important fact taught during history classes is that Baylor University was the first institution of higher learning in the state of Texas. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas and affiliated with the BGCT (Baptists General Convention of Texas) Baylor has sought a commitment to research and teaching and serve the community.
The education at Baylor is top notch, it is not a community college like the local McLennan Community College where you can just sleepwalk through classes and get your degree processed. Classes, especially the science classes demand hours of outside classwork from the first day of class to the day you graduate. Most freshman come in as a biology, chemistry or physics major pre med, but most realize that the competition is tough and decide on a major they do not hate. Unlike most colleges where attendance is optional Baylor requires atleast 75% class attendance, anything more and you will likely receive an F for the class. Despite this the teachers are generally helpful and most teachers have at least ten hours outside of class where you can talk about any problems you are having or discuss whatever bizarre circumstances you have.
After classes end on Friday most students head down to Austin, Dallas, San Antonio, ect… to escape the Baylor bubble. Unfortunately Waco really only has banks, restaurants and gas stations. The local community experiences a high unemployment rate and many are struggling to survive. Thus you wont find many clubs to go to on the weekend except for the few favorite hotspots like George’s, Crickets and Scruffy Murphy’s. If you are under 21 and don’t have a car expect to either drink a lot or watch movies because campus pretty much shuts down on the weekends and during the summer.
While Baylor football and basketball are not as strong as Texas and Texas A&M; it’s other sports are top notch. Baylor mens track has had a few olympians (Jeremy Warnier and Michael Johnson), the equestrian sports are new but already vying for the national championship and the mens tennis team is consistently ranked in the top ten.
Baylor certainly has plenty of upsides but there are numerous downsides that the administration needs to fix. The surrounding city of Waco is a poor urban neighborhood with high crime and and unemployment that contrasts to the immaculate Baylor campus which creates a divide between the locals and the students. Every year without fail students get assaulted at night when they run around a two mile long track that goes around campus called the bear trail. Also, the school made national news when someone attacked a girl because he believed she was Muslim.
Tuition at Baylor also keeps going through the roof, Baylor’s 2012 vision to make it a top tier univesity by 2012 has it building new buildings constantly and the cost is put on the students. Thus there are really two types of students at Baylor, those that come from wealth and don’t mind the hike and those that can qualify for enough financial aid to offset the costs. You will see brand new BMWs parked next to an old Chevelle, and frat guys in LaCoste next to guys wearing shirts from middle school.
In the end Baylor is a great school, not the best in Texas, but it is certainly making strides to becoming a place where you don’t mind settling because out of state schools are too expensive. If you can afford it the Baylor experience is one I will not regret.
