From: waldo@cybernet.cse.fau.edu (Todd J. Dicker)
Subject: Re: info. needed on USF, Tempa and etc.
Organization: Cybernet BBS, Boca Raton, Florida
Date: Thu, 24 Dec 1992 17:18:48 GMT

ruan@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu writes:

> Hi everyone,
> 	I just got accepted to the master program in electrical
> engineering at University of South Florida at Tempa.  That 's the
> first school that I applied and accepted.  So I would like to ask for
> some opinions from netters whoever have heard anything about the
> school or the area.  One of the professors that I talked at my school
> happened to be from Florida originally.  He said the school had a
> pretty good reputation in Florida.  My questions are the following:
> 
> 1. Are there some decent high-tech industries in the area of Tempa?

This I can't answer.

> 2. Someone told me that Florida had a much serious drug problem than
> the rest of the country.  Reasons: a. The coast line is very long.
> b. The weather is so nice that almost everybody can grow coke in their
> backyard.(of course illegally).  Is Florida really that bad?

Yes, Florida has a huge drug problem.  Drug smugglers love the lengthy
coastline, and crime in Florida is rampant.  You show the same
precautions here that you would in any high crime area.  You watch where
you're going, keep the car in gear at lights, lock and re-lock your
doors.  I had to cut my insurance coverage by 75% in order to get
my payments to only DOUBLE when I moved here, if that gives you an
idea of the crime situation.
 
> 3. People said the life pace in Florida was sort of slow in comparison
> to the rest of the country.  Is it really true?

Absolutely not!!!  This is not the South, this is a suburb of New York.
Miami has a hot nightlife, the east coast is filled with interesting and
exciting things to do.  Tampa is a bit more isolated than the 
southeastern coast, because the southeast coast is essentially 250 miles 
of urban area, while Tampa sits alone on the gulf coast, but it's as 
vibrant a community as any (no mint julips on the porch, Scarlett).
> 
> 4. Is the beach and city life too distractive to students?
> 
Naw.  I'm at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton/Fort Lauderdale.  
I haven't been to the beach in a year.  Just like people in New York 
never go to the Statue of Liberty-- it won't distract you.

> 5. Are the people pretty friendly over there?

No.  The people are not friendly, they are mistrustful and obnoxious.  
Forget about customer service when you get here-- you will never be 
treated with respect and courtesy from the time you cross the Georgia 
border until the time you cross it int he other direction.  The druggies, 
hookers, transients and scum that pervade every neighborhood will 
guarantee that everyone you come in contact with has been screwed over by 
some stranger, and they won't trust or like you just in case you're one 
of them.  You will have to put a deposit down on everything, because of 
the transients (and because they don't give a crap what you think of 
them, because you can't threaten to leave and find better servce 
elsewhere because there IS NO BETTER service elsewhere).

The ONLY great thing about Florida is the winter weather.  It's the day 
before Christmas and I'm sitting in shorts with the windows w
wide open and a nice breeze.  I told FAU to install a drive through 
wiondow at graduation so I can get my diploma and not waste time getting 
out of the state.

Good luck in your studeies.

Todd