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[TT hopeful]

Anyone can tell me about Texas Tech and life in Lubbock? Thanks.

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[Dust bowl]

Did one my my grad degrees at TTU in the late 90's and it was quite a culture shock (I'm from the midwest).  Here are my impressions:

1. University: overall Ok with some movement toward recruiting better students.  There was support from higher up (better funding of grad students, health coverage, etc.) but also a real good ole' boys system from the Dept head on up to the Dean’s.
2.  Students:  again, not great but OK.  It's a big school (25K+) and campus and they get a lot of diversity (but still pretty "white").  There did seem to be a rather economic divide (kids from the burbs of Dallas with BMW's and farm/rural kids driving the farm truck to school).  The students were polite (always called me Sir) but most seemed apathetic.
3. Lubbock:  the worst part of my experience.  It smells bad (the wafting of the stock yards outside of town would happen way too often), the winds kick up a LOT of brown dusk (I made the mistake of leaving my house windows open one day) so orange skies were a new experience.  Almost no real cultural activities and driving to the next town is not really an option (Dallas is 5 hrs).  Few if any exotic restaurants (unless Golden Corral counts) and no night scene (unless the cowboy bars count).  You would think for a town of about 200,000 they would be more to do.  Oh yah, if you don't like the corn fields of the midwest you can stare at the endless cotton fields.  Cost of living was a plus at the time, especially housing, but don't know if that has changed.
4.  Sports: hope you like um because you would think nothing else mattered.  When there were Sunday home football games they closed all the faculty lots so the only way to get into your office was to walk half a mile.  Annoying.  It also was not uncommon for the entire local news to be about Lubbock itself (I didn’t need the 10 minutes of high school sports scores).  So not much “global” thinking on behalf of the local news.
 
You didn't mention the dept you may be interested in.  If it's in bio I can help more.

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[Vincent G.]

I think Dust Bowl is basically correct. I have been to Lubbock but grew up in Austin and went to UT. For most of us from Austin or Dallas or Houston, Lubbock (and most of west Texas) is the end of the earth. I know the school has tried to improve its image recently and that they have many excellent faculty. But I personally would never, ever be able to live there.

[armadillo]

Texas Tech University:

- fairly large state university (29,000)
- full range of programs (incl. law, medical school, etc)
- large and nice campus (if you like Spanish Revival architecture)
- students ok

Lubbock:

- 200,000 residents
- conservative community, but university seems to moderate this a bit
- flat cotton fields; overall region can be interesting (lots to see in W. Texas and New Mexico: Palo Duro Canyon, Big Bend, Hill Country, etc)
- semi-arid and warm (but not as warm as south-central TX due to elevation); can be windy
- housing prices seem reasonable relative to big cities
- football is a big deal there

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[J.]

I've known quite a few people that went to Texas Tech, and reallly liked it.  Not in the same league as Texas or A&M, but still a good school.

The previous descriptions of Lubbock are pretty much right on.  But for some reason most everyone I know who went there really liked it.

And, one more thing...Lubbock's dry.  I mean no beer in the grocery store dry.  But the *county* is not, so you've got to get just past the city limits to buy beer.

[vegan]

Didn't the Oprah trial happen in Lubbock?

[Madison WI]

Wow.  Sounds like my twin sister...

[Vincent G.]

As I recall, the suit was filed by cattlemen from across Texas, but the trial was held in Lubbock, where she sat in court in the morning and taped her show in the afternoon. Along with the election of W, this "trial" was one of the more embarrasing moments in Texas history.

[Beeeeeeer]

"J." is right: Lubbock is a "dry" city (no beer in grocery stores, etc).  

However, it's not truly dry, in the sense that one can still order beer, wine, margaritas, etc, at just about any restaurant / pub / bar.  To load up on cases of beer, one drives about 10 minutes to "The Strip" at the city limit.  

Interestingly: if I recall correctly, there are at least 3 wineries in the Lubbock region.

[DrStones]

The ground is yellow, the sky is yellow, the buildings are yellow, the people are yellow.

The have dust storms. Then it rains. Then it rains mud.

When I interviewed for a directorship there, they told me, flat out, that "grad students were cheap labor and they didn't care about placement" of their Ph.D.s.

Mac Davis was right . . . happiness is Lubbock, Texas in your rear-view mirror.

[jimbo]

No, Lubbock is not the end of the world nor is it in the middle of nowhere. But you can see them from there.

The land there is so flat, that if you look out towards the horizon, you can see one guy way off out there. It's you.

Summers are hot and winter is cold with lots of wind. The only thing separating Lubbock from Canada are four barb wire fences and one of those is down.

Lubbock is so flat, that there are miles and miles OF miles and miles.

In Lubbock, if you hang your clothes outside to dry, they will be dirtier when you take them down than when you hung them up.

I had a friend of mine who was bit by a rattlesnake inside the city limits, near the center of town. The locals were very nonplussed by it, saying, "Yeah, ya gotta watch out for those."

[TT]

Texas Tech hired Bobby Knight.  I'll let you draw your own conclusion about what that says of the University's priorities and interest in setting an example for the community.

[Been There]

My first TT job was just north of Texas Tech. I met a number of folks who got advanced degrees from there. They all loved the school and hated the town. Also, they all got placed (small Texas schools seem to like to hire Texas degrees).

It is hard to live there. The climate is simply the harshest that you will ever know. It can range from -10 to 110 and the wind is relentless. There is little to do once you get used to the High Plains scenery. The students are often 1st generation, so their understandings of college "decorum" vary greatly. If you like church, you are in luck. The churches are very active and offer a ton to do. If you are looking for secular fun, local sports and outdoor activities are all there is on offer.

Frankly, I loved a few things about the Panhandle area, but I will never go back (even to visit).

[prairie dweller]

I don't mind the High Plains. Further west the mountains get in the way of the view. On the High Plains every little detail means something. On the coast, there is way too much going on visually.

[DrStones]

Lubbock isn't the High Prairie . . . it is the moon.