Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[missdaredevil]

I don't have a good impression of your school
Is that a way to say your school doesn't have a good reputation?

Thanks

[redset]

It can mean that - reputation is how people generally view you, so if you have a good reputation is means that most people have a favourable opinion of you, it would be difficult to find many people with a negative opinion. An impression is a personal view, it's what one person thinks (and it doesn't necessarily relate to what most people think). An impression is also weaker than an opinion, when you're talking about an impression you're saying 'well I know I don't really have enough information to form an opinion, but it seems like your school isn't very good/nice/etc.'

You can form an impression in different ways - you could experience things yourself (maybe see the school or the students, or hear about negative things that happen) and form an impression that way, which doesn't really say anything about the school's reputation, how most people view it. If, however, you get a bad impression of the school from talking to other people and hearing their negative opinions, then that can definitely mean that the school doesn't have a good reputation.