State Universities (environment, work, school)

[asearchforreason]

Originally Posted by M TYPE X

Actually, you'll be taking classes "taught" by grad students and one-year visiting assistant adjuncts. You'll find all kinds of opportunities to partake in activities sanctioned by the university administration. Large schools are an excellent choice for spending money.

They PAY you in the real world to put up with crap. In Soviet large research university, system OWNS you! and your bank account, too.

I suspect that your two cents wouldn't be enough to convince food court counter lackey to get you a cup of water.

Sorry you had such a bad college experience. It's probably because you went to UM. Miserable place.

I had a great experience at Ohio State and I would never have made a different decision. Also, I don't know what your field is, but in engineering, going to a small school is generally not an option, or at least not a good one.

[M TYPE X]

I left engineering for the social sciences. I don't regret UM over any other university out there.

Buckeyes don't admit the truth. They are impervious to it.

[Katiana]

We seem to have gotten a bit off-topic, which is supposed to be helping this mom with a special-needs student. I still think she should talk to her guidance counselor, instead of/in addition to getting information from us!

[MurphyPl1]

Originally Posted by jenrik2714

Drover, would you recommend Eastern Illinois University? I know a lady who sent her daughter there and her other 2 kids went to U of I and she said the one daughter that went to Eastern was better prepared to teach than her kids that went to U of I

I attended EIU for one year after two years at junior college. It started as a teachers college and that is still very much it's legacy. I was a PE major and was interested in kinesiology and looking to get into the fitness realm. Which at the time was just kicking into gear. Well, every class had a focus on teaching elementary kids wiffle ball. It was like the curriculum hadn't evolved at all.

After one year I was so frustrated with that major and much more enjoying my business minor that I joined my parents who had relocated to Dallas.

[kurama93]

We visited Eastern Illinois and my daughter loved it. It wasn't too big or too small. I think she wants to go there

Any other inside info about Eastern?

[Drover]

Yes. Do your best to get her into any dorm besides Carmen Hall. That place is a tower of Freshmen; meaning immature party animals. And not just "college" immature; we're talking immature even by college standards.

If you can get into one, I recommend one of the Triad dorms (Ford, McKinley or Weller). They are a trio of small dorms huddled together around a 24/7 detached computer lab with 100 computers. See http://www.eiu.edu/locate/campus/image/campusmap.gif for a campus map -- The Triad dorms are building numbers 15, 16 and 17; the computer lab is building 18.

Each Triad building houses about 125 students, and as you can see on the map, each building is really two micro-dorms connected together by a common lounge area; guys on one side, girls on the other. People get to know each other pretty well in these dorms and there is pretty good comraderie. Also notice that they are located right next to the library (building #19 directly to the left of the Triad), they are centrally located to all classroom buildings, and they are practically right next to the union.

The major drawback of the Triad is that they do not have their own dining service. (The Triad computer lab, building #18 on the map, used to be the dining hall for the three Triad dorms). So a Triad resident will have to go to some other dorm for meals.

[kurama93]

Drover,
Thanks for the info

The tour guide showed her the dorms on the south end. She really liked them.

What is there to do in Charleston?

Did you feel that you received a good education? From what I saw, alot of students wore their Eastern Shirts, and were friendly. They seemed to like their school. Alot of people on College Admissions, Search, and Financial Aid Help from College Confidential think the school is sub=par, but I don't agree with some of their views.

[Drover]

I hope by "dorms on the south end" you don't mean Carmen Hall. That is the southernmost dorm on campus. Others around the southern quad (Taylor, Andrews, Lawson and Thomas) are OK. Not my faves, but they're definitely a step above Carmen.

I feel my education was adequate. EIU is the kind of school you go to just to say you have a college degree. It's not exactly a school brimming with the smartest and most ambitious go-getters. That said, it can still be a stepping stone to a decent graduate program. I don't think many EIU grads end up in, say, a Harvard graduate program; but if you work hard and get really good grades, you can get yourself into a very good grad program at a flagship state university. And it's a lot easier to be the "standout" undergrad student grad programs look for at a school like EIU than a school like U of I.

I also preferred the individual attention that you just can't get from a mega-sized flagship state university. Even freshman classes are usually no larger than 25 students, and all but two of my classes were taught by actual professors instead of TAs.

[kurama93]

I think it was Taylor or Thomas.

She shadowed a student then we went on a tour of the campus

I don't think my daughter would do well at a mega sized flagship school like U of I. She needs more individualized attention. She needs interaction from the professors.

She tells me that she really really wants to go to EIU

I hate I-57 (got pulled over for speeding)

[Drover]

Originally Posted by kurama93

I don't think my daughter would do well at a mega sized flagship school like U of I. She needs more individualized attention. She needs interaction from the professors.

It's like I said earlier in this thread: better to attend a school like EIU and make it out the other side than to attend a school like U of I and wash out.

In terms of what to do in Charleston: the answer is, not much. Quite honestly, if the bar entry age hadn't been 19 when I attended, I probably would have gone mad there. Quite a few students spend a number of their weekends in Chambana, hanging out with friends from high school who go to school at U of I.