UW EC or LX? (Eau Claire, La Crosse: credit, house, dorm)

[acrylic]

Hey all, a lil background info here. I got to thinking recently, and decided I wanted to actually go to college. Not just stay at home and go to college. But I think I'd have to wait until next year, or possibly next semester. *shrugs*

I come from Duluth, MN, and while there are a few good colleges in town, I think I would really need to get away.

I'm going for Business Management. I've got one year out of the way, and after this year, I'm hoping to have two more years left (unless they tell pull a 'well, it looks like you need to take more credits - blah blah')

I've heard great things about both schools, but what would be a better fit for me? I'm not a partier per say. I'm not the type to go partying every weekend or anything like that. (But the occasional party wouldn't hurt in the least! ) I like when there's more things to do around town, cool spots to hang out that, at least a decent mall to waste some hours at, or you know, STUFF TO DO! )

I'm leaning more towards EC because it's a bigger town, I've been there before, seemed decent. But I have a couple big questions:

What's the best school for Business between those two?
What city has the most things to do?
What's the weather like compared to Duluth?
Which city has a better variety of jobs? (I don't want a job with restaurants or anything to do with that. I'd rather work somewhere like a Best Buy or a tool store, etc)

If I have more questions, I'll ask, but I'd be most appreciated if people would answer those for now. Thanks!

[Empidonax]

Originally Posted by acrylic

Hey all, a lil background info here. I got to thinking recently, and decided I wanted to actually go to college. Not just stay at home and go to college. But I think I'd have to wait until next year, or possibly next semester. *shrugs*

I come from Duluth, MN, and while there are a few good colleges in town, I think I would really need to get away.

I'm going for Business Management. I've got one year out of the way, and after this year, I'm hoping to have two more years left (unless they tell pull a 'well, it looks like you need to take more credits - blah blah')

I've heard great things about both schools, but what would be a better fit for me? I'm not a partier per say. I'm not the type to go partying every weekend or anything like that. (But the occasional party wouldn't hurt in the least! ) I like when there's more things to do around town, cool spots to hang out that, at least a decent mall to waste some hours at, or you know, STUFF TO DO! )

I'm leaning more towards EC because it's a bigger town, I've been there before, seemed decent. But I have a couple big questions:

What's the best school for Business between those two?
What city has the most things to do?
What's the weather like compared to Duluth?
Which city has a better variety of jobs? (I don't want a job with restaurants or anything to do with that. I'd rather work somewhere like a Best Buy or a tool store, etc)

If I have more questions, I'll ask, but I'd be most appreciated if people would answer those for now. Thanks!

I don't know a whole lot about either school, but LAX strikes me as academically better, overall. However, I don't know anything about the business programs.

Eau Claire is a larger city, and you'll probably have better luck getting the sort of job you describe. However, as far as student life and activities go, I would prefer La Crosse. Both cities have lots of nature-oriented activities to do, and Eau Claire is closer to Mpls/St. Paul, but La Crosse itself has more of a vibrant and festive atmosphere during the academic year.

The weather in La Crosse is probably less severe in the winter than in Eau Claire, but it will still be cold.

[JoshB]

I don't know much school wise, but I love La Crosse... EC is ok, La Crosse is the perfect setting.

[suecen]

Went to La Crosse - #l in my book (but that's just my opinion) I'm biased!!

[7G9C4J2]

Both EC and LX are among the better schools in the UW system; both are very selective and both expect students to maintain good academic standards in order to continue. I know that LX has a well-respected business school, particularly in the HR specialization. I don't have direct knowledge of EC's business school.

As communities, I have heard that La Crosse has a better vibe and more fun things to do, but I'm sure that folks like Eau Claire as well. UW-L is known for being a hard-partying school - the city used to have more bars per capita than any other in Wisconsin - but it also has a beautiful downtown and a rich history.

One other comment may or may not be useful to you in comparing the two schools. My sister is a chemistry professor who applied for and was offered jobs at both EC and LX. The biggest reason she took the offer from LX was the difference between the vibe she got from the respective departments. In EC, the professors were all vying with each other over who was toughest on their students, and seemed to actually take pride in the high numbers of failing grades they dished out each semester. At LX, in contrast, the chem dept profs all agreed that they preferred to privately counsel students who did poorly on their first exam that perhaps they should drop the course and retake it at a later time, when they might be better prepared to succeed. I have no way of knowing whether those same cultural expectations pervade the entire universities, but I found it a very interesting contrast.

Good luck in your academic career, and I wish you well wherever you wind up.

[acrylic]

Thanks for the replies people.

From the replies here, it seems like LX is more popular than EC. But there are a couple things that are still swaying me more towards EC:

- Proximity to the twin cities: From EC, I'd be able to take 94 all the way to my sister's house down in the Minneapolis area

- Seems like there would be more jobs

- A friend of mine visited the EC campus and she said she absolutely loved it. There is so much to do on campus, and even in the dorm areas.

Can anyone tell me about the job situations in each of the cities? I'm looking to maintain an income of at least $500 a month while working at the least 25 hours a week. Which city has more of those type of jobs that I'd be able to find and hold on to?

[Ron Burgundy]

Originally Posted by acrylic

Thanks for the replies people.

From the replies here, it seems like LX is more popular than EC. But there are a couple things that are still swaying me more towards EC:

- Proximity to the twin cities: From EC, I'd be able to take 94 all the way to my sister's house down in the Minneapolis area

- Seems like there would be more jobs

- A friend of mine visited the EC campus and she said she absolutely loved it. There is so much to do on campus, and even in the dorm areas.

Can anyone tell me about the job situations in each of the cities? I'm looking to maintain an income of at least $500 a month while working at the least 25 hours a week. Which city has more of those type of jobs that I'd be able to find and hold on to?

If proximity to your current life is your main concern, Eau Claire should be your choice. But I've always thought La Crosse was higher on the educational spectrum than Eau Claire, as well as the city itself being more culturally advanced and scenically beautiful. (NOTE: these are simply my opinions, not empirical facts.)

Campus activity is a wash (which UW campus doesn't have 'so much to do'?), but LAX has a legendary bar scene, which trickles down into the underaged campus parties. Gotta start early...

Your $500/month for 100 hours request literally translates to less than minimum wage, so I'd say that should be a non-issue.

Honestly though, I love La Crosse but Eau Claire does have a nice campus and they don't exactly offer a laughable degree. Go with what makes you comfortable.

[gallon]

Originally Posted by acrylic

Hey all, a lil background info here. I got to thinking recently, and decided I wanted to actually go to college. Not just stay at home and go to college. But I think I'd have to wait until next year, or possibly next semester. *shrugs*

I come from Duluth, MN, and while there are a few good colleges in town, I think I would really need to get away.

I'm going for Business Management. I've got one year out of the way, and after this year, I'm hoping to have two more years left (unless they tell pull a 'well, it looks like you need to take more credits - blah blah')

I've heard great things about both schools, but what would be a better fit for me? I'm not a partier per say. I'm not the type to go partying every weekend or anything like that. (But the occasional party wouldn't hurt in the least! ) I like when there's more things to do around town, cool spots to hang out that, at least a decent mall to waste some hours at, or you know, STUFF TO DO! )

I'm leaning more towards EC because it's a bigger town, I've been there before, seemed decent. But I have a couple big questions:

What's the best school for Business between those two?
What city has the most things to do?
What's the weather like compared to Duluth?
Which city has a better variety of jobs? (I don't want a job with restaurants or anything to do with that. I'd rather work somewhere like a Best Buy or a tool store, etc)

If I have more questions, I'll ask, but I'd be most appreciated if people would answer those for now. Thanks!

I've got one word for you about the future. Are you ready?




----plastics----

[acrylic]

I keep hearing about the bar scene in LX, and more than turn me to it, it would turn me away from it, I believe. I mean, I know what it's like to have a lot of bars near by. I live in the city right across the bridge from Superior. Haha.

Thanks for the replies so far. More are always welcome. I really want as much info as I can get. Especially from folks that live in either city, or go to/went to either school!

[7G9C4J2]

You have to go where your heart is.

The best college advice that either of my offspring ever got was from a counselor who told my son "Take a good, long look at the community as well as at the college when you go for school visits. You're going to be spending at least four or five years living there, and you are much, much likelier to succeed if you like the place where you're living."

Acrylic, if your heart leads you to Eau Claire, follow it. Even though you've been efficient and have gotten some of the basics out of the way, you're still going to be living wherever you attend school for several years. If being close to family is important, go where you'll be near them. If you're looking to avoid the bar scene, there's nothing wrong with that - you're likely to graduate sooner (and with a higher GPA) than those who choose a school based on how many bars have a lenient attitude toward carding patrons.

If you haven't yet managed visits to both communities and universities, I strongly recommend that you try to do so before making your decision. That can give you a much better sense of where you feel "right", where you feel as though you fit, and it's the only real way you can get a sense for the community. Visiting this board is a great start, but it's no comparison to visiting the places.