Reply to University of Illinois?

Forum Index » College and University Discussion

Reply to "University of Illinois?"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Champagne-Urbana is not the college down that the other schools mentioned in this thread are. As such, unless you are from in state or doing one of those more selective programs, there is not a lot of draw.[/quote]

I was heavily recruited there for athletics years ago. From Illinois.  Nothing negative to say about the school itself then, or now. Illinois public universities are in a sorry state, and UIUC stands out. As in really stands out. There are excellent programs there. Even their ag major is superlative. My late classmate owned the largest floral grower in the Midwest and nd really put his business on a cutting edge with UIUC ag degrees.

The challenge is as indicated above. The school is located in a flat featureless prairie. It is the least attractive of the historical Big 10 schools. The downtown has grown through the years (there are actually three downtowns, but I am referring to the one near campus). It is mostly a collection of new but unremarkable buildings. But definitely a breath of fresh air. Most Illinois cities have become depressing places, with limited economic opportunities. Decatur, Rockford, Peoria, Danville, Metro East, all economically depressed. The Southland - the southern suburbs of Chicago - are essentially collapsing and not coming back. High taxes and huge public debt everywhere.  I would not count on Chicago to continue to be a jobs engine. I say this with five generations in Illinois behind me. A factor for UIUC, but also for Indiana, Iowa, Purdue, Wisconsin and the like - historically lots of grads flock to Chicago. UIUC grads competitive anyw

My U of I friends - my very good public high school sent over 80 in my class - led a nice lifestyle. The school in any number of majors is difficult, but with the right mindset one can eliminate distractions. I envied my friends. After their last final, they could take the train and relax to Chicago, the hop a few tracks to head to the suburbs and their homes.

If you want a feel for UIUC, look up a guy named Chris Harden on YouTube. He does automobile camera documentaries, and his piece on Champaign Urbana is rightly positive.  Gives you a good virtual feel for the campus. Harden has a feature on Bloomington Normal - home of Illinois State (where my parents went) and while Bloomington Normal is not the typical Illinois economic disaster there is a marked difference between Illinois State and UIUC. [/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics