Well, I just completed a great four years at the University of IL this past May. The school gave me a solid education while I had a great time socially. And the best part--I had no trouble finding a job after graduation. The U of I is a highly regarded school with a lot of alumni in the Chicago area--a great city to work in!

Although, the school is very large, there are tons of extracurricular activities to make the school seem a lot smaller. I was very involved in the school newspaper, the greek system, a campus Website and other clubs and activities. Your college experience is based on what you make of it and the U of I definitely offers tons of opportunities to make the experience memorable.

On a social note, there are quite a few bars on campus with a 19 entry age and even though you're in heart of central Illinois, Champaign can be a lot of fun. Check out Clybourn, Murphy's, Legend's, Bub's and of course the ever crowded and popular, Kam's. You're also only 2 hours from Chicago if you really want to get away for the weekend.

Since the school is so big, you will run into your fair share of beauracracy. At times you won't get the classes you want and it may seem like your counselor really doesn't know what's going on and maintenance never did learn how to shovel the sidewalks during the winter, but for the most part, the system does work. I had minimal problems--except for those damn Campus police that seemed to always be ticketing my car (parking is pretty bad). U of I has all the latest technology and you really do have a lot of resources at your disposal. Although some of my classes as a freshman were huge and taught by TAs that spoke little English, I was also able to learn from some of the best in the business. Several of my journalism teachers were former Pullitzer Prize winners and former editors/writers for the Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. I also took business classes taught by well-known economists and lawyers.

One last point, the stated tuition listed on this site is very wrong--it definitely doesn't cost 21,000 to go here in-state unless they mean for all four years. Tuition runs about $4500/year give or take $500. With books and housing you're looking at roughly $10,000. There are plenty of opportunities to work on or off campus to help with the costs. I held several great jobs while I was in school including waiting tables, bartending, working at a store in the mall, working for the Journalism dept. and for the Daily Illini. That's another way to meet more people and have some extra money for the weekend!



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