The University of Illinois - Chicago

Campus Life:
I have 16 credit hours a semester (which is about average for pre-nursing students), I work about 20 hours a week and have a good social life. There will be a lot of course work, so don't expect to have too much free time. I give up sleep to have a social life.

I go out every Friday, Saturday and sometimes Thursdays. There is GREEK Life but you don't have to be a part of it to have a good social life...YOU HAVE A HUGE CITY TO EXPLORE. I have some friends involved in GREEK Life and it's really not a big deal. The scene gets old; it's the same people doing the same things every weekend. If you want to do something different with friends, there are countless of bars, concerts, festivals, clubs and raves.

The actual dorms are decent. JST, MRH and TBH are the nicest. MRH and TBH is mostly upper classmen and are apartment style. JST are the newest. Commons South, Commons North, Commons West and Courtyard are the oldest and pretty much where most of the freshmen are. They aren?t bad at all, it is what you would expect a typical college dorm to look like. SSR is on west campus and those dorms are also decent.

The actual campus is fairly safe. Students receive crime alert emails, there are emergency poles everywhere and also campus cops. However, UIC is not in the best area, so don't be stupid and be aware of your surroundings.

Professors are good overall. Many don't speak English very clearly but that is something that can?t really be changed. You are in Chicago and attend one of the most diverse schools in the country. If that is new to you, learn to get used to it. Once you get passed that, the professors are very knowledgeable. But just because they are knowledgeable does not mean they are all helpful. I had to learn a lot of things on my own but it was manageable.

For the most part, the school has nice facilities. The Rec Center is great. I?d compare it to a nice LifeTime Fitness. There are plenty of machines, plenty of basketball courts, there?s a rockwall, dance studio, indoor track pool, lazy river, hot tub, sauna, etc. It?s all new and pretty nice. Sporting events are fun. Basketball is most popular. I think overall, UIC is pretty great. Most people love it or hate it and I definitely love it so far.