http://www.studentsreview.com/IN/IWU_comments.html Life at IWU - Comments en http://www.studentsreview.com/IN/IWU_comments.html IWU is a great school if you want to be challenged in academics. If you want to be a great Christian it is not the college for you because they are hypocritical, close-minded, judgmental and everythin... Mon, 13 May 2013 05:05:41 GMT StudentsReview 472-93849 Copyright 2013 StudentsReview, Ecliptical Technologies, Inc. 472-93849 472 15 Education Female Undergraduate Class 2017 1st Year Negative IWU is a great school if you want to be challenged in academics. If you want to be a great Christian it is not the college for you because they are hypocritical, close-minded, judgmental and everything in that city is about them. I grew up in Marion, IN and went to church there. Yes there is not a lot of life going on with the city since all the factory lay offs but IWU tries to own the city. It is close to a bad part of the city as also. Once I saw how IWU brainwashed it students about the city and how we should be as Christians I knew it was not the place for me and it is getting worse. I will not include myself to be part of that university with how it treats the city. I even went to church there and this university has gone bad spiritually. As a Christian I would rather be challenged with my academics else where, which I did. Mon, 13 May 2013 05:05:41 GMT http://www.studentsreview.com/IN/IWU_comments.html http://www.studentsreview.com/IN/IWU_comments.html They WERE NOT honest about how the program really is. I was given candy coated information about the program then, when I get in, its totally different. The information is CRAMMED down your throat and... Thu, 04 Apr 2013 10:41:11 GMT StudentsReview 472-92984 Copyright 2013 StudentsReview, Ecliptical Technologies, Inc. 472-92984 472 39 Religion/Religious Male Undergraduate Class 2014 1st Year Negative They WERE NOT honest about how the program really is. I was given candy coated information about the program then, when I get in, its totally different. The information is CRAMMED down your throat and the faculty will just make up rules as they see fit. BE CAREFUL and BE BOLD in your questioning if you are looking into this school. I was VERY DISAPPOINTED in the ADMISSIONS for the skewed presentation of information. I would look somewhere else if I were you. Its not a place to go if you have work and a family. My family time was damaged. Thu, 04 Apr 2013 10:41:11 GMT http://www.studentsreview.com/IN/IWU_comments.html http://www.studentsreview.com/IN/IWU_comments.html I was drawn into IWU thanks to their great facilities. That's one thing IWU has got going for them--they provide students with great dorms and an awesome student center. Other than that, there's not m... Mon, 26 Nov 2012 08:53:31 GMT StudentsReview 472-90600 Copyright 2013 StudentsReview, Ecliptical Technologies, Inc. 472-90600 472 60 Art & Design Department Male Undergraduate Class 2012 4th Year Negative I was drawn into IWU thanks to their great facilities. That's one thing IWU has got going for them--they provide students with great dorms and an awesome student center. Other than that, there's not much beneath the surface.

At IWU, you're forced to go to three chapel services a week. These services are extremely shallow in content and offer very little spiritual growth, partly because you're forced to go to them. You're given six chapel skips. If you use your chapel skips, you're looked down upon like a heathen, even if it's for medical or family reasons.

The Pharisee-like nature of IWU's chapel department is amazing. IWU makes strict rules about not missing chapel and they are not afraid to use their chapel services to guilt trip students who don't do all the optional spiritual activities (even if you don't have time to do them), use skip chapels, or who complain about the chapel service content. An example of this--a group of students complained about the lack of scripture in the chapel services and requested the chapel department to provide more scripture discussion in chapel services. The chapel authorities responded by using a chapel service to justify how they were correct in their actions and how these students were nothing more than a lot of rebellious sinners. Again, this was over a request to have more scripture in the chapel services. As a result, the students hid away and chapel stayed the same as it was.

Aside from chapel, IWU's academics can be described as mediocre at best. I was challenged more at my own high school than at this college. Students were lazy and professors didn't really push their students. Of course, this doesn't apply to all professors, I had a handful of professors who were excellent and provided me with far more spiritual insight than I got from all four years of chapel ramble. I just personally felt I could have been pushed more than I was.

For art majors, the art department, (I was an illustration major), never really pushed their students to do better. As a result, many students continued to paint/draw at high school levels even though they were in their capstone classes. The art department does have a sophomore mid-point review to test if students are really worthy of their major, but it's a joke. Even the students who didn't pass the review still went with their major, even though their talent suggested they do otherwise.

The art department also lacks in a figure drawing class, which is a basic staple of any art education. The reasons given for this is due to the nudity involved in a figure drawing class. Well, instead of thinking outside the box and having a clothed figure drawing class, students have to draw from photographs, which only limit their artistic ability.

The art department also does a horrific job of giving students an idea of what to do after college. They require a capstone class that will teach you how to make business cards and a blog (as if making a blog is hard), but other than that, you're left on your own. As a result, many of my classmates have nowhere to go and will most likely not use the major they spent so much time and money on.

In terms of the illustration major, the main downfall is the lack of perspective. In my experience with the illustration department, one perspective on how to approach illustration is preached without acknowledging other approaches. For example, at IWU illustration is narrowed down to realistic art--you can only draw by the rule of thirds, use specific colors and you can't have a creative style of your own. Other markets of illustration (like editorial or advertising illustration) aren't acknowledged?though this is partly because there?s only one professor who runs the department. It wasn't until I went to grad school, with a larger illustration department, that I realized that there are so many markets and ways to approach illustration. (For example, not every illustrator believes you have to always use photo references! *le gasp*)

Seeing as I?ve made a crazy long review, I?ll end it here. In all, my experience with IWU was not a very good one. To me it was like experiencing a way worse version of my high school all over again. Of course, that said, I know people who loved IWU. In all, it?s up to your opinion and preferences. I highly suggest to those looking for a college that you find a place that you can respect because it provides you with opportunities and challenges that can help you grow. Look through as many colleges as you can before you make a decision. You?re going to spend a lot of time and money on whenever you go, so find a place that won?t make you want to punch someone every time you think about it. Mon, 26 Nov 2012 08:53:31 GMT http://www.studentsreview.com/IN/IWU_comments.html http://www.studentsreview.com/IN/IWU_comments.html Oh, IWU, such a mixed bag you are. Honestly, my experience was different than many people around me. It seemed like a good portion of the kids on campus were just loving their time at IWU, but there w... Fri, 07 Sep 2012 02:25:55 GMT StudentsReview 472-89315 Copyright 2013 StudentsReview, Ecliptical Technologies, Inc. 472-89315 472 60 Art & Design Department Female Undergraduate Class 2012 1st Year Negative Oh, IWU, such a mixed bag you are. Honestly, my experience was different than many people around me. It seemed like a good portion of the kids on campus were just loving their time at IWU, but there wasn't much I enjoyed about it. I can't even tell your specifically what it was, except that everything seemed a bit manufactured.

Chapel-They require you go to chapel 3 times a week. When I was there, you got three skips and then were punished somehow. It was pretty much the same each time; same songs, same sermons. It really wasn't too bad except that to require someone to go under the fear of punishment kinda defeats the purpose of organic spiritual growth, right? But as I said, everything felt a little bit manufactured there, even the relationships and spirituality. Of course, that might not have been everyone's experience.

Classes-Basically, to get a "well-rounded education", you're required to take a bunch of classes that don't pertain to your major whatsoever. As an art major, there are things that I straight up did not need to take, but was required to take to fulfill an arbitrary set of rules. It's not just IWU that does this, but I hate being forced to pay them for classes that aren't necessary for me. In that respect, though they can say otherwise, it's about money. Plain and simple.

Professors-Most of them are actually real nice people. I think I maybe ran into only one or two that were pretty impressed with themselves. However, they weren't always easily reached--especially art professors. They don't hold your hand and walk you through things, but at a college level they really aren't supposed to anyway.

The food was just eh, but there was a real nice assortment of it. The rules... were a little constrictive. Like chapel, they did the thinking for you on what you should do and when. As adults (or at least people who are trying to transition into adulthood), it's a little insulting to assume that the students aren't capable of making their own decisions. And worse than that, it does absolutely nothing to prepare them for life apart from the establishment, where they will be facing temptations and making decisions daily.

All in all, IWU is definitely not the worst school you could attend. I wouldn't go back because it definitely wasn't for me, but I saw a lot of people who really enjoyed it. It's pretty pricey for the quality though. Fri, 07 Sep 2012 02:25:55 GMT http://www.studentsreview.com/IN/IWU_comments.html http://www.studentsreview.com/IN/IWU_comments.html I loved my time at Indiana Wesleyan University- I was a student in their religion department. The professors genuinely treated us like people, and the coursework was substantially more thorough (and ... Tue, 19 Jun 2012 01:24:18 GMT StudentsReview 472-88002 Copyright 2013 StudentsReview, Ecliptical Technologies, Inc. 472-88002 472 39 Religion/Religious Male Undergraduate Class 2008 4th Year Positive I loved my time at Indiana Wesleyan University- I was a student in their religion department. The professors genuinely treated us like people, and the coursework was substantially more thorough (and difficult) than the masters' degree that I got afterwards. If you can stay away from the negativity that a lot of the students have, it is a beautiful campus with fantastic facilities, knowledgeable professors, and great student life (tons of events all the time and a great coffee shop McConn!) Tue, 19 Jun 2012 01:24:18 GMT http://www.studentsreview.com/IN/IWU_comments.html