The City Colleges of Chicago Harold Washington College

Date: Jul 19 2002
Major: Undecided (This Major's Salary over time)
This college clearly has many ups and downs on all levels. Student diversity within the college is absolutely phenomenal, unparralled to that of any college or university in the country. (Mainly sue to it's location) I believe their are over one hundred countries represented in the student body. This is probably the best thing the college has going for it because you hear so many differnt points of view. However, student apathy is rapant. Very few students get involved in class discussions, so often you can get stuck in a horribly boring class.

As you would expect from a community college, the coursework is not very difficult, provided that you have a little discipline. You hear many students complain about how a teacher doesnt like them or is out to get them, but when you observe how much effort they put into their work, the source of the deficiency becomes clear.
There are few student organizations worth recognition (mainly due to the low level of student involvement), but if you are a student who has a decent GPA, I would highly recomend getting involved with Phi Theta Kappa, the honor society at the college. There you will be surrounded by the friendliest and most engaging students in the college. One of the major reasons people go to HWC is the low cost, and if one becomes involved in PTK, a world of scholarship opportunities will open up.
One of the downfalls is the staff; they can be very rude and condescending. I tried to keep my interaction with them to a minimum.
As far as faculty goes, the trend in the college is to replace full time with part time, and if the trend continues, the college will certainly lose it's appeal. However, many of the full time, and a few part timers do care about the students, you just have to ask around to find the good ones.
Academically, it is the best CC in the CCC system. I had such a positive experience because I got involved. If you wish to have a positive experience as well, I would recommend doing the same.