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Indiana University - Bloomington

How this student rated the school
Educational QualityD+ Faculty AccessibilityA
Useful SchoolworkB Excess CompetitionC+
Academic SuccessB Creativity/ InnovationA-
Individual ValueD+ University Resource UseD+
Campus Aesthetics/ BeautyA- FriendlinessA-
Campus MaintenanceB Social LifeC+
Surrounding CityC- Extra CurricularsB-
SafetyA+
Describes the student body as:
Friendly, Arrogant, Approachable, Snooty, Closeminded

Describes the faculty as:
Friendly, Helpful, Arrogant

Male
SAT1350
Not so bright
Lowest Rating
Educational Quality
D+
Highest Rating
Safety
A+
He cares more about Educational Quality than the average student.
Date: Mar 16 2009
Major: Telecommunications (This Major's Salary over time)
I've had several professors in higher level classes which have been outstanding, but overall I have not enjoyed the time I have been at this school. I feel like I've wasted my time and money and that I should have been more selective in choosing a school. My biggest mistake was in staying at IU when I started developing negative feelings about the place rather than finding a different school. In my defense, credit does not transfer easily to other schools, especially to schools in other states.

I don't feel that I've learned anything that will really help me go further. Most of what we covered in the classes for my degree I already knew from my own research from being interested in the field. I've also had to spend a great deal of time taking classes I have absolutely no interest in to fulfill the "distribution" requirements of my degree. This is to, apparently, give a graduate a "well rounded education" but I think my time would have been better spent working on my portfolio or using university equipment to further develop skills related to my degree.

There is not much space available for parking on campus. Most of the parking is park at and ride from the stadium. The buses are usually at capacity, particularly in poor weather. Walking and biking are the most reliable methods of transportation, although biking is rather perilous (both to bikers and pedestrians) with the current campus infrastructure. A permit is required to park a bike on campus because there are not nearly enough bike racks to accommodate demand. The permit is not expensive but you have to register your bike with parking operations (you don't have to register a vehicle, which makes no sense to me) and you have renew the permit regularly.

Most classes meet and end at the same times on the same days (this is the primary cause of bus congestion and unavailability of bike racks), and many classes are limited to single sections. As a result, some classes are impossible to take together in a semester schedule. If you are not able to get into a class, there is no guarantee you will be able to get into it during a future semester (i.e., there is no administrative waiver for students who have been waitlisted for multiple semesters to grant them early registration for a course), therefore you may have to wait for several semesters to take a class.

Many of the 300 level (junior level) classes seem to be merely review of material covered in the 100-200 level (freshman/sophomore level) classes. Classes did not get interesting for me until I started taking 400 level (senior level) classes.

Foreign languages are difficult in college. The instructors here are technically not allowed to speak English during class, nor are students permitted to use English during class (instructors take points off). Most degrees have a 2nd year foreign language competency requirement. This means taking 4 semesters of one foreign language, or if you studied a foreign language in high school, you can take a placement exam for credit when you enroll.

Bloomington is not the great city it once was. I was born here and have lived here most of my life. The city is becoming a victim of urban sprawl. Mass transit options are limited and inefficient (most bus routes have limited service on Saturdays and some routes don't have service on Sundays whatsoever). The music scene is gone. The art scene is gone. Local businesses are going out of business because of competitive pressure from larger/national brands who have better economies of scale. There really isn't any local Bloomington culture anymore.

Every year the traffic gets worse because the infrastructure can't handle the peak loads. Housing costs are high. Expect to pay at least $600-$700 minimum per month in rent, not including utilities and other expenses, for a 1 bedroom apartment.

Speaking of costs, the financial aid cap through IU (about $19,500 annually) is unrealistic, especially if you want to take summer classes. I don't know where the school gets information for their estimates from, and they don't disclose details on anything, but they need to make better estimates. It easily costs $26,000/year to live here, particularly if you are an independent student or otherwise don't rely on parents/family assistance or don't have a job (the job market here is not good either).

The one thing Bloomington has going for it is that crime is quite low and the streets are safe at any hour, although you should still use good judgment anywhere you are.

I would not recommend IU Bloomington to anyone. Whatever you choose, good luck. It's important to get some higher educational certification because a degree will soon be the minimum standard of education for employers. Besides a degree, it is also important to get to know people and "network" as well as build a professional portfolio or reputation, and it's never too early to begin reading trade literature for the field you're interested in. Not many professors I've had ever mentioned those things, and the ones that did were talking to seniors - by which time it's getting late to hit the ground running.

Responses
responseCould you pass this response out to everyone on planet earth? Seriously this was really good, and I hope others take you seriously. The fact that you're from Bloomington gives this a unique legitimacy.
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Indiana University - Bloomington
Indiana University - Bloomington
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