The University of Iowa

Date: Sep 04 2010
Major: Communications (This Major's Salary over time)
First off, others below mentioned that Iowa gives you a more reputable education, and has better resources, than any of Iowa's private schools. As someone who transferred in from Drake, I completely agree. I was mislead into thinking that a more expensive, private shcool automatically means better education, and I was sorely disappointed. The education at Iowa (especially in the English department) is hands down better than the one I received at Drake. Staff are certainly competent at both places, but you just get pushed more at Iowa, and they have better resources. Throw in the much cheaper price tag for in-state students, and you have a pretty obvious choice.

If you are an Iowa resident and you want the true "private college" experience, my advice is to push yourself in high school and try to get into one of the really elite private schools (Ivy League or a prestigious midwestern school like Wash U, University of Chicago, or if you want smaller try Carleton College or MacCalester.) I know that this is a review of U of I and not Drake, but I can't stress enough that if you're going to settle on a middling private school like Drake, you are really better off going to U of I (or even ISU.)

I am double-majoring in English and Speech/Hearing Sciences, two of Iowa's best programs (in their respective categories, both are ranked among the best in the nation.) I'm learning a lot and getting pushed, and I enjoy it.

There are a lot of students at Iowa, but on the bright side, not nearly as many as other large public schools. I admit that I'm a little bit cliquish (not that I dislike people I don't know), so it's good to have an environment where you make friends, hang out with the friends, and if there are people you frankly don't want to know, you don't have to. At Drake (and other private colleges I gather), they are so small that you see a lot of the same people everywhere, whether you want to or not. They try to build an all-inclusive community, whereas Iowa basically says,

here's a lot of people to choose friends from, we'll set up events and clubs so you can meet people who think like you, but making friends is ultimately up to you.

I like having the freedom to make friends, and honestly I like that on most walks to class I don't bump into people I know everywhere (I'm from a very small high school where everyone knew everyone, so I got sick of that kind of atmosphere.)

I love football and IA's got me covered there, but please, I advise anyone looking at colleges—do NOT decide where you're going based on the school's athletics (unless, of course, you are an athlete.)

I wish I had gone to IA sooner. I spent WAY too much time at other schools, jumping from major to major since none of them seemed that strong of a program, sitting in small discussion classes with only two or three people who knew what the hell they were talking about. Iowa's big lectures were a change of pace for me, but yet, if you sit towards the front and are proactive in asking questions (most lectures have you read the material the teacher or TA talks about BEFORE class), you can get a lot out of the lectures. Some profs/TA's are foreign, which makes things a little harder, but truthfully, I see dealing with difficult accents as an opportunity to grow as a person, because frankly, we're going to have to deal with foreigners out whole lives. Iowa still has the discussion classes, too, and these are generally on-par-with, or better, than the discussions at Drake.

I don't drink a whole lot, I will go out maybe once a week. In that case, I know that IA again has me covered. Sure, the bar scene isn't exactly "sophisticated," but it's a great way to let loose on the weekends. NOT a great way to meet a girl you are interested in having a long-term relationship with, guys. If you are looking for casual hookups, the bars are a buffet. I'm kind of getting past that stage, but it's still fun to pull shots/dance and act a fool. Also if you have a girlfriend, keep an eye out for her at the bars, if she is at least halfway attractive it will be hard for her to go the night without some sweaty Italian from Chicago or some black dude from one of the sports teams to show up out of the blue and start grinding on her (just kidding, but seriously, be on the lookout.) I advise pre-gaming as drinks are expensive at the bars, and you feel ridiculous sitting in most of these overcrowded bars if you are sober. Personally I think it's a plus that the bars are changing so that you must be 21 to get in, but kids under 21 will disagree.

People have said that Iowa City is not "sophisticated." Personally, I don't know what criteria they are using to define "sophisticated." I find the city to be far more sophisticated than Des Moines. The city itself is much more beautiful (as is the IA campus compared to Drake,) there is a small but thriving arts and literature scene, and Iowa City consistently ranks as one of the smartest cities in the nation. It is also the most liberal city in Iowa (I don't know if liberal automatically = sophisticated, but I'm a liberal so I like to think so.) If "sophisticated" simply means "moneyed," then Iowa City certainly isn't that, but the cost of living is also quite low and, hey, if you work hard here you will surely land a well-paying job in a sophisticated city like Boston or San Fran (and isn't job location what really matters in the long run, not the place where you're spending only about 4-5 years to learn?) Sure, you have to deal with a lot of frat-rats and sports fanatics, two groups who generally don't exude sophistication, but as far as small midwestern towns with big colleges go, Iowa City is Paris.

Notice: schools with poor administrations do NOT earn the level of prominence and positive reputation that Iowa has (even publicly-funded schools.) People complain about the bureaucratic nature of Iowa's administration, but I can assure you, it is a well-run school, better than most large state schools, and that the people running the school DO know what they are doing. You may encounter some long lines and red tape here, but quite frankly, with such a large institution, you should really feel blessed with how relatively easy it is to get what you want as a student.

On the subject of professors- the students they remember the most are those who a) make an early impression on the professor and set up time to meet with them outside of class and b) who demonstrate superior knowledge of the material being taught. While this is true at any school, it especially applies to larger schools. Most professors are approachable and helpful, and even if you get one that isn't, just remember—their arrogance/bad attitude is merely setting you up for the real world, where you'll have to deal with some people like that!

Few random quick points before I finish—I love walking and everything on campus is within walking distance of the dorms, even most of the apartments (you have to allow a bit of extra time, but like I said, I love walking, so…) Weather is pretty bad, but I've from Iowa so I'm used to it. You WILL see some students here who you don't like or who don't deserve to be in school, but instead of letting them get you down, just one-up by doing better in class and leaving your own mark elsewhere on campus (getting your stories in the student newspaper, joining the comedy troupe, etc.) If you are a bright student, go for the Honors College. Iowa City is not the kind of city you would want to live in your whole life, but it is practically ideal for being a college student. Take all ten public schools from the big ten (we'll exempt the private Northwestern), throw in UC Berkeley, Washington (Seattle), UT Austin, UNC Chapel Hill, and Virginia, and you have the fifteen best public schools in the country. Iowa residents are lucky to have easy access to such a great public school, and unless you're Harvard-bound (btw, people with ugrad degrees from Iowa are definitely able to get into Harvard grad if they apply themselves), Iowa really is the best bet for IA residents. Go Hawks!