Southern Illinois University - Carbondale

Date: Sep 19 2010
Major: PreDent and Dentistry (This Major's Salary over time)
I'm unsure as to whether many people actually read this site, but if you are looking at this site and either looking for information on the University or are trying to decide if it's a good school for you to go to, I will provide a review that I hope will provide you with more than "this place sucks" or "I love it here." Here are some facts: People who would take the time to comment or "review" something, generally are going to be the few who are most dissatisfied with their experience with something. This is a fact, backed by research. It is also true that everyone has their own experience, but when people say something, the truth lies somewhere in the middle. People will say "this place is garbage" or "this place is amazing in every way" for literally EVERY university you look at on this site. Generally, they are neither of the two extremes. Keep these things in mind before looking at these reviews.

Now about my experience. I had the opportunity to go to many different schools, including schools in California, Big Ten schools, and private liberal arts schools. I chose SIU because their Microbiology program is highly regarded and I had a large group of friends who went there. Just about every person I met there was the valedictorian/salutatorian/ in the top 5 of their classes. Nearly all of my close peers went on to Law, Optometry, Medical, Pharmacy or other professional schools all over the country. I found that my program took itself very seriously. Classes were challenging, and you had to know your stuff VERY well.

Well, you must not have been too bright then

, you might think. Well, after I attended SIU I went to a graduate program ranked 3rd in the nation, which only accepts 10-12 people per year to attend. Although I took classes which I had never taken before,including many undergraduate courses, or courses which were at a high, graduate level, I found that I excelled easily. In fact, I was more prepared than the majority of the students in the undergrad department AND in the grad department. I then went on to gain acceptance to professional school, and I have found that I am just as prepared, or more so, than most of the students in my courses. I would venture to say that SIU is a highly underrated school which provides a quality education. Let's be honest, if you're not at any IVY League school, where you go doesn't really matter. Most schools are ranked based on their GRADUATE programs, and the rankings are so meaningless in terms of actual education they should be done away with anyway.

In terms of life outside of academia, Carbondale is a decent place, but I wouldn't say that it is my favorite place in the state, either. The people here are some of the most friendly, laid back and down to earth people you will meet at any of the state colleges, and I can say that with sincerity because I have visited them all multiple times. Just like anywhere, you will meet slackers, you will meet arrogant jerks, and you will meet really friendly people. That's the way the world works. It's not any different here. My overall feeling is that people are less pretentious and much more open to meeting newer people, but again, that was my experience and mine only. Good aspects include its close proximity to St. Louis (about 1.5 hrs), its great variety of natural activities to take part in, and its great weather. However, there isn't as much money in the town as there is in other Southern Illinois towns, so some areas are run down, but it's not any different from the other state school towns. I have visited all the state schools, and I would say it's second best next to Champaign or Bloomington (which I would say are nearly equal) but superior to Dekalb and far beyond WIU or EIU's home towns. It's a college, town… end of story. The weather is much more mild than other areas of the state, which I personally loved. They are making much progress in updating the campus and athletic facilities. Their new library, athletic stadiums and buildings are simply stunning.

Overall, SIU is a solid school. It's not Harvard, of course (where else is??), but it isn't Hellhole-U either. You can come here, meet fantastic, friendly people and get a solid education that will prepare you for life after college, as long as YOU make the most of it. If you come here with a poor attitude, don't make an effort to meet new people, don't focus on your schoolwork, and blame everyone else for your problems, like it seems many others here have, than of course you won't be happy, but I can promise you won't be happy anywhere else either, and that's a fact.