Indiana Wesleyan University

Date: Sep 07 2012
Major: Art & Design Department (This Major's Salary over time)
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.