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Southern Illinois University - Carbondale

How this student rated the school
Educational QualityF Faculty AccessibilityF
Useful SchoolworkB+ Excess CompetitionD
Academic SuccessF Creativity/ InnovationF
Individual ValueB- University Resource UseD
Campus Aesthetics/ BeautyA- FriendlinessB
Campus MaintenanceD+ Social LifeB-
Surrounding CityA- Extra CurricularsC-
SafetyF
Describes the student body as:

Describes the faculty as:

Female
Not so bright
Lowest Rating
Educational Quality
F
Highest Rating
Campus Aesthetics/ Beauty
A-
She cares more about Faculty Accessibility than the average student.
Date: Sep 20 2012
Major: Other (This Major's Salary over time)
I'm going to begin by saying that I don't actually go to SIU, but honestly I have had so much experience with it that I'm willing to offer some advice for those considering it/those who are already there.

I was born and raised in Carbondale; both my parents were lecturers at the university for a very long time, and a lot of my friends currently go to SIU, because it is quite cheap and convenient for them. The thing about SIU is that it's a pretty shitty school. Not all majors are complete crap, but most of them are. I can't name off the top of my head the best programs, but there are some, which should make the choice worthwhile. The departments that aren't the main focus in SIU are pretty shitty. Basically, SIU is known for some really top notch grad programs, but the undergrad programs have been suffering for a very, very long time.

The general requirements are total jokes. You'll probably be thrown into a large lecture. One of my friends says that she no longer bothers to show up to one of her lectures because there are so many people, and all they do is read through a powerpoint for an hour, and this powerpoint is also available online. My mother worked for the Spanish department, and she said that the classrooms were horrible (drafty, leaky in the rain, falling apart) and that the administration didn't even have enough money to supply her classroom with folders, or candy for days like Cinco de Mayo. The departments that are left mostly unattended are run by incompetent fools, and they have few resources. My mother spent most of her time wheeling around an out of date TV from other departments in order to show videos.

The people who run the school are basically a bunch of idiots. You may think that this will not affect you, but it will. SIU basically has absolutely no money, yet they mindlessly spend it on things they think they need. Recently, they dropped a couple million dollars on just changing their letterhead. I can understand this from a school that has money, but SIU barely has any. The dorms are gross and small and badly lit, and there is virtually no parking because it is all left up to a lottery system. They recently tore down their too-small parking garage, but they still haven't finished making the new one, so parking is even more limited. They fire lecturers and professors left and right, and teachers are constantly being underpaid. They invest way too much of their money in sports, hoping that it will up their chances of recruiting more students, but the teams here basically suck, so it's just a lot of wasted money that could be going towards bettering academics.

Since SIU has such a small amount of money coming in, they take some pretty dumb people. Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of really smart people at SIU, but there are also a lot of dumb asses. Most of the people I know didn't even properly complete their applications, and they still got in. SIU will basically take anyone who is willing to give them money, so your general classes might be filled with a bunch of fools. I'm sure if you go into the honors program this won't be the case, but there are a lot of people at SIU who just aren't so bright.

The thing about SIU is that a lot of people from the suburbs of Chicago come here, though I'm not sure why. There are also a lot of people from the Carbondale High School, and hopefully you will meet many of these people, because they are some of the coolest and down to earth people you will meet. The out of town kids mostly bring on the partying vibe that SIU is sort of known for. The parties can be pretty great, depending on where you go. I know that there is a large club/bar scene since you can get in when you're 19, but there are also plenty of pretty epic house parties. There are whole rows of streets on the downtown side of Carbondale devoted completely to this reckless abandon, and you can almost always find a bumping party on the weekends. When it comes to parties, SIU kids really know what they're doing, and as long as you're into that, you'll be okay. The academic feel of SIU is basically nonexistent, so if you're completely opposed to partying constantly and not giving a shit about your grades, then please go somewhere else. There is not much to do beyond parties.

Carbondale is sort of a crummy town, though I love it. For those of you who don't like the party scene, there's not much to do, but there are some things you can do. Carbondale and the surrounding hamlets (Giant City and Makanda) are absolutely gorgeous. There's lots of greenery and great flora and fauna, and while the seasons are bipolar and maddening, the overall weather can be quite nice. You can go hiking in Giant City, and the roads are biker friendly, if you're into that. I personally love riding around in Makanda, because there are plenty of hills and curves and just great views. In Carbondale, there is a plethora of cheap chain restaurants, your typical shopping mall, a couple movie theaters, and sometimes the devout townspeople have fairs and activities in town square. But… that's basically it. If you don't mingle well with the idiots who go to SIU, and you like just having a good, chill time, I recommend going down to the Makanda boardwalk to shoot some hoops with the local hippies. While there are some incompetent assholes all around Carbondale, there are plenty of really cool, interesting people, too.

SIU should not be anyone's dream school, unless they plan on getting alcohol poisoning a few times. If you have a solid network of friends, SIU won't be unbearable, but be aware of the lack of focus there is, and the emphasis on wasting parents' money, and partying constantly. Carbondale can be a cool place if you're looking in the right places, so try to keep an open mind. But for a focus on academics, I really wouldn't recommend it.

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