The University of Illinois Urbana - Champaign

Date: Jan 23 2015
Major: Biology (This Major's Salary over time)
I had a pretty negative experience at this university. Things went well for the first year or two. During those years I dealt with the typical adjustment issues coming from high school work to more challenging college level course work. There are resources available for students to get help outside of the classroom, so I utilized those and was able to maintain fairly decent grades. During the last two years things changed. I began dealing with some personal and family issues, and this is when I began to see the other face of the university faculty and staff. When I struggled in class professors were unavailable or disinterested and cold when they were available. There's an overwhelming attitude of superiority floating around this campus and professors seem to be more interested in their research than with how students are doing in their course. What I realized is that this school only caters to traditional students. If things are going well for you, you will see a positive side of the university. The moment you experience any change or adversity you will see the hoops you have to jump through to get back on a level playing field with the other students. The MCB exams are riddled with trick questions and these classes have definitely earned their infamous title of being "weed-out" classes. Every science class that I took required a ridiculous grading curve because most students in the course would fail every exam. Overall, I don't feel that this university cares about it's students. You are welcome as long as much isn't required of the faculty and staff, but when you need them for the assistance that they are being paid to give you get nothing but shrugs and eye rolls. The people who work in the career center for pre-health majors are incredibly arrogant and not helpful. I was constantly being treated as if I should feel lucky to be there when really it was them who should be showing gratitude toward the students that the school is open and running for through a positive attitude when asked for help. It sucks to feel like tens of thousands of dollars have been wasted when I could have attended more prestigious and more nurturing schools. THIS UNIVERSITY IS NOT STUDENT FOCUSED.