The College of Lake County

Date: Jul 17 2017
Major: Anthropology (This Major's Salary over time)
Quintessentially Illinois: a Modest, Humble Environment with Strange (but Helpful) People

I came to CLC's Grayslake campus unprepared, after four years of declining grades in an underperforming football-centric public high school nearby. For my first year, I took mostly fun classes (film, history, and fencing) along with remedial math courses. That was the best idea, to my surprise. I had so much fun actually learning that I overcame myself and I came to know the faculty during office hours.

While many of my high school friends left for more prestigious schools, I used this time to develop myself. I tried to take courses in everything just to learn about the world, until I knew what I wanted to do with my life (and transfer to complete a bachelor's). Again, this was the best idea. With my broad foundation in math, science, and the humanities, along with my associate's degree, I went into education and I could not be happier for it.

The shortcomings are similar to other schools. The administration and faculty had one face to students and another to each other. There were multiple quiet scandalous events during the last fifteen years too. Also, after returning to campus to visit faculty I realized that perhaps some of my early adulthood heroes were not as great as I remember them. Nonetheless, this is actually a great place to spend two to three years while meeting general education requirements—without the costly mistakes out-of-town students make at larger schools.

The early 2000s advising staff was not great and student life was hit-or-miss; but, even in my quiet disappointed walks to my car I appreciated having the personal attention.

The old building layout seemed cozy and the new redesign feels too much like an impersonal urban mall.

My only advice for my past self would have been to complete a one-semester program in accounting, medicine (a CNA or EMT), or trades (I am including IT) to provide supplemental income after the move to finish the bachelor's degree. That would have helped so much.