I
spent three years as an undergrad Communication major at DePaul.
My experiences with different aspects of the school are varied,
so I will break it down for you: Education: Class
size is generally between 20-40 people. The higher the class
level, the smaller the class will be. Most of the
teachers I've had are extremely intelligent and excited about their
subject matter, but that doesn't always translate into being a
good teacher. Some wonderful exceptions include Matt Irvine, Deborah Tudor,
Toby Arquette, and Tim Cole in the Communications Department. Avoid
Ken Bill at all costs — he is incredibly rude
and unhelpful.
DePaul is on the quarter system, and their
general education classes include a lot of filler that doesn't
transfer over to other schools, i.e. “Discover Chicago,” “Sophomore Seminar,”
etc. Tuition is steep — for the amount I dropped
here, I expected a much better quality education. I wish
I had transferred to Northeastern sooner — I'm getting a
better quality education here for a tiny fraction of the
price.
Offices: Very few people in DePaul's offices (parking, admissions,
ID services, housing, etc) actually know how to do their
jobs. Expect to be given the runaround every time you
need to visit an office, because your issue is not
their problem and they don't know who to actually refer
you to. Speak to a higher up if you can
to minimize your time wasted.
People: Most people are commuter
students from the surrounding city and suburbs. I never got
a sense of community at this school like I did
when I visited friends at their schools. People stare straight
ahead when they walk down the halls, no one wants
to make friends in classes, and in general, people don't
talk to people that don't look like them. The people
that join sports and clubs are the people that live
on campus and can afford the time for it. I'm
generalizing here, but the majority of students come from sheltered
suburban lifestyles and think they're getting a taste of “big
city life” in Lincoln Park. Having grown up in Chicago,
some of the naive comments I heard in multicultural and
sociology classes were laughable, though I suppose these students just
don't know any better.
Neighborhood: Lincoln Park is an attractive
neighborhood, yes, but my friends and I have a saying:
“no one from Chicago lives in Lincoln Park.” There are
a lot of beautiful parks, but there is also a
Starbucks on every corner and an underage bar every three
feet. It feels very bland and gentrified. If you're a
commuter student and don't want to pay $570 a year
for parking, you'll be circling the neighborhood for a while
and then walking half a mile to your classes. Take
the train, the Brown Line and Red Line both stop
at Fullerton. Classes are in several different buildings, so walking
four blocks to your next class in the blowing snow
isn't fun. Don't take classes in McGaw Hall if you
want to avoid this, this eyesore of a building is
on Halsted and Fullerton while most of the other classroom
building are centered around Belden and Kenmore/Clifton.
Fitness Center: This
is probably one of my favorite parts of DePaul. The
Ray Meyer is better than any gym you will join
after graduation — it is gigantic, clean, well-maintained, and aesthetically
attractive. There is a juice bar and sandwich shop on
the ground floor, an Olympic sized lap pool, a basketball
court on the third floor, and an elevated track running
above the courts with a fantastic view of the city
skyline.
Food: Food is in the student center, not bad
tasting but a little overpriced. You can get the same
cheeseburger for $3 cheaper at Branko's on Fullerton. I personally
think their “Bean Blend” coffee smells like armpits and has
the worst aftertaste known to man. Nooo thank you.
Every
school is what you want to make of it, but
in general, I did not like it here. It is
a very attractive campus, but people aren't friendly and I
feel education is very average. If you're paying your own
way through college, go somewhere more affordable so you don't
end up with crazy student loans and a mediocre education
to show for it.