Northern Illinois University

Date: Sep 06 2011
Major: Accounting (This Major's Salary over time)
Please read this comment if you are seriously considering going to school here. It will be well worth the few minutes it takes to read this.

The only programs worth taking here are Accountancy, Nursing, Physical Therapy and a few others. These programs are nationally ranked, when you graduate you'll definately have no problem finding a job. NIU does a pretty good job of helping you find job placement via networking meeting, conferences, job fairs, student services job placement, etc.

The nightlife here is non-existent. The only bars in town worth going to are Molly's and Starbusters. And both those bars don't match up to anything in Chicago or any Big 10 size school. Everyone on campus takes off on Thursday night and usually doesn't return until Monday morning. It's what they call a "Communiversity."

Greek life is kinda of big around here, there's lots of different fraternities and sororities to join. Mostly white and black greek orgs. There's a few minority greeks here and there.

The football program here is pretty good, we can compete with Big 10 programs. It's been getting progressively better. Alot of the campus revolves around the football team, if were doing well, that usually means more people will stick around for the weekend, more parties, socializing, etc.

Expect to see alot of black people at this school. This has to be one of the most crime-ridden-ghetto schools out there. I have fond memories of dodging bullets, and running for my life at NIU. i.e. My senior year my apartment was riddled with bullets from drug dealers and gang members who were seeking retaliation for a deal gone awry(Rushmoore and Ridge Drive). Thank god that my roommates and I weren't at the apt. There had to be at least 3 gun related crimes on my block alone that year. There have been numerous murders, suicides, gun crimes, etc. in/around University Village and Greek Row. i.e. A girl named Antinette Keller was brutally murdered and raped last fall (2010). The city and university police had no idea who it was for weeks and the entire campus was on alert. I along with everyone I knew feared for their lives. I can tell you countless stories like this. If you don't believe me and think I'm bullshitting. Just google it. You can find countless articles about the crime in Dekalb. (Here is one link of many you can find online, this one from the student newspaper). One of the most disturbing things I ever seen in my life was when, Steven Kazmierczak shot an entire auditorium full of people. I had to see people suffer first-hand from gunshot wounds, not a pleasant memory. Try to avoid the cops if you can, they don't like putting up with college kids. I've seen alot of police corruption first-hand. Google "Chief Donald Grady" and you can read more about it.

If I had to do it all over again, I would have studied my ass off in high school and went to a public ivy or ivy league university/college. I would not have gone to NIU.