Illinois State University Top Questions

There are so many great aspects of Illinois State! I absolutely love it here. I thought it would be a huge adjustment coming to such a large school because I came from a very small town where I graduated with only 37 people in my class. ISU is large, but the student body is so unified and the campus really has that hometown feel that I love. It makes me feel like I belong, and I absolutely love the amount of redbird spirit that we have here. The atmosphere surrounding the university is just right. It has that "college town" atmosphere with plenty of places to eat, little shops, a CVS, book stores, or anything else you might need right within walking distance. Even better, if it isn't within walking distance (like Wal-Mart), the city buses are free for students! Academically, it is also great because there are resources for anything and everything you might need, our library is great, and if someone cannot help you, he or she will help you find the person who can!

I love ISU; I think it has just the right amount of people, around 20,000. I like that there are always new people to meet, yet once you start meeting people it's nice to see familiar faces around the quad. The reactions of people when I tell them I go to ISU depends on who it is and their point of view; some that attend community colleges say that "I'm fancy" and that I'm going to a nice school. With others you can tell they assumed that it's not as prestigious as other universities. But I am definitely proud to be a redbird; I LOVE it here. I think about the other schools I could have gone to, but one thing that got me to come here was the quad and overall setting. I love that all the main buildings are around the quad and fairly quick to get to, especially when you are running late it's nice that it only takes about 10 to get where you need. Also, I joined a sorority this year and can't imagine being without all of them. I spend most of my time either in my dorm (hopping from room to room or hanging in the lounge), and we're all pretty close on my floor, or else going to friends' dorms or appartments. There is school pride, but I don't think it's anything special.

I love Illinois State. I get exceptional help from my counselors and faculty advisers. I have never had a teacher that did not want to help me succeed. There are so many resources to help you get your education- like the FREE Julian Visor Tutoring Center, study groups, and a great staff of librarians. If you take advantage of your counselors, faculty and advisers there is absolutely no reason you should not succeed. Besides the amazing faculty, I love Illinois States' campus. So many things are happening on our Quad every day. There are Quidditch practices (yes, from Harry Potter), art displays, even animals shelter adoption days! Not even 3 blocks off the quad, there is uptown normal which was newly renovated. It has a gorgeous circle where I like to sit and eat my lunch in the spring, shops, cafes, and restaurants. It's perfect for when you start to get tired of the dining hall food. Another great thing is that there are soooo many RSO's (Registered Student Organizations)- which is basically just all the clubs on campus. And if you can not find a RSO that matches your interests (which I doubt, because there are hundreds!), you just create your own! There is no reason to feel isolated at ISU, everyone is friendly and they want you to be involved! You get to decide how much.

I really like this school. The teaching program is really good, although hard, it adequately prepares students for teaching. I also really like the campus, is small so you can walk every where, but big enough that you don't see the same people every day. One thing I wish I could change is the school spirit, not many people go to sporting events and school pride doesn't seem to be at the top of everyone's list. I spend a lot of time in the Bone Student Center or just hanging out around in the dorms. There are a lot of places to study or hangout which makes studying great so you aren't always in the same place. There is also always something to do. Student organizations always have events planned that are almost always fun and interesting to go to. I've also had great experiences with almost all of my teachers and professors. It's also very safe, I've never felt concerned or worried about walking anywhere at any time of day. The majority of the complaints I have heard are usually about the dorms. Whether it's the food or the bathrooms there always seems to be something. But I think you will get that anywhere you go! Overall ISU is a great school and I wouldn't change my decision to go here at all!

I have grown to love Illinois State University in my four years here. The school has a large student body, so you are able to meet a variety of different people. However, unlike big schools, you are able to have one-on-one contact with your teacher if you are struggling in a class. My favorite thing about Illinois State is that I was able to join different clubs, rush a sorority, take unique classes that interested me, and also receive the education that I needed in order to be successful.

To me, the best thing about ISU is the campus. The quad is beautiful and everything is within a 1-10 minute walk. There is on and off campus housing very close to academic buildings, and a couple of stores on one side of campus as well as the beautiful and convenient Uptown Normal with restaurants, bars, record stores, etc. Once you are off campus, you might never know that you were in a college town. Normal is very well-developed and is by no means a "middle of nowhere" or "nothing" town, but feels more like a suburb. There are plenty of things to do and places to go, and many places have student discounts. They really aren't lying when they say that ISU has a "small school feel" and "large school opportunities". Anything you'd like to achieve during your college career, you can do here. There is an awesome study abroad program, career help center, new fitness center, a vast array of majors, and everyone (administration and students) is incredibly friendly and helpful.

I love ISU and I'm glad I decided to attend this school. Though there are about 20,000 students, the classroom sizes are small, which allows professors to really have a one on one connection with their students. ISU is also very diverse. I've meet people from different backgrounds and experiences all the time. ISU gives students the opportunity to get involved around campus and the community. If your interested in created your own student organization, that not already provided, ISU will give you the proper resources to start your own. Every student here has the opportunity to feel a part of this school and feel like they have a family away from home. It's very important to stay involve I cannot stress that enough. It will makes your college experience that much enjoyable. Going to class alone will not do.

The best thing about ISU is that the campus is the perfect size. We have a campus where you get to experience the feeling of being in a big university, but at the same time the community is very tight knit. Our quad is beautiful with every different kind of tree native to Illinois. It is also perfect because all but one of the academic buildings are located right in the quad. As a resident of the Watterson Towers, the most frequent students complaints that I hear are the elevators that only stop on every 3rd floor, but trust me, its not that big of a deal.

It was an adjustment for me coming to ISU, but being a senior and looking back on my experience, I have to say I love this college! The great thing about ISU is that you have a large student group with the enrollment being around 25,000, but the campus is so compact and easy to get around. It is almost like you get the best of both worlds with a large school and a smaller campus feel! I have also grown to love Bloomington-Normal. Uptown Normal has so many cute shops and restaurants. Pub II is also uptown, and that is a classic pub students and alumni love. The great thing about ISU and the surrounding town and campus is that they are doing a ton of renovations and improvements. Every fall they have corn fest uptown, and there are also concerts that will come to the US Cellular Coliseum in downtown Bloomington. Downtown Bloomington also has a few cute boutiques, but it is mostly known for the bar scene. This is right by Illinois Wesleyan's campus, and is fun if you enjoy going out. The one thing I would change about ISU is the school spirit, and the football. Although students enjoy tailgating, actual football games tend to be a little on the boring side according to many students. There is a lot of school pride here, we love Reggie the Redbird and love campus life! We also love our football team, students just seem to support them outside the stadium! The best thing about this school, in my opinion, is how accessible the professors are. At many bigger universities, there may be more of a tendency for TA's or grad students to teach classes often, but here it is not like that at all. Other than the few larger lectures you will take for a few of the gen eds, the classes are smaller in size and the professors work with you as much as you would like them to.

I seriously LOVE this school. I love that there are soooooo many opportunities here, for anyone and for whatever you're into! I feel that the staff here really wants to help their students. There are tons of organizations to get involved with and tons of activities to do on any given day. There is a WalMart and a mall that the Bloomington-Normal buses will take you to, which is all that really matters to me as far as travel goes. lol The campus is beautiful and there are plenty of little shops in Uptown Normal to check out. I often find that I end up "hanging out" with my friends in Watterson dining center because 1. everyone needs to eat and 2. we don't have to go out somewhere and PAY for our food. We end up eating then just staying there for over an hour just socializing and having a good time enjoying one another's company. I have very few complaints about ISU. One is that sometimes registering for classes can be a pain, especially when you are a freshman because you have last priority for picking your classes, but advisers are really helpful with that aspect. Also, I hear sporting events lack student support/spirit (which I believe because I mean, I don't even go to the games really). I think this is something that could change though. Sometimes with me, I just get caught up in doing my own thing that I don't even think about the sporting events; besides I've never been a big sports fanatic anyway. But go with some good friends and I'm sure the games are good & fun; make sure if you do go that YOU are showing all your redbird pride and spirit so that others will follow you!