Southern Illinois University–Carbondale (SIU)

Education, business, agriculture, and aviation are among the many "strong" programs at "affordable" and "diverse" Southern Illinois University—Carbondale. "There is a great variety of classes, both in size and subject," explains a history major. "I have had class with 15 people and I have had class with 300 people." "Some professors rock while others suck," says a speech communication major. "Many are researchers who aren’t great teachers." Teaching assistants are also pervasive and "there are a lot of instructors whose primary language isn’t English." The language barriers in class are an unending source of frustration for students. On the other hand, many faculty members are "insightful and entertaining." They are "approachable" "and seem to have a genuine interest in their students." "My academic experience has been great, especially in my upper-level courses," beams a biology major. A recurrent complaint here concerns the campus infrastructure. "Roofs leak when it rains" and "many of the buildings need fixing up."

This "very friendly" campus is "very much self-segregated" ethnically but "the student population is very diverse." "You can find a little bit of everything here," says one student. "SIUC is not an elite school," explains a sophomore. "There are students of all ranges of the economic spectrum coming together and coexisting." There are "rich suburb people" from Chicago and St. Louis. There’s a strong contingent of urban kids, too. Many other students are nontraditional students, community college transfers, or "country folks" from "one-stoplight" Illinois towns. "There are students who excelled in high school and students who struggled." "There are many different styles—all the way from preppy to punk to gothic to hip-hop to pajama pants." There are "a few hippies." There are "also the super nerds." "Every group is basically covered." Politically, "SIU is pretty split between conservatives and liberals" but "nobody really rallies for any causes or anything."

Though parking can be "impossible," SIUC’s wooded campus comes complete with its own little lake and this place is "really pretty," especially in the fall. "Some amazing forest preserves and national parks" are also very close. "The outdoor life here in Southern Illinois is second to none." In addition to all the natural beauty, students can partake in a profound range of extracurricular activities. Everything from amateur radio to skydiving is available. The award-winning school newspaper is a popular rag. "Interesting" big-name speakers frequently drop in and give lectures. Frats exist but "you don’t have to go Greek to find a niche." Saluki athletics are all the rage and students are "really into school spirit." The recreational facilities are "excellent." Off-campus, Carbondale, while "smallish," is "a cool town" and "a fun place to be." "The local music scene is incredible" and you can get into bars once your I.D. says you are 19. Some students insist that the "party scene has calmed down" in recent years. "Southern isn’t as diehard as people would like to believe," they say. Others tell us that "bar crawls and wake-and-bakes" are commonplace. Whatever the case, "you can’t talk about SIUC without talking about the parties." "There are usually a few fun keggers a weekend."