The classes are challenging in a great way. The staff are more than willing to explain complicated concepts in many different ways until students tell them they understand.
Do you enjoy the experience at your school?
I have hardly met anyone that I have not liked and could not see being friends with. I had no trouble making new friends within the first week. We hang out on an almost daily basis, and have not had a dull encounter yet. The staff are inviting, crazy in a good way, and passionate about their individual subject area. Whenever you run into one of them, he or she is happy to get to know you as you, not just as one of their students, but as a future colleague and friend. I am still getting used to calling them by their first name (which they all prefer) after calling all of my teachers in grade/high school by their Mr. and Mrs. titles.
Do you feel you’re getting value for the money you’re spending on college?
The school may seem expensive, but for the private setting and all the resources you have at your disposal, it is well worth it. Every upperclassman that I have talked to already has a job lined up before they graduate. Since the staff are not only educators, but also work in the career paths they preach about, they can use their connections to help their students get their own careers. With the economy the way it is, I would say that any school that practically guarantees employment immediately after graduation is well worth the price.
Do you have any tips for prospective students?
Make sure to make friends both in and outside of your major. Conferring with other students while doing homework and group study sessions are a great way to understand material and get homework done. Having these connections will not only help getting assignments done, but after you graduate these friends can help get you jobs in your field if you decide to go a more freelance route.
Also, make sure to take advantage of Student Instruction sessions. In these, students who took the class previously go over the same material from a student perspective. Even if you understand everything the teacher said, it's still a great way to get a well-rounded understanding from the basics (and it forces you to study for the tests and quizzes).
Go to the Harold Washington Library near the University Center and CVS. In my opinion, its nine floors are far superior to the school's library. As an added bonus the massive amounts of research material, there are movies and CDs you can check out on the ground level, sheet music and practice rooms on the 8th floor, and a beautiful lounge on the top level if you take the escalator toward the back of the building. It's a great place to study and use the free wifi. Oh, and did I meantion that you can check out the movies and sheet music free of charge with a library card! Just make sure to return them on time.
Which types of students will excel at your college?
If you have an artistic and open mind. You have to be able to accept every kind of people for who they are and not judge. You won't fit in otherwise. It's such an inviting and accepting atmosphere; I have never found a more accepting place. You have to be willing to do the work and be passionate about what you are studying.
The classes are challenging in a great way. The staff are more than willing to explain complicated concepts in many different ways until students tell them they understand.
I have hardly met anyone that I have not liked and could not see being friends with. I had no trouble making new friends within the first week. We hang out on an almost daily basis, and have not had a dull encounter yet. The staff are inviting, crazy in a good way, and passionate about their individual subject area. Whenever you run into one of them, he or she is happy to get to know you as you, not just as one of their students, but as a future colleague and friend. I am still getting used to calling them by their first name (which they all prefer) after calling all of my teachers in grade/high school by their Mr. and Mrs. titles.
The school may seem expensive, but for the private setting and all the resources you have at your disposal, it is well worth it. Every upperclassman that I have talked to already has a job lined up before they graduate. Since the staff are not only educators, but also work in the career paths they preach about, they can use their connections to help their students get their own careers. With the economy the way it is, I would say that any school that practically guarantees employment immediately after graduation is well worth the price.
Make sure to make friends both in and outside of your major. Conferring with other students while doing homework and group study sessions are a great way to understand material and get homework done. Having these connections will not only help getting assignments done, but after you graduate these friends can help get you jobs in your field if you decide to go a more freelance route. Also, make sure to take advantage of Student Instruction sessions. In these, students who took the class previously go over the same material from a student perspective. Even if you understand everything the teacher said, it's still a great way to get a well-rounded understanding from the basics (and it forces you to study for the tests and quizzes). Go to the Harold Washington Library near the University Center and CVS. In my opinion, its nine floors are far superior to the school's library. As an added bonus the massive amounts of research material, there are movies and CDs you can check out on the ground level, sheet music and practice rooms on the 8th floor, and a beautiful lounge on the top level if you take the escalator toward the back of the building. It's a great place to study and use the free wifi. Oh, and did I meantion that you can check out the movies and sheet music free of charge with a library card! Just make sure to return them on time.
If you have an artistic and open mind. You have to be able to accept every kind of people for who they are and not judge. You won't fit in otherwise. It's such an inviting and accepting atmosphere; I have never found a more accepting place. You have to be willing to do the work and be passionate about what you are studying.