Learning a Lot: My brain actually hurts from learning new things. But in a good way.
Do you enjoy the experience at your school?
Enjoying Being Here Because: Every activity is open to any and every person who would like to participate, no matter whether it is related to your major or not--no matter whether you are a full-time student or part-time, no matter your age. That means that a Accounting major could get the lead in the play, an Bio-Chem double major could be the star of the softball team, & a Vocal Music major could be the college bowl team captain. Same goes for student politics, publications, & social organizations. That means I end up making friends with every kind of personality & outlook. (But if a recruiter asks, I claim that I am trying to expand my horizons by trying things I've never done before in life & find out what I like.) Most of these activities are free, too!
Do you feel you’re getting value for the money you’re spending on college?
Bang for the Buck: The onsite campus cafeteria is yummy & excellent. They always have 2 warm meal options, including vegan options, and 4 cold meal options available for EVERY meal time. (Most students underestimate the importance of a good school cafeteria before choosing which school to attend.) You are paying for the actual professors to who -Love- to teach & never get a teaching assistant. All of my professors know me by my 1st name & notice if I attend class or not. Other students take an active interest in helping you succeed too. The campus is tree-lined & compact, so no car is needed to get between classes. I like the architecture of several of the classroom buildings. Downside: Some of the oldest buildings are not handicapped-accessible (and 1 has no running water because it was built when Abe Lincoln was alive & its now on the national register of historic buildings). The on-campus housing is hit & miss. Some dorms are amazing & others are run-down, but new ones are under construction this semester & the old ones are about to be renovated, so hopefully all housing will be good quality soon. The tuition is a little pricier than most, but you definitely get more personal attention than a state-run university which translates into more of your homework making sense to you more of the time.
Do you have any tips for prospective students?
Tips for Prospective Students: (1.) Don't be like me: I went to college for 4 years and ended up dropping-out. I put social activities ahead of homework & ended up running out of financial aid before I could complete my degree. I then had to go back to my hometown & get a real job meaning minimum wage. For 11 years. I am now dropping-back-in & WILL be finishing my degree this semester (finally!). I hope you can learn from my bad example & do a better job for yourself. (2.) My advice: If you are capable of getting an A or a B in a particular class, do it. Don't settle for the easy C. You never know when the next class will actually be hard for you & the best you can do won't be good enough to make the GPA requirements. That will put you in a tough spot when you have to re-take a particular class and won't be able to fit all your other classes into the same schedule. (3.) Don't feel bad if some things at college are easy for you and other things are hard for you. That's life. Just do your best on the things you can do well & become excellent when you can. (4.) You know how James Earl Jones stated If you build it, they will come? Well I have another adage for you: It is never too late to get it right in life. Never. I am living proof that if you don't give up, you will succeed.
Which types of students will excel at your college?
Great for These Types of Students: People who really like to learn. People who really like a home-style atmosphere (but without YOUR parents). Downside: You have to be willing to tolerate the small town mentality that it is literally possible for every other student to know who you are & everything that you are doing during your time at school. Good news though, we are all adults here & most people are more interested in themselves, their homework, & their social activities so they will leave you alone. Ironic note: This school is affiliated with a specific church (The Christian Church--Disciples of Christ) which means you actually get to have a Christmas concert at Christmas (instead of a winter concert) & there are no hypocritical statements about being non-denominational while clearly preferring to celebrate one particular religious tradition over all the others. As a non-practicing Jewish-Mormon-Humanist with many non-traditional LGBT, Muslim, Buddist, Atheist, LARP, & Vegan friends, I find this very refreshing. And the religious affiliation at Eureka College strikes the perfect balance: It is there to support and honor those who wish to pursue a ministry-related education in its chosen religious tradition, but for the rest of us it truly respects & tolerates our differences & doesn't try to convert us or even engage us unless we seek it out ourselves. Welcome to Eureka College.
Learning a Lot: My brain actually hurts from learning new things. But in a good way.
Enjoying Being Here Because: Every activity is open to any and every person who would like to participate, no matter whether it is related to your major or not--no matter whether you are a full-time student or part-time, no matter your age. That means that a Accounting major could get the lead in the play, an Bio-Chem double major could be the star of the softball team, & a Vocal Music major could be the college bowl team captain. Same goes for student politics, publications, & social organizations. That means I end up making friends with every kind of personality & outlook. (But if a recruiter asks, I claim that I am trying to expand my horizons by trying things I've never done before in life & find out what I like.) Most of these activities are free, too!
Bang for the Buck: The onsite campus cafeteria is yummy & excellent. They always have 2 warm meal options, including vegan options, and 4 cold meal options available for EVERY meal time. (Most students underestimate the importance of a good school cafeteria before choosing which school to attend.) You are paying for the actual professors to who -Love- to teach & never get a teaching assistant. All of my professors know me by my 1st name & notice if I attend class or not. Other students take an active interest in helping you succeed too. The campus is tree-lined & compact, so no car is needed to get between classes. I like the architecture of several of the classroom buildings. Downside: Some of the oldest buildings are not handicapped-accessible (and 1 has no running water because it was built when Abe Lincoln was alive & its now on the national register of historic buildings). The on-campus housing is hit & miss. Some dorms are amazing & others are run-down, but new ones are under construction this semester & the old ones are about to be renovated, so hopefully all housing will be good quality soon. The tuition is a little pricier than most, but you definitely get more personal attention than a state-run university which translates into more of your homework making sense to you more of the time.
Tips for Prospective Students: (1.) Don't be like me: I went to college for 4 years and ended up dropping-out. I put social activities ahead of homework & ended up running out of financial aid before I could complete my degree. I then had to go back to my hometown & get a real job meaning minimum wage. For 11 years. I am now dropping-back-in & WILL be finishing my degree this semester (finally!). I hope you can learn from my bad example & do a better job for yourself. (2.) My advice: If you are capable of getting an A or a B in a particular class, do it. Don't settle for the easy C. You never know when the next class will actually be hard for you & the best you can do won't be good enough to make the GPA requirements. That will put you in a tough spot when you have to re-take a particular class and won't be able to fit all your other classes into the same schedule. (3.) Don't feel bad if some things at college are easy for you and other things are hard for you. That's life. Just do your best on the things you can do well & become excellent when you can. (4.) You know how James Earl Jones stated If you build it, they will come? Well I have another adage for you: It is never too late to get it right in life. Never. I am living proof that if you don't give up, you will succeed.
Great for These Types of Students: People who really like to learn. People who really like a home-style atmosphere (but without YOUR parents). Downside: You have to be willing to tolerate the small town mentality that it is literally possible for every other student to know who you are & everything that you are doing during your time at school. Good news though, we are all adults here & most people are more interested in themselves, their homework, & their social activities so they will leave you alone. Ironic note: This school is affiliated with a specific church (The Christian Church--Disciples of Christ) which means you actually get to have a Christmas concert at Christmas (instead of a winter concert) & there are no hypocritical statements about being non-denominational while clearly preferring to celebrate one particular religious tradition over all the others. As a non-practicing Jewish-Mormon-Humanist with many non-traditional LGBT, Muslim, Buddist, Atheist, LARP, & Vegan friends, I find this very refreshing. And the religious affiliation at Eureka College strikes the perfect balance: It is there to support and honor those who wish to pursue a ministry-related education in its chosen religious tradition, but for the rest of us it truly respects & tolerates our differences & doesn't try to convert us or even engage us unless we seek it out ourselves. Welcome to Eureka College.