Northern Illinois University is a pretty good school with a lot of good opportunities. It's kind of surrounded by cornfields, but it's close enough to Chicago to get away from that. It's been a great experience so far.
Do you have any tips for prospective students?
Get involved! There are so many great ways to get involved on campus, so take advantage of them. Check something out and make new friends! You won't be disappointed.
Do you find there’s enough academic rigor at your school?
It's pretty good academically. There are a lot of different courses you can take to challenge you. Different majors are more rigorous than others. The general education classes can be annoying if they seem to get in the way of your major. There is an Honors Program that can offer more challenging courses too.
Describe the dorm life at your college.
Dorm life is pretty cool, but make sure you call it a residence hall! There is a big campaign from the RHA (residence hall association) to make everything seem nicer, so apparently residence hall sounds better than dorm. Also, we don't have RAs (residence assistant), we have CAs (community advisers) to make it seem more friendly, like we live in a community. There are currently 5 different residence halls: Neptune, Gilbert, Grant, Stevenson, and New Hall. New Hall is the nicest one but it's also the most expensive, while Neptune is generally less appreciated but also the least expensive. Every residence hall has a dining hall connected to it except for Grant. Gilbert is reserved for upperclassmen, but everyone can eat at its dining hall.
Describe the food and dining at your college.
The food is better than most dorm food horror stories you hear. They tend to have a variety of options, but the options repeat throughout the weeks. They have really good desserts... which isn't always the best if you're trying to avoid the freshman 15. There are 4 different dining halls, each connected to a different residence hall. There are also other places to eat on campus that are not dining halls. There is a Starbucks in Gilbert (one of the residence halls), the Trident Cafe in Neptune, the Dog Pound Deli in Stevenson. There is also a Subway and a coffee shop (the college grind) in the Student Center. All places take Huskie Bucks which is money that you can put on your One Card (student ID). There is only one meal plan option for students that stay on campus, and that is just unlimited access to the dining halls. It also comes with 10 free guest passes. There is also a commuter meal plan that includes a certain number of different meals throughout the semester.
What’s there to do for fun at your college?
Northern Illinois University is located in DeKalb, which is more in the country. They have the annual Corn Fest in downtown DeKalb around September. There is also the annual Pumpkin Fest in the neighboring town of Sycamore. Downtown DeKalb has some restaurants and a few little shops, it's a small town feel. There are a lot of restaurants close to the university too. There are Huskie buses that students can take for free. They have a route that will take you to Walmart, Target, and other stores in a little shopping area about 15 minutes away. DeKalb is about an hour away from Chicago, so there is that for an escape if you need it. There is a special Huskie bus that will take you to the train station in Elburn on the weekends and from there you can take the train to Chicago.
Do you feel you’re getting value for the money you’re spending on college?
I think it's pretty good, at least for the in-state students. As an out-of-state student, it is a lot more expensive (double tuition) so you should try to establish residency if you can.
Share any unusual traditions or locations on campus
Apparently, the escalator in the library is the only escalator in the whole county.
There are university seals in the entryways of the library and the castle that you are not supposed to step on, or else it will take you longer to graduate.
There is a river that runs through campus called the Kishwaukee River. If you touch the river, you are apparently going to stay in DeKalb forever.
When the student center was built, the county fire department had to get a new ladder that would reach the height of the building.
The Duke Ellington Ballroom in the student center was one of the last places that Duke Ellington ever performed.
Are you involved in any clubs or activities?
There are a lot of ways to get involved at Northern Illinois University. They have a lot of different athletic, academic, religious, and social student organizations on campus. During the first weekend, welcome weekend, there is an involvement fair where students can go to find out about all the different clubs and activities that are available.
Are you involved in any clubs or activities?
I don't know too much about Greek life, but there are a lot of people who are involved in some sort of fraternity or sorority. There are different options for service or social fraternities. There are also some co-ed fraternities. There are a lot of opportunities.
How would you describe campus safety? Do you feel safe on campus?
The campus is pretty safe. There is a police station on campus, and there are always different police cars driving around. There are also students who can work to patrol on campus at night to make sure everyone is safe. Most people recommend to always walk with someone if you're walking at night, however, I've walked alone a lot and I've always been fine.
Northern Illinois University is a pretty good school with a lot of good opportunities. It's kind of surrounded by cornfields, but it's close enough to Chicago to get away from that. It's been a great experience so far.
Get involved! There are so many great ways to get involved on campus, so take advantage of them. Check something out and make new friends! You won't be disappointed.
It's pretty good academically. There are a lot of different courses you can take to challenge you. Different majors are more rigorous than others. The general education classes can be annoying if they seem to get in the way of your major. There is an Honors Program that can offer more challenging courses too.
Dorm life is pretty cool, but make sure you call it a residence hall! There is a big campaign from the RHA (residence hall association) to make everything seem nicer, so apparently residence hall sounds better than dorm. Also, we don't have RAs (residence assistant), we have CAs (community advisers) to make it seem more friendly, like we live in a community. There are currently 5 different residence halls: Neptune, Gilbert, Grant, Stevenson, and New Hall. New Hall is the nicest one but it's also the most expensive, while Neptune is generally less appreciated but also the least expensive. Every residence hall has a dining hall connected to it except for Grant. Gilbert is reserved for upperclassmen, but everyone can eat at its dining hall.
The food is better than most dorm food horror stories you hear. They tend to have a variety of options, but the options repeat throughout the weeks. They have really good desserts... which isn't always the best if you're trying to avoid the freshman 15. There are 4 different dining halls, each connected to a different residence hall. There are also other places to eat on campus that are not dining halls. There is a Starbucks in Gilbert (one of the residence halls), the Trident Cafe in Neptune, the Dog Pound Deli in Stevenson. There is also a Subway and a coffee shop (the college grind) in the Student Center. All places take Huskie Bucks which is money that you can put on your One Card (student ID). There is only one meal plan option for students that stay on campus, and that is just unlimited access to the dining halls. It also comes with 10 free guest passes. There is also a commuter meal plan that includes a certain number of different meals throughout the semester.
Northern Illinois University is located in DeKalb, which is more in the country. They have the annual Corn Fest in downtown DeKalb around September. There is also the annual Pumpkin Fest in the neighboring town of Sycamore. Downtown DeKalb has some restaurants and a few little shops, it's a small town feel. There are a lot of restaurants close to the university too. There are Huskie buses that students can take for free. They have a route that will take you to Walmart, Target, and other stores in a little shopping area about 15 minutes away. DeKalb is about an hour away from Chicago, so there is that for an escape if you need it. There is a special Huskie bus that will take you to the train station in Elburn on the weekends and from there you can take the train to Chicago.
I think it's pretty good, at least for the in-state students. As an out-of-state student, it is a lot more expensive (double tuition) so you should try to establish residency if you can.
Apparently, the escalator in the library is the only escalator in the whole county. There are university seals in the entryways of the library and the castle that you are not supposed to step on, or else it will take you longer to graduate. There is a river that runs through campus called the Kishwaukee River. If you touch the river, you are apparently going to stay in DeKalb forever. When the student center was built, the county fire department had to get a new ladder that would reach the height of the building. The Duke Ellington Ballroom in the student center was one of the last places that Duke Ellington ever performed.
There are a lot of ways to get involved at Northern Illinois University. They have a lot of different athletic, academic, religious, and social student organizations on campus. During the first weekend, welcome weekend, there is an involvement fair where students can go to find out about all the different clubs and activities that are available.
I don't know too much about Greek life, but there are a lot of people who are involved in some sort of fraternity or sorority. There are different options for service or social fraternities. There are also some co-ed fraternities. There are a lot of opportunities.
The campus is pretty safe. There is a police station on campus, and there are always different police cars driving around. There are also students who can work to patrol on campus at night to make sure everyone is safe. Most people recommend to always walk with someone if you're walking at night, however, I've walked alone a lot and I've always been fine.