Eastern Illinois University: An Honest Review of This State University

Eastern Illinois University has gotten a lot of publicity in recent months, thanks to the NFL. That's right! The NFL currently has 3 head coaches that all hail from EIU. Not to mention, Tony Romo who won a starting job for Dallas this year, along with the hearts of the Cowboy faithful. Mike Shanahan has been the head coach for the Denver Broncos for a while now, while Brad Childress (Minnesota Vikings) and Sean Payton (New Orleans Saints) are currently in their first years as head coaches. In fact, Payton just received Coach of the Year honors and is considered one of the best young coaches in the league. He led the New Orleans Saints to the NFC title game and looks to have a great team for next year.

But, lets talk about the underlying story of Easter Illinois University. As an alumni of this school, I can tell you that it is an outstanding school which doesn't always get the recognition it deserves. It has a very comfortable feel to it as a whole and campus life has something to offer every student. It is not a very large school, but that's what makes it EIU! Once you have a semester or two under your belt, you can literally go anywhere on campus and see someone you know or have met in previous classes. In addition to that, class sizes remain right around the mid 30's. In that respect, it is much like high school. I can think of only one class where I had more than 40 students in the room, and that was a seminar style class. If you need help from one of your instructors or professors, they are always readily available to help you. They know you by name and are very friendly. You can't put a price on that kind of individual attention, and you won't find that at the larger institutions.

EIU is known for graduating great teachers, and it's widely known as a "teaching school". However, there are a multitude of majors and academic areas that you can study. Yes, they do produce some great teachers, and lot's of them. But the business world has seen their fair share of EIU grads, and they are very well prepared. As we know, college isn't solely about classes and grades. It's about learning to live, finding out who you are and developing relationships that will last a life time. I can't think of a better place than EIU to get a good degree, and learn life skills at the same time.

Eastern Illinois University's admission requirements have been raised in recent years, due to the fact that many overqualified candidates are applying for admission. Still though, EIU's requirements are not as strict as other state schools and it doesn't take the knowledge of a valedictorian to get admitted. EIU is also a very inexpensive school when compared to others. When I was enrolled there in the late 1990's, it cost me more in rent and living expenses for a semester, than it did tuition. Books are included in the price too, making it easier on the EIU student's wallet at the beginning of the new semester.

The location of the school isn't the most exciting, but offers various activities if you want to venture off campus. Nearby Fox Ridge State Park and Lake Charleston Recreation Area are popular choices. However, the winter months in Central Illinois can get very cold, and windy. The good thing is that EIU is a smaller campus and you can walk from one end of campus to the other in just under 20 minutes. Just make sure you bundle up in the winters!

If you are in search of a "middle of the road" school that has a lot to offer, take a look at Eastern Illinois University. You don't need outstanding grades to be admitted, it's got a comfortable, homey feel to it and you can earn a quality degree all while finding your niche in life. Good luck!