Stephen Butler, a sophomore transfer student in aviation flight from Schaumburg, said he enjoyed his former community college, William Rainey Harper College in Palatine, but had to transfer to a university that offered more.

The flat lands up north make SIUC look even prettier, Butler said. Maybe that’s why it’s easier to meet people here, because a lot of the students live on campus. I have the ability to see people day in and day out, whereas it’s difficult to hook up with friends from my community college because they may live in the next town over.

Butler said the course structure of the University creates more of an academic challenge for himself.

Advertisement

My classes are harder because they require a lot more homework and studying, he said. But it seems the structure of classes are more organized and the advisers are extremely helpful.

Butler said that seeing 135 students in one of his lectures was probably the biggest shock for him. He said he started to miss the classes at Harper, which consisted of approximately 35 students.

I came to appreciate the smaller classes since I’ve been down here, Butler said. It’s more difficult to be recognized here.

Butler said dorm life is something to get used to, but it is not as horrifying as many people might think.

I found it to be a lot quieter at home, Butler said. But my neighbors are extremely considerate when to quiet down. Ironically enough, I find myself going to be earlier here than home because my major is very demanding.

Butler said SIUC is not the only reason why he chose to go to school here. He said the town of Carbondale drew him in because it has a personality of its own.

Both the students and the townspeople are nicer and more laid-back than anyone up north, he said.

Advertisement*

Butler said the payments at SIUC are real structured, whereas at Harper, he paid up front because it wasn’t as expensive. Yet, he said he had to prepare himself for the crucial fees coming ahead.

I have to pay $19,000 for aviation flight lab fees, he said. Add that to the next three years, and it’s going to get real costly.

Rachel Cunningham, a transfer student in zoology from Downers Grove, said she transferred to SIUC from the College of DuPage. She said the only difference between SIUC and her community college is the cost of tuition.

At COD, it depends on how many courses you take, Cunningham said. But, as opposed to the tuition I pay at SIUC, I only had to pay $27 for a one-hour class at the community college.

She said the best part about the University is the fact that she is living on her own.

I like to make my own decisions and I like to eat whenever I want, Cunningham said.

But Cunningham said her choices of what to eat are very slim.

At home I got whatever I wanted to eat, cook and so forth, she said.

But at SIUC, there’s not enough variety. Even if I want to cook soup in my dorm, it’s more of a process, because I had to walk it back and forth from my room to the kitchenette. I didn’t have bowls to put my soup in, so I had to use microwave plates.

Cunningham said it is easier to get around SIUC by foot than it was when she attended her community college.

I walk and ride my bike to class now, whereas at home, I always had to drive to class, she said.

Although these two SIUC students are enjoying what SIUC has to offer, there are still some things they have had to leave behind.

Leaving my family and friends has been pretty tough, Butler said. Saying good-bye to my girlfriend wasn’t the greatest feeling, either.