r/NIU • u/Virtual_Toe_9391 • 2d ago
Bad Visit Experiemce
We visited the weekend before Homecoming and it was a very strange experience! Not a person to be seen on campus. Our tour guides bickered with one another the whole time. And finally, the tour didn’t include going into any of the academic buildings. This was top of my daughter’s list but plummeted after the odd experience of a ghost town with mysterious buildings we were not allowed to see inside (even the library)! Is the campus really that dead or was it an odd one off? Why no inside view of buildings—we’ve toured many other schools and this was a first. Would you recommend for a student who would be four hours from home with no car?
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u/mwgptv 2d ago
Was this an official tour through the Office of Undergraduate Admissions? Where you register ahead of time?
Doesn’t sound like it.
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u/Virtual_Toe_9391 2d ago
Yes it was and yes we were. It was a large visit day. We had two official tour guides from Admissions and the program after the tour.
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u/Mysterious_axolotl98 2d ago
You should email admissions and let them know about the bickering. As for ghost town: it sounds like you were there on a Friday. Typically there aren’t any classes on Fridays and campus is dead. Especially before a long weekend. But The academic buildings are still open. Not sure why you didn’t get a tour of the buildings but I do know on the big open house days the tours of the buildings are led by guides of that college. Anyway hopefully she will give it another shot, if not I hope she’s happy wherever she goes.
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u/wigguswaggus Alum 2d ago
Yeah this 100%. Sounds like the tour guides were having some personal issues they should be working out on their own time rather than bicker in front of guests. I would absolutely want that addressed.
If something like this happened between dining service workers while they were showing a special group around the dining hall it would absolutely be addressed even if there’s not necessarily a “punishment” involved. A manager that was uninvolved would just sit with each person individually to ask what happened and make sure it’s not something serious or will cause more issues.
I know dining services is completely different from how tour guides work but I still think tour guides should be held to a high but reasonable standard. It sounds like these tour guides were just mad at each other for some reason and sped through the tour to get it over with which is not the way you treat guests.
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u/jolsnpher 2d ago
My son is a freshman at NIU. I too noticed the campus seems very quiet; however, I attended UIUC which is a really large campus. We also visited many colleges around the state. I do think time of day and day of week and weather play a role in how lively campuses appear. My son attended jazz camp and other music events at NIU in the past so we had a good feel for certain aspects of the campus. He attended music specific campus visits and maybe we took a campus tour that was just us or a really amall group. If your student knows what their intended major will be, i would suggest visiting that department, sitting in on classes, meeting faculty. My son is a music ed major & he is in marching band and pep band. He made a lot of friends at band camp & is probably more social at NIU than in high school. He is really busy. He is also in Wind Symphony and Trumpet choir. He actually complains to me that he hasn’t had much time to take advantage of clubs or many activities outside of his major-tho he definitely tries when he can. He also chose to live in a Living Learning Community. His floor is all Fine Arts Students. He has participated in some activities in his dorm. He attends concerts and performances with students and professors from his major. He has a car on campus as will as bicycle and is learning the bus system-he has gone to events in downtown DeKalb. He doesn’t feel like he knows too many people who go home every weekend-but he knows one commuter. One weekend his roommate to the train to hear jazz in Chicago and another weekend he went to Rockford to hear music with a group of students and his professor. While he has been home twice, he has only stayed overnight once. And we have made the trip to see him for a few hours or to watch the NIU games. My son also has professors for all of his classes-even the freshman English and math. All of his classes are pretty small except math lecture, but he does have a small discussion section. We have been pleasantly surprised at the positive experience he is having. It’s definitely better than I had expected it would be.
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u/Ok-Attitude9767 2d ago
I graduated 2 years ago, and I commuted every day for class. I really loved my experience and I felt like there was so much I was missing out on especially if you actually make an effort to participate in school organizations. I was part of two organizations and two research labs during my time there and I made sure to get into every opportunity that came my way. This helped me get into a doctorate program afterwards. Easily placing me as a very competitive candidate.
For the safety aspect of it, a lot of my friends lived on campus and were all females. Most were part of organizations and or Greek life which meant a lot of night activities especially for Greek life. Never once did I hear them say they were scared to walk around at night, they never said they had a bad experience outside of campus or even at a frat party.
Again, I come from a very small town and I was use to traveling alone and hanging out a lot in Chicago. I am aware of my surroundings at all times and I was raised to be vigilante. So maybe this is why I’m not really scared to be on my own or feel like I am vulnerable. I am an average sized female but I never heard like I was in danger at NIU, or would encounter danger. Even the times I would walk alone to my car at night across campus to the many little commuter parking.
I think everyone’s experience is what you make it. If you grew up sheltered and are not an out going person then I think as a whole the “college experience” is probably not something you are going to even seek out. But if you have the basic common sense of being safe and staying safe and have the social skills, you will thrive in any college.
Plus, I think you are a parent, so you will always try to find something wrong with where they go because you are trying to find the “perfect” place for your child. There is nothing wrong with that.
For context. My sister just started her first year at the famous Big Ten UIUC, and they have had two deaths on campus. There’s a lot of homeless people always around campus even “off campus” in the nice parts where all the restaurants and stores are located just steps away from the main campus.
So really is anyone safe anywhere? No. But I for me I felt safer at NIU because it was a small town and I loved that it was a town with a college in it, than a town that places its whole emphasis on the college. It was a nice balance of being able to have peace outside of campus and party and fun experiences on campus, because when you’re walking around on campus on busy days it gets crowded.
I did spend quite some time in DeKalb and sycamore and I don’t think I ever had a problem finding my way around, I always found students at store and restaurants away from campus taking the bus.
I even go back sometimes just for the nostalgia, I just went to the homecoming back and it was so much fun! Great atmosphere for alumni and for current students even if the Huskies suck at football.
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u/LRXC 2d ago
Just wanted to say as someone who came to NIU with no friends that unlike bigger schools and schools in more bustling areas, it’s true that you really have to be intentional when trying to build a social circle here, it’s not easy but it’s definitely possible. Too many people are defeatist. It definitely is a bit “dead” on the weekends but there are loads of students in the “man everyone goes home I wish I had people to hangout with” category. The students who stay on the weekends are often more involved and intertwined with the campus experience! And worth befriending! Sorry to hear the visit was a strange experience, that was weird! I loved my time at NIU, feel free to ask any other questions 😎
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u/Fireblaster2001 2d ago
NIU is a commuter school. There are fewer classes on Friday and a lot of online stuff. Even though the dorms are maxed out as far as capacity, lots of students leave on weekends. The social experience is maybe a bit more typical if you are in a frat/sorority or the marching band. That being said, NIU is much more affordable offers much more generous merit and need aid than a lot of other schools in IL specifically because of how small they are and trying to keep IL students. You can have the college experience but you have to work at it, which is a thing that a lot of students don’t seem to do anymore because of screens and COVID lockdown habits.
This is just a regular pro tip for college visits, but you can also stay after and go into any buildings you want because they are open to the public.
Let the admissions office know about your tour guide unprofessionalism.
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u/Different-Audience34 2d ago
Write the VP of enrollment management and the Provost and let them know. I'm a Huskie and know it is a strong school for business, engineering, Computer Science, and some of the sciences.
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u/KnightlyBazooka 1d ago
I think this is a one off but I would absolutely share your experience as feedback for the admissions teams. NIU is definitely a suitcase school but that doesn’t mean people aren’t on campus however after the pandemic we have seen less and less students out and about on campuses just mingling and meandering around. College students aren’t just gonna be outside for no reason when the weather has been so left and right especially when homecoming is the next week. If you live nearby and can take a self guided tour around campus I absolutely would. Many of the campus buildings are open to the public so you can take yourself on a tour! I’d recommend stopping to see Altgeld hall, founders memorial library, Holmes student center and the rec center, if you’re feeling especially adventurous maybe stop by one of the cultural resource centers!
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u/True-Recover-6295 2d ago
I have to disagree with a lot of these comments unfortunately. Going here resulting in me developing crazy severe depression and the second i transferred out my life became worlds better. For me, it was the lack of anything to do, lack of social life on campus, shitty roommate, etc. Could be different for anyone though!
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u/No-Banana-2970 2d ago
I am a freshman here and it usually is pretty dry. I believe it is because most students are commuters and just go home for the weekend. As for the tour, I don't even know what to say about that.
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u/pfeff COMS Alumni '09 2d ago
Weekends are quiet during the day because people are asleep or hungover lol. Tours don't really go in most academic buildings because there are so many of them it would take all day. Plus, faculty would be so annoyed by tour groups coming through. Not to mention the fact that most academic buildings were built in the 70s and still look like it. They're trying to not show you the less glamorous parts of campus.
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u/Just_Literature_928 1d ago
I lived in DeKalb for 2 years to finish my undergraduate degree and I didn't have a car, computer, or a cell phone. The buses there are really reliable and I'm sure they'll make friends like I did and I'm not generally very friendly. I lived in the Stevenson dorms and I really liked it except the first year having a suite with a bathroom. I lived with a bunch of filthy pigs who would not lift a finger to clean. I had a single the second year and liked that a lot better. I didn't do a tour before I came up there. I got a map of the campus and found my own way around.
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u/IndianKingCobra Alum 1d ago
I wouldn't let some tour guides determine your decision. If that what broke the camels back then I would venture say you didn't really have NIU at the top of the list, if I am being honest. Not sure why you weren't allowed into the buildings (maybe it's a new rule for tour guides not to take groups into the buildings maybe?). Most university buildings are open for you to walk in and walk the hallways and get a feel for it be it a major-related building or rec center, HSC, the Library. Never had an issue getting into building on weekends or late (yes at some point they lock but that's not till way later for overnight). After the tour you could have gone into most if not all those buildings on your own. Some tour guide isn't going to be able to give you specifics on each building, so I would implore you to take a tour on your own based on the buildings you want to see.
NIU is a suitcase university, not going to sugar coat it. But, there are still plenty of students there on the weekend that you would be hard pressed to be bored. I was never bored on weekends even when my friends left for the weekend, because not all friends leave each weekend some left this weekend others other weekends.
Honestly the weekend before Homecoming is the worst weekend to make judgement on students being there. Why, because those same students who weren't there made sure to go home BEFORE homecoming so they could spend time at NIU for Homecoming weekend. Even the weekend after Homecoming would be not ideal either but still better than the weekend before.
You will hear bad and good things, but at the end of the day its up to your daughters to make her college experience what she wants it to be and NIU and NIU student body can provide that. I didn't feel like I didn't get the normal college experience when I attended and it was a suitcase university back then.
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u/yrg_marz 2d ago
Yeah it’s pretty empty on weekends. Buildings are typically closed with all the lights off as well. Maybe try going on a weekday?
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u/AnimeGirl1103 Psychology | 2028 2d ago
Nius a Suitcase school. People go home on weekends. Try a tour during the week! Also report that your tour guides were arguing
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u/bloxburgshortnsweet 2d ago
NIU is a big suitcase college. I'm a current student and I stay for the weekend, but it's very common that people will leave. NIU is very close to Chicago, Rockford, etc. So a lot of people would rather be home than on campus
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u/bootsthepancake 2d ago
I graduated from NIU 20 years ago, and judging by the comments things haven't changed at all. I lived in Stevenson Tower. My roommate went home every weekend and left me by myself. Thursdays were lit up, bars packed, and then Friday evening or Saturday rolls around and it was like a whole different world. I never understood why the students were paying all this money to be on campus, but left the second their academic obligations ended for the week. So Yes, the weekends did kind of suck. It's unfortunate that culture never changed.
As for not seeing buildings, that's bogus, and the university is really doing a diservice to itself and visitors if potential students can't even get an idea what the learning environment is going to look like.
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u/drrocket8776 Alum 2d ago edited 2d ago
That totally sounds like a bad visit, but also I don't think a good visit would have given you much more info. Admissions tours are more like listening to advertising than getting relevant info about the school. Most students, tour guides included, have only a vague clue of what academic departments there and which ones are better than others. Most students, tour guides included, haven't walked through at least 1 or 2 major buildings on campus. Most students, tour guides included, don't know the average amount paid by students to attend NIU or what percentage of federal loan recipients are deferring v. paying off v. defaulting on their loans. This information is more relevant than what dorms there are, what the library looks like, etc.
The major draw of NIU has always been its price to quality ratio. If your household makes about or less than 100k/year, you'll probably pay about 10k-16k per year. That's considerably lower than most other colleges. If you're looking for a major that NIU has a good department for -- physics, philosophy, accounting, nursing, Nonprofit/NGO studies, engineering, earth/atmosphere/environment -- the return on investment is likely better than other schools your kid's considering. Illinois State, one of the more comparable universities to NIU, has very similar academic quality but you'll be paying closer to the 16k-22k per year range likely. Illinois State is much better socially, no doubt, but is it worth an additional 24k over the 4 years? That's for yall to decide.
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u/ActIcy1701 2d ago
I'm sorry that your experience of NIU wasn't that good. But hopefully what I'm about to say can help alleviate some of the pain:
A major reason why your experience of NIU was "bad" was because you came at a weekend. According to NIU (https://www.niu.edu/about/fall-enrollment/index.shtml), 71% of NIU students (11,296) are either commuters or don't live on campus, meaning a lot of people aren't around during the weekend. The other 29% (4,515) live on campus, but they're probably in their dorms, working, or doing something else. And to be honest, there aren't that many "events" on the weekends, other than the sports games or the occasional social hangout. During weekdays, especially Tuesdays and Wednesdays, it's bustling with people everywhere, with events scattered throughout the week. There's a big difference between weekend and weekday.
As for buildings being closed, my guess is that NIU has them locked during the weekend for security reasons. For the library specifically, it could've been that you came at a time when the library was closed (Library hours are 9-5 on Saturday, and 1-12 on Sunday). However, it is a bit strange that they would have a tour on a weekend and not visit any of the buildings, but idk.
If I were you, I'd consider giving NIU another chance by visiting on a weekday, specifically when classes/people are most active (11-4). You could also just explore NIU yourselves without a tour guide, so you can have a more personalized experience for your daughter. It would definitely help get a better perspective of how NIU actually is.
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u/Sad-Object3365 2d ago
The experience sounds awful and not the norm. As a parent of someone that graduated recently, I would look closely at other schools. There are a couple things that are not great there.
Most students go home on the weekends meaning that the students that aren’t able to travel home will be left in a ghost town with no real activities.
The city has let everything around the campus turn into a run-down pile of garbage. My daughter never felt safe at night and not always during the day.
The bus system that they brag about does exist, but it has problems running on time and if used at night it suffers from the same security issues as above.
Overall she liked the school and I feel that she got a good education, but ask a lot of questions and look around at everything before agreeing to go there. If I had to do it again I would encourage my daughter to go to one of the other schools we looked at so she could have a little more of the “college experience”.
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u/Equivalent-Guest-785 2d ago
I went to NIU ‘14-‘17 and I can tell you that outside of special events, the campus is generally scarce on weekends since most students commute and usually go home on weekends. A tour during weekdays during open semesters would show much more engagement.
DeKalb isn’t a very vibrant college town like UIUC or UC
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u/theflamingburrito 2d ago
It's a commuter college. If you are looking for a social and typical college experience, I would not attend NIU
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u/jrock_10 2d ago
Did a tour a while back in February with my kid. It did seem pretty empty that Friday as well. When I asked they said not a lot of classes on Friday. I am an ulum so walked into some old building and didn't see a class running so that jives. My tour guide was pretty good though so it wasn't a bad experience. Maybe try going mid week if still interested.
It definitely isn't my kids first choice though.
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u/Virtual_Toe_9391 1d ago
Thanks for all the responses! Sounds like it was maybe both a bad visit and a bit of realty there for a Saturday. I will email and set up a weekday visit for next semester and give some feedback on the guides. I appreciate everyone’s time! Picture of my dog as a token of my gratitude to you Huskies!
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u/TheGhostofCreepyPast 2d ago
NIU is a classic “Suitcase College” because we are a short train ride away from the city. A majority of the students go home for the weekends (especially the ones right before big events such as Homecoming Weekend).
DeKalb is a quiet country town full of old farmers that happens to have a state university in it. There is very little to do for young people and they haven’t gone to great lengths to change that. The city as a whole is safe, it’s just boring. There is literally nothing of interest going on.