College of Dupage

 

3

42

Frank R.

Chicago, IL

All these glowing reviews are really masking the fact that this is a sub-standard institution with a group of (mostly) deadend students. I CAN be this harsh since I'm an alumnus and have experienced all this first hand. COD is great for such people - it allows them to dabble, be daring, experiment with learning. However, this also means they'll never graduate. I cannot tell you how many 5 or 6 year COD students I have come across. There is no excuse for spending that long at this institution. Even the typical I've-a-family-or-full-time-job-excuse-crap won't cut it. The classes are simple enough that if you know how to properly manage time, you can graduate in no time. Enough with that overwrought excuse.

What is great about COD is the price, no doubt about it. (Even though I used to hear grumbling about that too). And the instructors aren't half bad, but these positives cannot mask the obvious negatives. The curriculum has been dumbed down and that frankly pissed me off sometimes. And it made it harder for me to adjust to real undergraduate work. So gloat all you want, just remember that this place could do SO much better.

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Elite '08

35

150

Gina S.

Chicago, IL

Basically, College of DuPage, COD, or COD State as it's affectionately referred to is your basic community college "high school with ash trays" or so they used to say when I went there before all the hub-bub about smoking. I had a lot of good experiences at COD and a lot of lame ones, too. Don't go here to expand your social life! Ain't gunna happen!!

What worked for me at COD was the opportunity to take classes at an affordable school, while having the capacity to work full time, as well. I was able to get work experience, save money, and earn a degree, which, while meaningless by itself, is useful when applying to a four year university.

As an additional bonus, there were a few cool classes!

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Elite '08

141

352

Erin B.

Chicago, IL

Wow, Overall this is a great place to go for your first two years of college.  Even to come back and knock out your pre-reqs before you start your Masters too (minus the cadaver lab!).  The teachers that are Full-Time here are amazing, and do a great job facilitating learning.  They post hours to come by for questions/extra help, and genuinely care about you and your well being.  Tuition is way cheap, and now they offer a wide variety of online credit courses!  I highly recommend coming here before heading out to a larger university!

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Elite '08

260

1070

Ellen M.

Oak Park, IL

I took several classes at COD to fulfill core requirements for my B.A.  The instructors are higher quality than I ever expected.  They are often full-time professors who offer excellent teaching skills (rather than the big U grad assistants), plus are qualified professionals in their fields.  Online courses get three stars - it can't be easy to emulate the classroom via the PC, but it's decent.  Cheap tuition.

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35

228

Andy P.

Montgomery, IL

College of Dupage is everything you want a college to be. The schedule and curricula are geared for your convenience and growth, the facilities are easy to reach, and the dedication of the faculty is palpable. Pick up a class in an interest, go towards a degree, of just explore all that the human mind can do. It's all there for the busy suburbanite at COD.

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6

62

Kim J.

Downers Grove, IL

Let me preface this by saying I am frustrated with COD right now, so that may color my critique.
When I was growing up, people would ask me what I wanted to be--I would say a professional student--That's not a profession. HAH! I'm still taking classes just cuz there is so much I want to learn.(I have my Bachelors-MIS)
I'm taking Graphic Arts classes at COD and I do enjoy most of the classes and feel the teachers are very qualified. I've also taken a couple of classes in the CIS department and have found the same qualified staff.
They have a well staffed library that is open to the Dupage residents amd also the computer lab is open to the public(no security/passwords/sign in sheet--a bad story which I'll finish with).
The business end of this school SUCKS~! Administration needs to communicate change to students in a more effective manner--like telling us before we have to ask, "why am I not qualified to graduate? Why can't I sign up for this class? Why did this class get cancelled for the 3rd time is a row?"  Bad communication leads to people feeling unwanted, specially when it comes to adult students.
Now the bad story about the computer lab:
I was working on a web design project so I went to the lab. I was sitting in the back row. A man sits down 2 stations(approximately 5 ft.) down from me--I didn't pay him much mind except  he kept making some strange movements that I would catch out of the corner of my eye. I stopped working for a minute, glance over and he's watching  video--and YEP its a PORN FLICK(guess what the actions were)--no, I didn't catch the title, but he caught my wrath. I did cause a commotion, he left before security got there. Since there are no passwords, no accounts there is no way to track who uses what at least having to sign in and show a driver's license would be enough if something happened, be it a natural disaster(tornado, fire)  or just being an idiot one too many times.

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