>> Of course, you have to get over the fact that you're in central Illinois
As someone who lives in Central Illinois, I'll take issue with your comment. While it's not quite the same as living in New York, there's a lot to like about living here. There's plenty of things to do, and you're only two hours away from either Chicago or St. Louis. Post-college, it's a great place to raise kids. The cost of living here is ridiculously low compared to places like California.
Um. What's there to do in Chambana, apart from driving really fast to Chicago? No offense (I'm sure it really is good to raise a family there), but I've been there a lot, and I have a lot of friends that went there, and the location has been amost universally pointed out as a downside.
I have no doubt that it's a great place to raise a family. It feels much more honest than California or New York; there's certainly something to be said about the benefits of midwestern values. I certainly didn't mean to offend. A decade from now I might raise a family here too, for all I know.
However, as a college student, depending on what you're into, you'll end up distributing your social time between frat parties, gatherings at a friend's apartment, campus bars, and Chambana bars (for those unfamiliar with the area, bars let you in at 19 years old). Note that half of those places are filled with frat dudes. Not too much diversity there.
In terms of academics, the isolation is a bit difficult as well. I can't tell you how many security conferences and user group meetings I've wanted to go to in the past year that are all in Chicago. Although for job related stuff, companies will usually fly you out from our airport, so at least you don't have to go to Midway or O'hare.
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>> Of course, you have to get over the fact that you're in central Illinois
As someone who lives in Central Illinois, I'll take issue with your comment. While it's not quite the same as living in New York, there's a lot to like about living here. There's plenty of things to do, and you're only two hours away from either Chicago or St. Louis. Post-college, it's a great place to raise kids. The cost of living here is ridiculously low compared to places like California.
Um. What's there to do in Chambana, apart from driving really fast to Chicago? No offense (I'm sure it really is good to raise a family there), but I've been there a lot, and I have a lot of friends that went there, and the location has been amost universally pointed out as a downside.
I have no doubt that it's a great place to raise a family. It feels much more honest than California or New York; there's certainly something to be said about the benefits of midwestern values. I certainly didn't mean to offend. A decade from now I might raise a family here too, for all I know.
However, as a college student, depending on what you're into, you'll end up distributing your social time between frat parties, gatherings at a friend's apartment, campus bars, and Chambana bars (for those unfamiliar with the area, bars let you in at 19 years old). Note that half of those places are filled with frat dudes. Not too much diversity there.
In terms of academics, the isolation is a bit difficult as well. I can't tell you how many security conferences and user group meetings I've wanted to go to in the past year that are all in Chicago. Although for job related stuff, companies will usually fly you out from our airport, so at least you don't have to go to Midway or O'hare.