But, this insult has nothing to do with childlessness at all. Northern Illinois University is located in DeKalb,
IL. It is largely known as a commuter
school due to its vicinity to Chicago and suburbs. It is not an extremely beautiful campus, but
we have also seen much worse; their Naperville satellite facility is absolutely beautiful. And lastly, it is one of the more affordable
state colleges in Illinois.
Unfortunately in 2008, there was a shooting at a lecture
hall killing five students plus the gunman.
But as we know, this didn’t happen because it was NIU – this happens
across the country time and time again.
I struggle with people insulting NIU in front of me. Once again, this happened on Thanksgiving –
and I still just can’t seem to let it go.
My husband and I both have masters degrees from NIU. We both completed them in the evenings mainly
at their suburban satellite campuses (some in DeKalb). We both thought the programs were excellent.
Why can’t people keep their negative opinions to themselves
and understand that they might be insulting others by sharing them. NIU was a more affordable option for us to
advance our education – and we embraced it – we loved it. While it was still a lot of money, it did not
bury us into college loans. Our wise
financial decisions have allowed us to share our good fortune with education
gifts to others children…so again why is the NIU insult necessary?
College is an accomplishment for everyone. Not everyone can go to elite schools; or have
a special gift that gets them into a more special school; or have a personal
situation that allows them to attend a high-ranking school. Every school has its own personality – and is
a blessing to someone seeking advancement.
So if a school doesn’t fit your personality – just keep your damn mouth
shut.
I often reflect back to the mentor group I worked with. For most of these kids, a four-year
undergraduate program was most likely not going to be in the cards. A community college would be a blessing for
any of them; a school such as NIU would be a dream come true.
I proudly wear my NIU Alumni sweatshirt. That’s it from Gates Place for Whiny
Wednesday…
3 comments:
I think most institutions in the developed world offer a more than adequate and well rounded education. There are many good institutions that don't have the cachet of Harvard or Stanford or London School of Economics but that doesn't mean the education is not as good. The university I went to was never known for being the tops. Now it is ranked in the top of the world's 25. I'm quite certain they didn't do things differently but over time they got to be "known". I'm sorry someone insulted you. I think you and your husband made a wise financial and educational choice.
By the way, try the bread. Most of us who love home made bread love it because of the wholesome memories associated with it. But you may also just find you like it because you know what went into it and it tastes better than store bought ;-)
Almost any college degree is a good one for a number of excellent reasons. Insulting is easy and for some people it makes them feel superior. I've come to realize that there are a handful of people in this world whose opinions I value, and the rest of them are completely ignorable.
I went to South Dakota Tech - and I've had people laugh after telling them my alma mater. But I don't care - like you, it was a good school and very economical. Some people just open their mouths and don't think. I say, ignore those small-minded ignorant folks. They're not worth your time.
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