Chicago, IL
City Colleges of Chicago-Richard J Daley College

It's okay, just a place to take classes and go home. Daley's is a good junior college, especially for career changers, on a budget, and nontraditional students. It has a very nice pool, for those who love to swim. It's a very safe campus with much security.

Richard J Daley is a solid college. It doesn't have the bells and whistles but you can go there and get the job done. The teachers are great. Every professor is easily available and they each wanted to see me succeed. You can save a ton of money by going to this community college. Many students here are slackers, however, if you go and just do what you came to do, then it will not be a problem.

I really enjoy being there

I truly enjoy attending Richard J. Daley College. First and foremost, the small class sizes makes learning more easier because it allows for more group discussions, class collaborative opinions, and individual assistance from professors. This school promotes their tutoring sessions frequently and they really want their students to succeed. Furthermore, the staff at Daley is very supportive. During Finals, or midterms they create activities or give advice to students that are feeling stressed. Lastly, I enjoy the facilities at Daley. Their gym room is fully equipped and clean, their pool is clean and always supervised , and their libraries all have working computers with helpful librarians.

Daley is an average school. There is nothing that stands out more than the great teachers. Because Daley has pretty good teachers, the students are well off. The financial aid office is very unhelpful at times. The student body is mostly female. The surrounding area is filled with restaurants and shops.

My college was best known for its nursing program. They had nearly a 100% passing ratio of the exit exam for certification which is highly exceptional for a community college. Since the nursing program is excellent, the required science courses (i.e. Anatomy & Physiology) are also very in depth. Being a small school that it is, students can have more interaction with the professors as I was able to bond quite strongly with a few.

If I could talk to myself as a high school senior I would tell myself that procrastinating would not get me anywhere with the excellent grades I had. I graduated top of my class, but because I procrastinated so much about college, I lost the opportunity of getting any scholarships and was thus forced to attend a community college due to insufficient funds. I would have told myself that even if I didn't know what I wanted to do, try my best to look around and find a four year institution with an overall good general program as well as apply to as many scholarships as I could. Though back then I didn't think a mere $500 was worth looking into considering the cost of college, I would tell myself that it would certainly add up and that I would be rewarded for all of my extra efforts to get that "small amount." I do still wonder how much different things would be had I not procrastinated about looking into colleges and finding good scholarships.

Before I attended the college, I wish I would have had a better idea of what field I wanted to go into so I would have spent less time taking seemingly pointless classes that were not even needed for graduation. As a result, I ended up with a lot of extra classes that I won't need when I transfer to a 4 year institution, and I feel like that time could have been saved had I known what I wanted to study.

The advice I would give myself would be to just worry about myself. Starting at a state university right after high school, was a learning experience, but also put me into a huge debt. I went to Northern Illinois University and worried more about fitting in and making friends, rather than worrying about my education. Now that I am in a community college and living at home, I am extremely focused on my education and self-progression. I had to learn the hard way that the decisions I make will only affect me, not my peers.

The worst thing about my school is the anti-social and segragated environment we have. If you are not an athlete, you are not involved in the school at all, other than academically. There are not any extra-curricular activities or non-political organizations available for students.

When conversing with my friends about my school, I brag mostly about my teachers. So far, they all use effective teaching strategies to keep us interested in the class, and have us learn the material. Also, they gain our trust and become our "go-to" people when we need advice.

Ending up at Daley was not in my plans at all I had to come to a city college, because I did not have enough money to go back away to school. What I wish I could of learned while I was still in high school is that I needed to be more serious about my ACT if I just would of worked harder I could have had the test scores to match my GPA to get more scholarships, just working hard at school is like thousands of dollars I would of have gotten for free to go to school.

The one thing I brag about at Richard J. Daley College is I feel like I am at a real school, I have been at majority black mostly all my life and often the students are lazy never want to learn, and half of the class time goes toward getting the students to settle down, but at Daley I tell them that the students seem like they really want to learn and grow, like me. How the teachers challenge me.How I have developed so much in my writing. Since I graduated eighth grade .

The first thing I would tell myself is, save, save, save, the money that I was making at my part-time job. Not only that, I would tell myself the only way to get away from the drama you are facing at home ,and get to live on campus on school with no worries is getting my ACT score at a level to match my GPA so I could have had more option for scholarships. I would tell myself if I thought times were hard growing up nothing would prepare me for the struggles I have just to stay in school. Take advantage of the opportunities to at the public school when the books are free, and all you have to do is take advantage of the opportunities that are presented to you. The most important thing I would try to teach myself that a credit card is not your friend, especially at an age where I am not final stable. That having your credit is going to be the only way of fulfilling my dreams by getting a loan for school. If can even affect my long term dream of earning a college degree.

Daley College is not only a simple school building, it is an institution diverse in cultures and different backgrounds, with professors that challenge and bring out the most of each and every student.

Richard Daley College is best known for giving students the tools for a successful educational career.

First of all, I would slap myself and follow by asking "what the hell are you thinking?". I would express my new found knowledge about how important an education is. How working hard and challenging myself is dire in order to succeed in life. I would explain to myself how difficult it has been to overcome the many obstacles I created due to my actions and decision about my education while in high school. Explain how, if I would not have slacked off, I would probably have the Associates Degree under my belt and working on a Bachelors. I would finish by encouraging myself to continue with my photography because in the end, that is what I plan on having a masters in.

Despite its downfalls, my school does have unique programs that it has to offer. For instance, Richard Daley has an accredited Nursing Program (LPN Bridge and RN Program) and the other connected community colleges have many other programs. I am applying to the Dental Hygiene Program that can ONLY be found in community college. It allows for a short education, yet with various benefits. For one, it is a direct program, that only takes three years with prerequisites. Another unique thing is that the cost is much less. It uniquely provides education to even those who cannot afford it!

Life ias a full time student can be very stressing. It calls for a lot of time and dedication to assignments. However, I really realized it when I entered into college. After experiencing the stress headaches and lack of sleep, I also noticed one other thing. College had become my life. I had become so concentrated on my work, I forgot everything else. If I were again a high school senior, I would have told myself to remember the other important things in life. Although my education is extremely important, so are my friends, family, and other responsibilities. They should not have to suffer because I seemingly do not have enough time for them! My main advice, then, would be to prioritize and organize. This would include both assignments from school and obligations at home. I would tell myself to never forsake those important to me so that I can succeed. Success in life also comes from within the family. I, then, would encourage myself to consider the question, "What truly is success?" If I had considered that as a high school senior going into college, I think I could have made my life much happier and less stressful.

I would have to say that the atmosphere is unproductive. The teachers do not remain professional throughout the day. Although they do try to be personal with every student, it still can be considered more of a friendship versus a teacher-student relationship. This allows the students to not take school too seriously. Instead, it is a casual environment that does not encourage productiveness. So when many come to this school, they consider it a "ghetto" community college. After being there for a few weeks, it affects all the student's thinking. The appreciation for education is then lost.