I’m Dan or Daniel–a sophomore English major at Illinois State University. If I can find the time (or the motivation) to apply, then I’d also like to take up a Latin or International Studies minor. I’m also considering a Poli Sci or Philosophy double major. In short, I’m a mess, but enjoying every second of being a student here at the ilstu.
Being a student means a lot of different things here. When I’m not attending class or working in the Office of Admissions or doing homework or planning a Student Government event or going to some other miscellaneous club or eating, sleeping or breathing, then I occupy my time with good books, good friends, and good coffee. There’s a good chance you’ll find me at the Coffeehouse or the Coffeehound in uptown normal.
One of my favorite aspects of Illinois State University is the quad. There are like a million trees that are perfect for climbing. Friends and I have actually gone through and assigned numerical ratings to the difficulty of trees. The north side of the quad tends to have easier climbing trees while the south side is nearly impossible.
Eventually, I’ll graduate and be an English teacher. Or a diplomat. Regardless, with the education and experiences from Illinois State, I’ll be prepared.
4 responses so far ↓
1 Justin Williams // Sep 5, 2008 at 8:43 am
Hi. I’m a senior from Pekin High School in Pekin, IL. I want to go to ISU and major in English also to become an English teacher. I’m hoping to go to ISU next year, but i don’t think that’s going to be a possibility. I will probably have to go to a community college for my first few years. My friend Aaron Smith actually works at ISU. He’s an English Professor. I’m not sure what exact classes he teaches but I heard his students tend to like him.
2 diabdal // Sep 8, 2008 at 3:17 pm
Justin–
Although I have never attended a class with Aaron Smith, I will tell you that my experiences with the English department at Illinois State have been pretty cool. All of my professors have been as unique as the course material itself. I wish you luck at Community College but reccomend you keep your sighs on the ilstu, especially if you’re considering being an English teacher.
3 Tara // Sep 9, 2008 at 2:43 pm
Hi Justin! I am a senior English Ed major at ISU. I had Dr. Smith along with Dr. Kim for “Growth and Structure of the English Language.” It was an absolutely phenomenal class. The two professors worked so well off of one another to make the course fascinating and informative. The class sparked my interest in linguistics, so I am currently taking a grammar class with Dr. Smith focusing on teaching English to speakers of other languages. I never knew that grammar could be so incredibly interesting and dynamic. Best wishes in your future!
4 Kelsey // Sep 10, 2008 at 10:06 am
Dr. Smith is a wonderful professor! I have had him for “Trad. and Non-trad. Grammars”, “Growth and Structure”, and “Linguistic Structure for TESOL”. Two of the three have been 120 student lectures, but he knows all of our names! He also sets up outside meetings to make sure that students have all of the resources to do their absolute best in his classes. I actually mentioned him in my first blog about changing majors and getting a job at the ELI.
Well, Justin, even if you do go to a community college for the first two years, I would strongly recommend looking at ISU after. The English and Education departments are very strong. All of my professors (not just Dr. Smith) have been so knowledgable and truly care about their students. Good luck this year! Hope to see you in some of my classes.
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