Academics
Small Monmouth College is a 鈥渜uaint鈥 bastion on the liberal arts in western Illinois. It鈥檚 affiliated with the Presbyterian Church but pretty much 鈥減urely in the name.鈥 A 鈥渨ell-rounded鈥 curriculum offers 鈥渁 taste of everything.鈥 There are 鈥渁 lot of double majors.鈥 Most students major in at least one career-focused program like business and education. Hard sciences are popular, too. 鈥淎 smaller group indulges in the humanities鈥 as well as art and music. Monmouth offers 鈥渉ands-on experience in scientific research鈥 and 鈥渢akes time to locate jobs鈥 for graduates. The administration can be 鈥渦ptight鈥 but it鈥檚 fine otherwise. 鈥淚 feel comfortable going directly to a dean or even the president if there is a problem,鈥 says an art major. The faculty is full of 鈥渆xtremely well-qualified鈥 professors. 鈥淐lasses are small and are personal.鈥 鈥淒iscussions and lectures are very engaging.鈥 鈥淵ou can interact with your professors a lot easier than in a larger school,鈥 asserts an education major. 鈥淭he workload is not difficult.鈥 鈥淥nly during midterms and finals do you see people freaking out,鈥 observes a sophomore. 鈥淢y overall academic experience has been pretty good,鈥 reflects a senior. 鈥淵ou can get mediocre grades and pass through Monmouth if that is what you desire, but you can also challenge yourself.鈥
Student Body
There are 鈥渁 lot of people鈥 from Chicago and the Quad Cities as well as many students 鈥渇rom smaller rural and surrounding towns.鈥 Ethnic diversity is meager. Depending on who you talk to, minority students on campus either 鈥渄on鈥檛 seem to have trouble fitting in鈥 or 鈥渄o not find it enjoyable to remain at Monmouth.鈥 There is a smattering of commuters here but, mostly, it鈥檚 your 鈥渟tereotypical college student.鈥 The majority is 鈥渞eally involved in a lot of extracurricular activities鈥 鈥淚 am involved in at least seven,鈥 reckons a junior,鈥 It鈥檚 very easy to get involved, which I love.鈥 Overall, students 鈥渉ave a lot in common.鈥 鈥淚 would venture to say that the typical Monmouth College student is a jock of some type, involved in a sporting activity,鈥 submits a senior. 鈥淪tudents here generally fit into a clique,鈥 adds a sophomore, 鈥渏ocks, artsy kids, theater kids, international kids, the politically conscious, the fraternities and sororities, and the music kids.鈥 These different groups 鈥渧ery rarely commingle.鈥
Campus Life
鈥淢onmouth is a fairly laidback, small-town kind of college, the kind of place where everybody turns up for Homecoming.鈥 The 鈥渂rick-themed鈥 campus is 鈥渃harming.鈥 The athletic facilities are 鈥渟uperb.鈥 While some describe their on-campus housing as 鈥渁mazing,鈥 others tell us 鈥淢onmouth could improve the underclassmen dorms.鈥 There are more than 80 clubs and organizations. 鈥淣early half the campus is involved in at least one intercollegiate sport,鈥 swears a junior. The Turkey Bowl鈥攖he annual football game against archrival Knox鈥攊s big and 鈥渁 fierce athletic pride鈥 for every Fighting Scots team permeates. 鈥淭he entertainment offered by the campus is usually boring, giving off a school-sanctioned vibe.鈥 Mostly, life is dominated by a 鈥渞eally big鈥 Greek scene. 鈥淔rat parties are popular,鈥 as are a handful of bars. Monmouth鈥檚 鈥渃lose-knit鈥 atmosphere can be 鈥渁lmost suffocating.鈥 There is 鈥渕ore drama than necessary.鈥 The 鈥渟mall town鈥 location offers 鈥渉ardly anything to do for fun.鈥 While some students say being 鈥渋n a smaller town鈥 brings the student body closer together,鈥 others say 鈥渨e often go else where for entertainment.鈥 Sometimes, students 鈥渄rive to Galesburg to go to Wal-Mart (which is a sad testament to entertainment in and of itself) or the movie theater.鈥 Macomb (home to Western Illinois University) and both Peoria and the Quad Cities are also reasonably close.
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