After earning my graduate degree in 2010, teaching at the college level had only been a dream. It didn't matter what subject matter I taught, I just wanted to get my foot in the door. For this year's Spring semester I was blessed with the opportunity to turn a dream into reality. I attended Prairie State College over two summers while earning my undergraduate degree. Therefore, I was very familiar with how to navigate through the building. What a beautiful space, so many upgrades since I attended. All the staff as well as the police officers were so nice and welcoming. Prairie State is an affordable, public community college. The school offers a variety of courses over several disciplines, both in person and online. Surely, there is something for everyone. I worked in the Early Childhood Center with a cohort of twenty-five. The goal was to help the students earn the Child Development Associate. There were many layers to teaching this course. Having a dean with a heart of gold, truly invested not only in the program but the students was a great help. The dean was also invested in the team she hired to do the job. Being a College Professor has been the most rewarding experience I have had this year. Thank you Dr. Ty Jiles for such a priceless opportunity. Looking forward to working with you again. read more

Prairie State College - Colleges & Universities Near Me - Chicago Heights, Illinois

See all

Easily one of the worst places to try to get on the phone I had to call their Testing Center 34 times in the span of three hours before anybody ever picked up the phone. If you ever need any help from this school, you might as well just take a day off and be prepared to go in before you think you can get them on the phone. When trying to figure out if your credit transfer over the course of seven days I got sent back-and-forth between the same four people who I ended up having to put in a large email with screenshots of all of their own emails sending me to each other because nobody seems to have it together! read more

If you are looking to return to school and rebound, scoring only in excellence... Just stop and look in the mirror while reading this to yourself in a monotone voice, and drop the act. 1. I'm not going to school to become a better me, I'm becoming financially stable. I dont want to be broke and or homeless. 2. I'm not going to try and accomplish any projects or monumental research studies with the aid of this institution.(if you are jus looking through a telescope and not calculating paralax of a distant solar system you discovered the other night before, go for it ... otherwise shut your mouth. They may steal your information and take credit for your work, misappropriating any grant the institution recieves, is normal for the staff. Just to get back to the whatever it is they do up there) 3. I'm not looking for a social outlet.(you can loose your life, watch out.) 4. I'm going here to make more than 50,000 a year one day, nothing more, anything else may cost me THE REST OF MY EDUCATION. 5. I can find a job somewhere else, this shady place may haunt my resume the rest of my life. This institution has the ability to be a great, yet the faculty is biased against a lot, and those biases change individually quite often. Their are people who really care, who are facuilty, but that does not out weigh the childishness. Recently new lights were put in, yet its obvious the building has a foundation issue, all the floors continue to shift and buckle... Rather than build a better environment they allow students they favor to behave as if high school bullies, yet now they have the power of an institution behind them, and are loose in society. Again its not worth the risk to try and change Illinois and its corruption or add something at this phase, and if it is to you, be willing to suffer the consequences, regardless of your intentions or actions. You have been informed, and warned....!!! This one is serious. read more

I've attended Prairie state for a little over a year now. I joined a few extracurricular programs, and I think I have a better understanding of what it's really like. Pros: Unlike the comment below, I've had fantastic teachers. Many of them are opening doors for me to transfer to school I never thought possible. In fact, one of my communications professors just put in a word with a friend who works for the transfer committee at Princeton. The teacher will help you as long as you show you're willing to work hard. I'm in the honors program and often try to take honors classes or teacher that have taught honors in the past. Go on websites like ratemyprofessor it helps. I'm also in extracurricular programs like forensics, Phi Theta Kappa, Meditation club, political science club, and I used to be in film club. If you're not apart of some form of activity, you are missing out on opportunities and chances to network. I've met life long friends here and I know if I need help I can ask any of them. Cons: The food is not that good or quick so we usually go out. The students (apart from the ones that try) don't put in much effort. Some of them do but not all, which can be frustrating. If you are hard working and join programs you'll stand out. I wish there were more leadership opportunities, there are some but not enough. Same with research opportunities, there are some but not enough. Though I have asked one of my sociology prof and she's trying to help find some for my field. Also, Prairie State is small, the atrium is almost always crowded and they need more than one elevator. I've heard professors and the Dean talk about expanding but idk If they will anytime soon. You can't always get the classes you need, sometimes it's because there's no one there to teach it. If you start a petition and get enough people to sign you can make it a class. Overall, I love Prairie State. When I first started I felt like many people, that it was run down with nothing to do. After joining in clubs I noticed just how much work people are putting in behind the scenes. Had I not gone to Prairie State I'm not sure where I'd be. Honestly, I spend most of my time here. This place really does feel like home and I will be forever grateful for it. read more

Prairie State College - The art gallery - Colleges & Universities Near Me - Chicago Heights, Illinois

See all

Overview: The facility is nice but the quality of courses/ teaching is horrible. Without Illinois community college districting rules (a student must attend the school in which they reside), this school would have closed a long time ago. Positive: The facility is nice and Prairie State has an Automotive Department. The Automotive Department is the hidden gem of the south suburbs. The program is lead by A. Gumushian, one of the best teachers I've had at the community college level. Negative: The classes are taught to such a low level. I feel the classes are so easy, it does a disservice to students aspiring to transfer to a four year institution. The material is not easy, but students are passed through courses to maintain enrollment numbers. Few students purchase books, or bring note taking materials to class. Also, I've noticed a large amount of cheating, taking place during exams, through the use of cell phones. I've also noticed a move towards online courses, online homework, and online quizzes through the use of programs like Pearsons, and HAWKs. These programs are terrible. My assumption is Prairie State relies heavily on these programs so they can hire less teachers. That or they are receiving some sort of kickback from the book publishers who have created these programs. Multiple choice computerized homework should never be used for Math courses. Additionally, these programs are not used in the workplace. If computer programs are to be used in class, use programs that play a role in the workplace like Microsoft Word, or Excel. Lastly, I've noticed a heavy reliance, in the "trades" departments, on lay teachers. What I mean by this is, teachers with a lot of work experience in a given field but no actual formal teacher training. The result is a lot of wasted class time, a lot of story telling, required books that are never actually used, and quizzes with material that was never covered. Conclusion: Illinois should allow students to attend the community college of their choice; Prairie State should do away with online programs such as Pearsons and HAWKs; set a higher standard for teachers in the "trades" fields; and finally, allow substandard students to fail by not passing every student who attends a course. read more

All I wanted to due is to go back to school and when I got done is to make a better living the first time the school help me out that was great I was dying fine until I got put in the hospital now I found something I can due now no one wants to help me this is not right or fair for someone like me having problems but the school said no to helping me and there is no other hope for me know read more

One of the best community colleges around here. Got my associates degree here and it was a nice experience. Study hard, submit assignments in a timely fashion, and I'm almost certain you'll succeed here. read more