UIC commute

[Walk12]

Hello,

I have been accepted to UIC and plan on accepting but am starting to get a little nervous about committing!

I will be living with my sister in Lombard and commuting to school (about an hour total). I am from a small town so the suburbs alone are new to me, let alone the city. I am confident I will get the hang of the Metra and the L and don't mind any walking in between the two, but I am starting to wonder about the safety of it all. Also, I do not want to miss out on study groups or spending extra time in the lab etc. because of having to catch a train or because I won't be able to stay on campus super late.

I do not know how common it is for DPT students to commute to UIC and would appreciate any feedback on my particular situation or any experiences with commuting you may have.

Thanks!

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[nismo13]

First of all, congrats on the acceptance.

I am finishing my degree in Kinesiology and commute to UIC from Oak Lawn

I take the metra to Union station and then the blue line to UIC halsted. I would be lying to you if I told you it wasn't a hassle at times. But from my perspective its a lot cheaper than driving or even living downtown.

Where else did you get in and what were your stats if you don't mind me asking?



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[Walk12]

Do you think many graduate students or DPT students commute?

And I was also accepted to Bradley University and Midwestern University and got an interview for St. Ambrose University (which I will now be turning down).

My GPA is a 3.9 and I got a 53 and a 54 on the verbal and math sections of the revised GRE. I'm not sure if I am missing any other relevant stats.

 

[nismo13]

That I don't know. There were some UIC students on here. If you use the search function then you should be able to find them. But from my experience I wish I would have lived downtown. Having to rely on the train schedule was inconvenient at times.

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[469738]

I was born and raised in the chicago burbs, personally would just suggest driving to class (assuming you already have a car). A metra ticket costs you 135 for a monthly unlimited pass. From my research, it would take you an hour and half to get to UIC from lombard taking the UPW metra line or green line in. I am assuming you live within walking distance of the train station or you will have to take a bus. Lombard has some buses, but its the suburbs so there isnt a bus stop on every corner unless you live in the right part.

Driving will take you 45 minutes would be my guess on an average day to get from lombard to UIC. Far as safety goes, Lombard (from what I have seen is safe), when you get by UIC, I have no idea if that is safe. If you have to walk a long way outside in the winter to catch a bus / train, that is not fun (unless you like freezing wind).

Lombard is 40 miles from the city round trip, assuming you have an average (20mpg car), using 3.50/gal for gas, 20 trips to UIC a month that comes to about $140 in gas. So, add in the addition of tolls, and car maintanence, it is more expensive, BUT you get significant freedom to be able to drive where you need to go and when you need to get there.

Far as your question for DPT students, if they commute, I wouldnt be surprised if half at least commuted from the suburbs. Chicago is a huge commuter city from all directions. Living downtown, is significantly more expensive from the suburbs from food to gas to housing. If you are a small town person, the suburbs will be an adjustment for you. Chicago is also a very LARGE city compared most other cities besides New York. You will find you either love the city or could do without it. Coming from a small town you will see how busy and noisy a city can be (unless you like this type of thing). I suggest living with your sister for a semester and then see how you like it.

I plan to commute (drive) in from the suburbs if I get into UIC next year. Good Luck. The City can be a great and wonderful place.

 

[PTgt]

Hey - I am a first-year DPT at UIC and I commute from Elmhurst. I would say that about 1/3 of the students in our class commute from the suburbs, 1/3 travel from other parts of Chicago, and 1/3 live near campus. Of those who commute from the suburbs, probably the majority take the Metra.

I am not the biggest fan of Metra - the monthly pass is expensive (no discounts for college/grad students) and they don't allow bikes onboard during rush hour, but that is how I am getting back and forth. The main reason is that although this method of commuting is longer, for the most part, the total travel time is very predictable. Having lived near Chicago for my whole life, driving in on 290 is not a smooth commute - slowdowns mostly around the Hillside Strangler and Oak Park and it gets quite long at rush hour and in bad weather. My biggest worry about driving is that I would get stuck in a traffic jam and even if I was not late to an exam, I might be a bit stressed or frazzled. By comparison, I can get in a little bit of studying/cramming or chilling out on the Metra.

By the way, part of your tuition & fees is for an unlimited El pass - you can't get out of paying for it. At least then you don't have a hassle of a monthly pass and it lets you explore other parts of Chicago.

If you decide to drive, the best option is the Cook County Juvenile Detention Building parking - which is a covered parking garage about two blocks away from the PT building, for $2 a day. There is UIC student parking available, but I don't know the specifics...

The walk from the Metra station in downtown Chicago to the Clinton El (Pink Line) is about two city blocks, and the El trains run about every 9-10 minutes during rush. Once you get off the Pink Line at campus, it is about a three block walk to the PT building, and shorter to buildings for Anatomy and Physiology. Many of the buildings are connected and there is a tunnel system to get around, so you don't necessarily have to be outside the entire time. Also, the El stations at either end have warming lamps, so it isn't too bad to wait for the trains.

Since UIC is in the Medical District, I feel it is pretty safe - there are tons of professional people around during the rush hours. At night, it is a little more deserted, but I never feel unsafe - and there are always nurses and doctors on shifts that take the El. There are incidences of crime at UIC, but it is mostly late at night and off-campus - I don't know anyone who has been affected, other than one classmate who had a bike stolen due to a sketchy lock. Usually, there are other classmates who are also commuting at the same time, so you can walk together. As long as you don't flash expensive electronics around and are comfortable around public transportation, you'll be fine.

The main drawback, as someone else mentioned, is that after rush hour in the evening, the Metra trains run only once an hour - that does make it a little inconvenient to stay for group studying or staying late in lab. So if I knew in advance I would be late or for Saturday Anatomy lab reviews, I would drive in.

Hopefully, this answers some of your questions - feel free to send me a private message if you have other topics. I won't kid you - UIC is very tough. We take Anatomy class with other students who are post-bacc (in a prep program for med school), so you will spend most of your time with that and Physiology during the first semester. But the faculty is very supportive and my classmates are top-notch people. Good luck with your decision!