The diversity of LAS

One of the things I, and many other students, love most about the University of Illinois is the diversity. There are people from all over the world that attend the U of I, which creates an open and engaging environment.

I’m originally from the suburbs of Chicago. However, my freshman year roommate was from China, and getting to know someone from a completely different part of the world was a learning experience for us both. In the end, we became great friends. Diversity is the main reason why I love the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences so much. It truly boasts the most diversity among U of I’s colleges. It offers over 1,800 courses—from physics and biology to religion and philosophy. You can take a creative writing class, a geography class, or a linguistics class, all while staying within LAS.

 

I came into college unsure of what I wanted to do. I couldn’t make up my mind—I loved too many things. I ended up deciding on a major (although, between you and me, if I had the choice, I would have three or four), but the great thing about being in LAS is that there are so many options.

 

I have a major in geology and a minor in geography. To satisfy the requirements, I’ve been able to take classes in both of those areas, but also urban planning, natural resources, and biology, not to mention my general education requirements, all of which were also in topics that are in the College of LAS. While all of the majors within LAS aren’t necessarily closely related in content, it’s clear that the diversity is what makes it such an excellent place to be.