Diverse Geography and Climate 

There are three major geographical divisions in Illinois allowing international students a choice in where they want to study. There is Northern Illinois, which is the Chicago metropolitan area. It is densely populated, industrialized and diverse. Chicago is the largest metropolitan area in Illinois. There is also central Illinois, which is more prairie land. It is made up of small towns and mid-size cities, agriculture, educational institutions, and manufacturing centres. Finally, there is Southern Illinois with a warmer climate, small-scale oil deposits and mining. In Southern Illinois there is the second largest metropolitan area, St. Louis.

Illinois is 400 mile in length. Because of this large span there is a very diverse climate. There are hot, humid summers and cold winters. In northern Illinois the normal annual snowfall exceeds 38 inches, but in southern Illinois the normal annual snowfall rarely exceeds 14 inches. 

An advanced education

 The educational system in Illinois is one of the strongest systems. In Illinois the learning environment is adjusted to help students with all different learning styles. They are able to do this because the Illinois funding system allocates more money to the classroom then any other resource in public universities, community colleges and private institutions. There are 11 “national universities” in this state. As of August 2010, five rank in the “first tier” (top quartile) of among the top 50 national universities. Illinois also had 20 additional accredited four- year universities. The Illinois Community College system also supports 49 public, community colleges.

The Illinois school system provides support for the many international students who chose to study in the state. There are specialized programs and services available to aid students with the transition from their own culture to the culture of the Midwestern United States. These services include everything from orientations, international week activities, international housing, and academic support. For example, the schools offer academic courses like English as a second language.

Students studying in Illinois also get to work with the most up-to-date technology. Illinois has just invested $90 million to develop the Illinois Century Network. This is to replace outdated technology in order to provide students with a quality background in current technology. This network connects schools, colleges, universities, libraries, and museums in a vast community making learning available anytime. 

A natural history lesson

Illinois is a state with a rich history. There are many opportunities for students to learn out of the classroom. Three United State’s presidents have been elected while living in Illinois, including Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, and Barack Obama and Ronald Raegan grew up in Illinois. There is the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield. This is the largest presidential library in the country. Other popular tourist sites are Ronald Raegan’s boyhood home, the Trail of Tears national historic train, the Lewis and Clark national historic trail, the John G. Shedd aquarium, the Field Museum of Natural History and Art institute of Chicago an the Museum of Science and Industry. 

Sports and outdoor recreation

Illinois is also a great place for sports fans. There are two Major League baseball teams in Illinois, the Chicago Cubs and the Chicago White Sox. Chicago is also the home of the Chicago Bears, who have won nine NFL championships. One of the most famous teams is the Chicago Bulls. The team was made famous by Michael Jordan during the ‘90s when he led the team to six NBA championships in eight years. There are also the Chicago Blackhawks, a hockey team that has won 4 Stanley cups including one from the 2010 season.

Another sport that is popular in Illinois is motor racing. There is the Chicago Speedway in Joliet, Chicago Motor Sppedway in Cicero and Gateway Interntional Raceway in Madison. They have hosted NASCAR races, and many people go out on the weekends to watch smaller motor racing events.

There are over 60 parks in Illinois. There is also the same number of recreational and wildlife areas. There is a lot of open space and many beautiful locations for students to enjoy the outdoors. All four seasons are represented in the Midwest and this allows for international students to enjoy different activities all through out the year. Illinois is also centrally located in the country and borders six different states. The north eastern border of Illinois borders Michigan via Lake Michigan. The eastern border touches Indiana, the northern border is next to Wisconsin, the western border connects Illinois to both Missouri and Iowa and the southern border is adjacent to Kentucky and goes along the Ohio River. International students will have many chances to travel to different states in the United States while calling Iowa home. There are also many different climates and landscapes nearby including several different bodies of water.

International students who study in Illinois will get a chance to travel through the country, find many different recreational activities for entertainment, participate in a strong educational system and continually find new things to learn. The various historical monuments, sports, geographical distinctions and schools make Illinois a state where anyone can find where they belong.