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鈥淚n high school we were fed information and expected to memorize it,鈥� explains a freshman. 鈥淎t Rockford College we discuss things that are important to us and the community and learn about it. The students are the teachers too.鈥� The Rockford brand of collaborative learning reflects a liberal arts approach to education that students describe as 鈥渇un, exciting, [and] interesting.鈥� Located along the northern fringe of Illinois, Rockford boasts a corps of professors who 鈥渨ill all know you by name and treat you like they have known you forever.鈥� In fact, many of them 鈥渆ven go as far as to give out their cell phone numbers, home phone numbers, and personal e-mail addresses.鈥� Rockford鈥檚 undergrads tell us that their professors are not only 鈥渂rilliant, dedicated, engaging, and very accessible,鈥� but they鈥檙e also determined to provide students with 鈥減ractical experience鈥� that will give them a leg up when they hit the working world. Undergrads are also encouraged to 鈥済ive back to the community鈥� and 鈥渕ake a difference.鈥� As an elementary education major says, 鈥淩ockford College not only promotes learning and education, it also promotes humanity, honesty, and a lifelong passion to help others.鈥�

The salad bowl at Rockford College includes a healthy mix of students 鈥渞ight out of high school鈥� and 鈥渞eturning students who have decided that a career change was in order.鈥� This often means 鈥渟ome are 18, some are 52,鈥� and 鈥淵ou can see all walks of life learning together and from each other.鈥� The student body is also given texture by 鈥渟tudents from far away, all ethnicities and races, and different financial backgrounds.鈥� But above all, they鈥檙e 鈥渕otivated, intelligent, and socially conscious.鈥� Not to mention 鈥渇riendly,鈥� 鈥渆asygoing,鈥� and accepting of everyone. 鈥淓veryone is different in their own ways. Everyone is at Rockford College for a reason, which is to reach their goal.鈥�

鈥淚 look forward to getting up every day and going to classes,鈥� exclaims a freshman---and she鈥檚 not alone. The majority of Rockford students report that they 鈥渞eally enjoy鈥� their classes. Outside of the classroom, 鈥淭his is a school that is huge on community,鈥� a senior reminds us. 鈥淭hey do a lot of things to raise funds for a charity or go out into the community. They just had a group go into the Charles Street area to help with clean up from the freak flood [of Labor Day 2006]. Also, they have campus get-togethers with bands or cook-offs.鈥� Student organizations accommodate 鈥渁 large variety of interests,鈥� and though the school isn鈥檛 鈥測our typical party college,鈥� that isn鈥檛 to say that there isn鈥檛 鈥渁 party scene on campus.鈥�