Parking Fees > Tuition

Introduction
As a senior in high school, Ball State University seemed like a great university. It has great technology and a great teacher's education program. However, after being here for three years the university's true colors have been revealed.

Campus Life and Social Life
Ball State has had some serious problems in the past few years. Just last year 3 people were killed on the campus, one by a University Police Officer. The local police have seriously cracked down on parties and it's a dry campus now except for the few bars open for 21 and above students. For me, tailgating is the best thing associated with Ball State sports, and even the attendance at games has gone down.
The dormitories are a great way to make friends and to get invloved in campus life. The residence hall staff really works hard to create a close-knit community and to make new residents feel as welcome as possible. However, beware parents because it will cost you an arm and a leg in parking fees just to visit. Academics
The best thing about Ball State is the academics. The teacher education programs are wonderful, as well as the philosophy and anatomy departments. Ball State is really up-to-date on their technology and almost all of the professors that I have had have been knowledgable and helpful.
However, Ball State does require core curriculum classes that are really just a waste of money and can put a damper on your GPA. Most of the core classes, like psychology and art history, are packed full of students so if you have problems in the classes you won't receive much help from the professor- you may not even speak directly to your professor once throughout the whole semester. Keep in mind that the core classes Ball State requires take over a whole year of classes to complete, therefore, usually your first whole year is dedicated to these core classes.

Student Body
Ball State has a wide variety of students in the student body.

In Closing...
If you plan to go to Ball State, plan to spend more money on parking than on your tuition. Ball State is not kind to commuters. Parking services ticket all day long, even at 5 a.m. EVERYWHERE on campus requires a permit, although there are a few meter spaces. I live in the University apartments and thought I was getting a great deal on $500/month, however, in the first month living here I have acquired over $700 in parking tickets. I have the correct stickers, but the stickers are 5 inches (this is no joke) higher than where they need to be and I get 65$ ticket twice a day for this reason. It can become quite stressful and excessive. If you own a car and live on camous, it will generally cost you more in parkign fees to park on campus than to attend classes. Also, they boot and tow your car and you cannot register for classes if you have unpaid parking tickets or fees.