<p>I am an incoming DGS freshamn. Does anyone know anything about being in the Marching Illini?
I checked their website and considered auditioning for this year, but got scared off by the time commitment. Now I kind of regret that and want to audition next year.</p>
<p>Aside from the big time commitment, does anyone know how it is socially? I've heard it is a close-knit friendly group. Do people have time to make friends and do activities outside of Marching Illini?</p>
<p>You do realize that your primary concern being in DGS is to be able to obtain the grades you need to transfer out and into one of the colleges from which you can actually obtain a degree, right?</p>
<p>What concerns me about your post is that even though you recognize that the time commitment for the Marching Illini is a big one, you don’t seem to understand that a DGS student’s primary, and I’d say for the first semester, only concern should be to take the classes and get the grades necessary to transfer out as soon as possible.</p>
<p>I understand my educational concerns quite well. My high school grades are excellent: 3.98/4 unweighted and 34 ACT, 4 AP classes, with 5 on the exams. I chose DGS because I am not sure what I want to do. I enjoy history and political science, but I alsohave excelled in math during high school. I am not sure which field I want to pursue. </p>
<p>I’ve missed the audition deadline for my freshman year, but I am considering auditioning for the following year. I would like opinions regarding the time commitment of the Marching Illini, maybe from former members or people who know other members or know something about the band.</p>
<p>Yes, there is a substantial time commitment. I am not sure how much but you are looking at a commitment similar to the athletes. Members of the band form a close-nit group practically out of necessity since they are together on a daily basis in a common activity. That does not mean you are unable to meet and befriend others (and, unlike what you may sometimes find in high school, the band is not a group ostracized by others) but when you get a large group together daily with the same goal you will naturally find yourself connecting most strongly with others in that group (also unlike high school, the number in the Marching Illini is usually close to the mid-300s). Also, be aware that it is not that easy to get in. The competition for positions is significant and there are usually many outstanding candidates.</p>
<p>Thank you drusba. I can’t audition until next year, so I will have time to think about the commitment. It sounds like a wonderful activity, but I want to make sure to keep up my grades and have time to join some professional organizations once I decide on a major. </p>
<p>I’ve heard that competition can be stiff, and it depends year to year how many openings there are for your particular instrument.</p>
<p>Surprisingly, I’ve heard engineers comprise the largest percentage of Marching Illini. One would have thought it would be music majors. Of course I can’t verify this, but it speaks somewhat to the subject of time commitment as alluded to above. I’ve also heard the engineers view this as the lesser of two evils in terms of time commitment between Marching Illini and joining a Fraternity/Sorority. Not to malign the Greek system, but it’s not easy getting out of bed in the early a.m. to attend a tough engineering class after a late night social/mixer.</p>
<p>I have never known anyone in the Marching Illini, but I would have to imagine that it would require a huge time commitment in the fall, but less of one in the spring. If you took a reduced course load in the fall (12 hours), and took one class during the summer, you could have the best of both worlds: be in the MI and graduate on time.</p>