International Falls: Rainy River Community College (Minneapolis, St. Paul: dorm, school, university) - Minnesota (MN) - City-Data Forum

Vleno87 · 07-26-2010, 11:01 AM

Hey, so I posted a thread on Bemidji State University yesterday. I love the north country and want to be close to Canada. I also was considering Rainy River CC to knock out general ed courses for college, and get the cool experience of living next to Canada. Would a 23 year old from Kansas be welcome in the community of Internationa Falls as a student at Rainy River. Would I go completely stir-crazy in this town of aprox 6,000 or is there tons of cool outdoor stuff to do? I am mainly worried about being accepted in a smaller town. I just dont wanna go to school there if I can make any friends or have ppl wonder like what the hell I am doing up there.

golfgal · 07-26-2010, 06:08 PM

There is a community college in Bemidji too, just an FYI. I don't know much about Int'l Falls to help there but my guess is that the people that live in Int'l Falls don't interact much with the college kids but the college kids probably do a lot together.

Cruz Azul Guy · 07-28-2010, 10:23 PM

A good friend of mine is in his 20's and lives in International Falls. He comes into the Twin Cities a few times a month to visit friends and family and has basically been trying to get out of International Friends ever since he got a job there. Needless to say the guy is stir-crazy there. There are outdoor activities there but it's completely in the middle of nowhere. I've gotta think there'd be better options.

Radical_Car · 07-29-2010, 03:40 AM

International Falls is pretty secluded and overall a pretty unappealing place. Bemidji or Brainerd are MUCH better options. Even Grand Rapids is better, Hibbing too.

QuantumIguana · 08-09-2010, 11:26 AM

I have to concur on Bemidji. If you want outdoors activities, Bemidji State is a great option. A lot of people just walk from their dorm rooms to go fishing on Lake Bemidji. There is a facility on campus to clean your fish, not something most colleges have. Itasca State Park, the headwaters of the Mississippi, and a park so nice a lot of people mistake for a National Park is a short drive away. Lake Superior is a couple hours away. International Falls is 2 hours away. Lake of the Woods is a couple hours away. Angle Inlet, the northernmost town in the Contintal US, is on Lake of the Woods, you have to drive through Canada to get to it, unless you go via water. It's on the edge of the Chippewa National forest, and several state forests.

If you want to get up north, and have plenty of outdoor activities, Bemidji State is an excellent option. Plus, there is Division I hockey.

Radical_Car · 08-09-2010, 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Radical_Car

International Falls is pretty secluded and overall a pretty unappealing place. Bemidji or Brainerd are MUCH better options. Even Grand Rapids is better, Hibbing too.

Ok, this post is kind of, not so good. Id visit International Falls and you might like it, though with outdoor activities and everything i'd say Bemidji is better. Hibbing may be good, though I wouldn't say it's better then International Falls, though I wouldn't say International Falls is better then Hibbing. Im not sure why I said Hibbing was much better, its all opinion and visiting each of them would be the best.

northstar22 · 08-11-2010, 09:19 PM

Why does everyone hate I-Falls? It's a secluded town in beautiful northern Minnesota. It's not Minneapolis. If you want a big city, "young professional" experience, then just move to the Twin Cities. If you want to live in isolated, breathtaking northern Minnesota, then choose I-Falls. I-Falls is what it is. No one bashes Minneapolis or St. Paul because they're not small, northern towns.

To the OP: as far as going "stir-crazy," it depends on your personality. I'm 23 years old, and I LOVED living in a small town. I lived in the Twin Cities for six months, and I went "stir crazy" there. People, traffic, people, cars, people, buildings, people and high cost of living. Oh, did I mention PEOPLE?!?! I couldn't take it anymore. I'd be much happier in I-Falls than the Twin Cities. Yes, the Cities has great career options and "nightlife" if that's what you want, but it's not for everyone. You have to figure out what's best for you - are you a small town person, or a big city person, or sort of "in between." I know I love small college towns, and I can't see myself living anywhere else.

Edit: To echo others here, I'd also suggest Bemidji over International Falls. Unless you're from a small town, Bemidji would be less of a shock for you.

Radical_Car · 08-11-2010, 10:51 PM

Well yes it all depends on the person. I wasn't bashing it because it wasn't a big city with a young professional experience. I love Brainerd/Baxter and Bemidji and Willmar and Delano and the very southwest corner with Luverne or however you spell it and Pipestone and Zumbrota and Annandale and Buffalo and St. Peter, but I don't care for I-Falls or Redwood Falls simply because I just don't. It all depends on the small town just like it depends on the big city. I don't love all big cities, I didn't care for Milwaukee or Orlando or Indianapolis when I was at all of them, but I love Minneapolis and Chicago and Nashville and Atlanta.

Also I suppose the Twin Cities has lots of people and traffic and buildings and high cost of living, but places like Los Angeles and New York City and Miami and Seattle and Chicago have even more people and buildings and traffic and even higher cost of living. Personally I love tall buildings and big cities but I have relatives that have lived there entire life in small towns within 30 minutes of Redwood Falls such as Lucan and Vesta and they love it there and hate big cities, which is perfectly fine too. Everyone is different and entitled to their own opinion.

Cruz Azul Guy · 08-12-2010, 08:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flyingwriter

Why does everyone hate I-Falls? It's a secluded town in beautiful northern Minnesota. It's not Minneapolis. If you want a big city, "young professional" experience, then just move to the Twin Cities. If you want to live in isolated, breathtaking northern Minnesota, then choose I-Falls. I-Falls is what it is. No one bashes Minneapolis or St. Paul because they're not small, northern towns.

Dude, you ever been to I-Falls? I have, and it's far from "breathtaking." The Rainy Lake area outside of town is beautiful, but the town is not. There is a paper mill there that gives the entire town a horrible stench. This ruins any redeeming factor of being a quiet secluded town. Like I said, I have a buddy who has been there for years. He's also told me that it doesn't matter how long you're there, you never get accustomed to the smell from the paper mill.

Radical_Car · 08-12-2010, 04:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slig

Dude, you ever been to I-Falls? I have, and it's far from "breathtaking." The Rainy Lake area outside of town is beautiful, but the town is not. There is a paper mill there that gives the entire town a horrible stench. This ruins any redeeming factor of being a quiet secluded town. Like I said, I have a buddy who has been there for years. He's also told me that it doesn't matter how long you're there, you never get accustomed to the smell from the paper mill.

That paper mill is AWFUL. The Rainy Lake area is beautiful, but thats about it.