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College Prowler

Academics

The weather is hot, requiring tank tops, shorts, and sandals for the first half of fall and the second half of spring (and of course all summer). In winter, jeans and a sweatshirt or warm jacket will be fine. Don’t forget to keep an umbrella in your bag at all times.

Athletics

If a student takes the time to get to know their teacher, the teacher makes the effort to get to know the student. I have had teachers that have genuinely taken the time to help out when needed. Several of my teachers have made the content of their courses apply to my life and interests. There are lecture classes, as well as small intimate classes available for students.

Campus Dining

My friends and I played intramural softball, basketball, and volleyball, and we had a blast doing it. It was a great way for us to hang out and do something different, besides drinking. We were not very good, but it was definitely worth doing.

Campus Housing

The food on campus is amazing. There is something for everyone, including extravagant foods such as tofu pizza, Philly cheesesteak sandwiches, salad bars, omelet stations, and ice cream tables with every topping imaginable. Whether you are in the mood to eat healthy or not, there is always something for you. Another nice feature is that the nutritional information of all the foods is available for you so you can know exactly what you’re eating. The dining halls also have specialty days, on which the dining hall is specially decorated with themes like ‘Beach Party,’ ‘Under the Big Top,’ ‘Tastes From Around the World’ and ‘Silver Platter Night.’

Campus Strictness

I’ll just give the basic gist of the dorms. Russell has 10 floors and is coed by hall, and there is always someone to party with. It’s a great place, in my opinion. Creswell has nine floors, and is coed by floor. It’s a little bit rundown, but still fun. Brumby has nine floors and is an all-girls dorm. I enjoy hanging out with guys a lot, so I wouldn’t want to live there, but some of my friends did, and they loved it. Mell Hall, Lipscomb Hall, Hill Hall, Church Hall and other places are smaller, usually comprised more of upperclassmen, and are a little more boring. I wouldn’t recommend living in any of those places if you don’t like a lot of quiet. My advice to you is that you choose Russell, Creswell, or Brumby, although the rooms are smaller.

Computers

The campus police are not really too strict with drug/alcohol policies. A lot just depends on the officer you happen to come into contact with. I’ve heard of a large number of people getting arrested or having their IDs taken away, but I’ve also heard of a lot of people getting by with just a warning. So, though the policies may suggest strict enforcement of the rules, I’m not sure that will always happen. On game days in particular, so many people are drinking that it would be near impossible to catch every underage drinker out there. So, I think the police admit defeat, and are particularly lax in these kinds of situations.

Diversity

The computer network in my dorm was amazing because it was brand new, and I could download anything at great speeds, but I was also in a smaller dorm. Sophomore year, I used the Terry undergrad computer lab a lot, and it was usually crowded, but I always found a seat. I would definitely recommend bringing your own computer; it’s not a necessity, but it is more convenient. However, I use my computer more for AIM and downloading songs than anything else.

Drug Scene

Honestly, the campus is not very diverse. The graduate program is more diverse than the undergraduate. There are several ethnicities represented throughout the school, but overall, most of the students are Caucasian.

Facilities

Drugs are present at UGA. Obviously, alcohol is quite prevalent. I haven’t seen much else, though, aside from marijuana. Stuff is available, but if you choose to ‘say no,’ people will not look down on you.

Greek Life

I think something like 30 percent of the campus is involved in social sororities and fraternities. I am in a professional fraternity, and there are many of those that you can join, but none of the Greek organizations dominate the social scene. UGA is a place where you won’t ever feel pressured by the Greeks, but there is an adequate Greek scene if you decide you want to join. Either way, you won’t lack social opportunities. Trust me!

Guys & Girls

I would have to say most people here are very good-looking. There are a lot of fake tans and highlights on guys and girls, and there are definitely girls that go overboard on makeup, but there are a lot of girls who are just naturally beautiful walking around campus.

Local Atmosphere

Athens is what I had always imagined a college town would be like. The school’s campus is gorgeous, and UGA is located in a large town that revolves around the University. There are tons of thing to do, and you are only an hour and a half away from Atlanta, which is a great city. You will meet lots people from Atlanta, and chances are, your roommate will be from Atlanta and you will have the opportunity to go home with him or her for a weekend or two.

Nightlife

What’s so great about downtown Athens is that it’s so cheap to get so drunk. There are no cover charges, great drink specials, and cabs that are like $3, so you can get hammered for under $20, and go to as many different bars as you want.

Off-Campus Dining

The restaurants are about how you would expect a typical college town's restaurants to be: mostly affordable, unhealthy food available until late. There's a wide variety of places downtown, like Five Guys, The Grill, Transmetropolitan, Five Star Day Café, Last Resort Café, Farm 255, etc. Some of these are better than others. The Grill is the only place within walking distance from campus that's open 24 hours a day, but its food is sub-par. By the dorms you have Gumby's Pizza, Papa John's, Dominos, Jimmy John's Subs, and Wingster, all of which are easily within reach and affordable. So are Raising Cane's and Loco's Deli. But for a healthy meal, you'd be better off going to the grocery store and buying some healthy food yourself.

Off-Campus Housing

It depends on where off campus you want to live. Most off-campus housing is pretty convenient because they have an Athens transit line that runs all over town. You just have to know which bus goes where. There is housing off campus that is within walking distance to campus, but it all depends on how much money you want to pay for rent.

Overall Experience

UGA is great, and I love it. Sometimes I wish that I had chosen a smaller school, but overall, I am happy that I am here. After my first year, I realized that this was a really big school and found myself feeling more and more like a number rather than an actual student. I had a great time and love this school, but I think that you should consider the size in making your decision.

Parking

Parking is one of the biggest problems on campus. It is extremely difficult to park and then walk to class. What most students tend to do is park at the parking decks and then take a campus bus to class. The bus ride usually takes about five minutes to get to anywhere on campus. I live fairly close to campus, so I just take one of the buses. Some areas immediately off campus, like mine for instance, have bus routes through them. I actually chose to live where I live because it’s on the bus line.

Safety & Security

The campus is an overall safe place. Obviously, common sense is a critical virtue to possess in a campus environment that includes over 30,000 different people. Some of the services that the University provides are emergency call-boxes, hand-scan stations for entering dorms, and an organization called Watchdawgs that provides students with free rides home from downtown after a night at the bars. Overall, UGA provides a safe environment for all.

Transportation

Public transportation is pretty convenient. There’s the Athens city bus, which is free as long as you have your student ID. There are taxis. Also, there are the University buses, which take you all over campus.

Weather

The weather here is amazing. I came from Pennsylvania, and this is a drastic change. We have warm falls and springs, and winter doesn’t get too cold, either. I love the weather down here.