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College Prowler

Academics

The teachers are usually passionate, though I’ve had one or two that didn’t know the material or couldn’t articulate the information clearly. Most of them, however, do understand how to get to students and teach what they are passionate about. In that sense, students learn which teachers highlight certain points and can try to get that instructor instead of one who isn’t interested in the same field.

Athletics

Varsity football and baseball have huge followings. A football game is at least an all-weekend event. People tailgate for both football and baseball games. Many people attend men’s and women’s basketball games, and the University has been working on encouraging students to support these teams. Other varsity sports are publicized, but not as closely followed. There are lots of intramural sports leagues on campus. The dorms participate, the Rec Center makes teams, and the Greeks have an intramural system. They play flag football, volleyball, basketball, and soccer, to name a few.

Campus Dining

When I was a freshman, I tried not to eat in the dining halls because there didn’t seem to be much healthy food to pick from. There’s always something fried, and there’s an ice cream machine. The Union has Chick-fil-A, McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, and places to get salad, sandwiches, sushi, and pasta dishes. I’ve heard you can’t trust the sushi, and that the personal pan pizzas at Pizza Hut are to die for. I like to eat the wraps at Sandella’s, but other than that, I haven’t really been a frequent diner. There is a Starbucks (eCommons) downstairs in the Union, which I do enjoy on a regular basis. It’s good to have a place to stop for a good cup of coffee on the way to and from classes.

Campus Housing

Everyone always fights to get into Miller or Herget, but LSU has a secret—the Pentagon! I lived there, and sure, it can have some ghetto people at times, but it’s basically like having an apartment. It’s five buildings, and they are all split into five sections. And each building has only two RAs. Like, my RA didn’t even live in our section. The rooms are bigger than most, furniture is movable, it’s closer to campus, and you have a whole lot more freedom than you would anywhere else. There’s no lobby, and you don’t have to check any visitors in or out. But if you want the ‘dorm experience’ with people running up and down the halls, then live in Miller or Herget.

Campus Strictness

Campus police have been known to issue MIPs [Minor in Possession] at football games and campus parties if beverages are in their original bottles or cans. Usually you’re okay if your beverage is in a cup (not a clear one). There are usually lots of campus police patrolling at night looking for drunk drivers. I’m not sure how they are about drugs, but I know a kid got seriously busted for growing marijuana in one of the dorm basements my freshman year. That’s the only drug-related incident I’ve heard of on campus. I’m pretty sure he won’t receive an LSU diploma in his lifetime.

Computers

I would definitely recommend that students bring their own computers to LSU. I enjoy the PAWS system LSU uses, and I find that most of the time it’s user-friendly. Having to contact the Computing Service Center to set up a connection in the dorms can be a slight hassle. It’s important to remember to cut off your Internet service when you no longer want it. Also, living in sorority and fraternity houses requires that you sign up for Cox Cable Internet services on your own, which has been a hassle in the past because of incorrect information and mistakes at Cox Cable. Once you’re Internet is set up, however, it’s a breeze.

Diversity

The campus is diverse due to a large number of graduate students, but the campus does not have very many African Americans. Most African Americans attend the nearby Southern University.

Drug Scene

There is a drug scene, but it is overshadowed by the drinking and going-out scene. Not much is said about drugs. I think because alcohol is so easily accessible for most students, drugs are not as big a part of the college culture here as at other places.

Facilities

Athletics are top-notch . . . we love our athletes! Computers are good—brand new, pretty much. I don’t find anything wrong with the Union, other than a lack of quiet areas for studying. Bathrooms are usually pretty nasty. They’re old, small, smelly, and some have bug (roach) issues, and I can hardly imagine the amount of germs that have made themselves a home in 99 percent of them. The bathrooms in new buildings or those buildings that have recently been remodeled do not have most or any of these issues for obvious reasons.

Greek Life

Greek life is huge. There are 10 sororities and around 18 fraternities that have pledge classes of up to 80 people. Greeks dominate some of the bars and lots of the parties. Not being Greek is not detrimental to the social scene; there are non-Greeks that are friends with Greeks, and it’s all one big, happy family.

Guys & Girls

Some of the hottest people in the South. The guys have long, swoopie hair, as do the girls. Everyone’s really trendy. It’s kind of annoying that practically everyone (in the Greek community) wears polos, but LSU is very diverse. Some girls are fake, snobby, stereotypical sorority b*tches, and some of the guys are pompous fraternity a-holes, but it’s probably like that at every campus.

Local Atmosphere

People say that LSU is all partying, all the time. I would have to say that if that’s what you want it to be, then that’s what it will be. But if you are like me and aren’t exactly hip on going to bars and clubs, there are so many more ways to have fun, and they aren’t hard to find. It is so easy to get involved on campus and meet people without having to party all the time!

Nightlife

The only problem with Tigerland (one of the main bar areas) is that it is run by the Greeks and therefore has some outlandish dress code rules for guys. I come from one of the most traditionalist towns (College Station, TX) and have lived in the most conservative state in the union (Wyoming) but have never had to take out any of my piercings. At Tigerland, they all have to come out. It's probably more about liability than anything. I guess that's what I get for going to a bar that's packed with drunken frat guys who constantly want to fight anyone and everyone that comes within arm's reach.

Off-Campus Dining

Off-campus restaurants are great and diverse. The Chimes, located just outside the gates of LSU, is a popular hangout and has been for years. Hello Sushi just opened and is awesome, and Moe’s Southwest Grill is next door to that. Walk On’s is a cool sports bar and a good place to hang out after games. Serrano’s is a Mexican restaurant with awesome margaritas, located on Chimes Street. There are lots of really good coffee shops, too, like CC’s, which has several nearby locations, and Highland Coffees, also located just off Chimes.

Off-Campus Housing

Housing off campus (especially within five miles of LSU) is more expensive than it should be. The renters hike the prices up because they know that LSU students will pay it. There are apartments off campus that are on the LSU bus route, which is nice because you don’t have to commute to class. Commuter parking on campus is a hassle, and that is what makes living off campus more inconvenient than living on campus. Because when you live on campus, you can just walk to class.

Overall Experience

I rue the day I graduate and enter the real world. LSU is what you make of it, and most people make it the most fun five or so years of their lives. You can work hard and get a great education, but what makes this place great is what you do out of class. People are friendly despite the size of the campus, and there is always something to do.

Parking

Permits are required to park everywhere on campus, and if you don’t have a permit to park where you park, you will get towed or ticketed. It is not easy to park. When I lived in the dorm, I would park usually at least a few blocks walk from my dorm, and then I wouldn’t move my car—unless I absolutely had to—for the rest of the week. Most of the time, it had been so long since I’d driven my car that I would forget where I’d parked it. In the Greek lot, parking is a little bit easier, though on sorority meeting nights (Mondays and Tuesdays) girls who do not live in the houses must also park, and there are simply not enough spaces for this. Many times we park illegally and put our flashers on, or we park on the lake side of West Lakeshore Drive and hope that we don’t get towed. There is very little visitor parking anywhere, and many commuters leave at least an extra half-hour for parking before class.

Safety & Security

Since the tragic incidents that happened, our security is better than ever. Drastic measures have been taken to make sure students feel safer on campus. Areas are better lit, shrubbery has been trimmed to open up areas, police are more evident, security measures into events are higher, and transportation is provided (free of charge) at night around campus, amongst other things.

Transportation

I’ve heard there are tipsy taxis that you can take from the bars right off campus, but I’ve never used one. I think they take so long to get there that anyone who seriously needed it would have passed out by the time it got there. I’ve never used Campus Transit before, but I’ve heard they take forever to pick you up. The Greek bus and other campus buses claim to run of a regular schedule, but on a given day, their tardiness or slowness or ability to pick the worst possible time to take a break will give the average LSU student a panic attack and make him or her late. Sometimes, bus drivers will pass up entire bus stops. While it may be to due the bus being full, sometimes it just seems to be out of spite or inattention. I prefer to walk to class because our campus is beautiful, and the bus system is unreliable.

Weather

It is hot and moderately humid most of the time in Baton Rouge. Tennis shoes, flip-flops, T-shirts, shorts, and capris are the largest part of my wardrobe. It is important to carry an umbrella or anorak at all times, because Baton Rouge is prone to unpredictable rain showers in the late afternoon on any given day, during any given season. There are about two and a half months a year where sweaters and jackets are necessary. The winter temperatures are usually in the 40s and 50s.