Greek Life

Being Greek at this school has been one of the best decisions of my life. There are so many stereotypes about Greeks on campus, but having friends who are both Greek and not, a student will have their ups and downs regardless of whether they wear letters or not. I have several friends who often regret not joining a house, but I know many who are also content not being Greek. It is true that being Greek has its perks, especially in the social scene (bars, fraternities, etc.). The rumors that Greeks and non-Greeks don't get along is absolutely ridiculous. Half of my best friends aren't in sororities, while the other half are both from my house and several other houses on campus. I am proud to wear my letters and answer when someone asks what house I'm in.

Guys & Girls

Girls here are too obsessed with getting a guy. It is so 1950s. They all get dolled up for class and run around in tube tops in the winter. No wonder McKinley is always running out of free condoms.

Local Atmosphere

Urbana-Champaign combines the small-town country feel with the city atmosphere. It is an academic community, but walk, bike, or drive a few blocks into Urbana or Champaign, and you’ll enjoy the huge country homes set far back from the street, the stretches of farmland, and tractors driving down the roads.

Nightlife

The bar scene is an unbreakable tradition at the University. The two longest standing bars with the most school spirit would definitely be Joe’s and Kam’s which have their walls lined with pictures of the greatest athletes ever to have played there. If you want to get to a bar where you can experience sorority girls up close, go to Gully’s. Murphy’s is like St. Patrick’s Day all year long, where they have a clock that counts down to the famous Irish drinking holiday.

Off-Campus Dining

The restaurants in Champaign have a pretty good selection. The more popular ventures are the various wing nights. The White Horse offers a Tuesday night wing special of a pound of wings for $2.50, which is about ten wings. Brothers has ten cent wings on Thursday nights. Pizza is a big deal on campus, too. Some of the hot spots include Garcia’s, Gumby’s (the pokey sticks are legendary), Bonnie Jean’s (post-bar by the slice specialty), Papa Del’s, and Monical’s.

Off-Campus Housing

The hard part is dealing with these companies who barely clean the apartment before you move in and are extremely slow to fix problems with the place. They will keep your security deposit if the faucet doesn’t run right. They really try to take you through the ringer, so you have to be careful. But after being in the dorms, you’ll do anything for your own room. Big balconies are all the rage, and if you can find five people, renting a house is a pretty good deal as well.

Overall Experience

My overall experience at the University of Illinois has been great. I cannot imagine being anywhere else. It is big and to some it is overwhelming, but I love seeing everyone on the Quad and knowing we all have stresses and tests, but we make it through. A big part of it is finding a group or student organization to be involved in. Then, as you get to know people, the campus gets smaller and smaller, and you feel like you know a ton of people. It is really amazing to look back and realize how many people you have met over the years.

Parking

Parking really does suck! It should be expected though: 40,000 students on one campus equals expensive parking! You basically have three options: 1. Campus parking (roughly 400 for the school year), but there's lots of restrictions and it's not that convenietly located; 2. City parking, which is cheaper, but you need to get on the waiting list. Also, who feels safe parking on the street in a college town? 3. Realty parking, which is very expensive, but it's safer and more convenient. You're looking at roughly 45 to 85 dollars a month for a space at an apartment building depending on the location.

Safety & Security

Though some people are worried about security on campus, the Quad and main campus grounds are really quite safe. Plus, there are groups of campus security who walk the Quad and campus to keep things safe. There are also several emergency booths if anything should happen.

Transportation

Every student has a bus pass and the buses run about five minutes apart. The #22 runs through the most central part of campus. It goes to the Union, the Six-Pack, both of the exercise facilities, and stops no more than a block away from every bar. The buses run from 7 a.m. to 3 a.m.

Weather

U of I is in the Midwest, and it gets pretty cold. A lot of students come out from California and don’t bring winter coats. Some of them have never seen snow. In mid February when winter is in full gear, not only will you be wearing a coat, scarf, gloves and hat, you will either get really intimate with the bus schedule, or you will pay for those parking meters.

Academics

The College of Business at the U of I is nationally ranked, but the Business Career Services department is third in the country. It is by far one of the best parts of being in the College of Business. The teachers know their subject and have had real world experience in that field. There's a ton of group work, which can be incredibly frustrating, but that's how businesses accomplish their goals in the real world.

Athletics

University of Illinois is a Division I Big Ten contender in every sport. If nothing else, the weekend is always filled with sporting events to watch—football and basketball particularly, but it extends to every sport.

Campus Dining

Campus dining in the dorms is not something you want to do; it’s something that you have to do when you don’t have money. The up side to the situation is that once a week a local restaurant goes to every dorm on campus and prepares something special to break the monotony of the slimy beef stroganoff that slightly resembles vomit. There is nothing wrong with eating genetically-modified vegetables . . . right?

Campus Housing

The dorms vary. They can be very different experiences. PAR has an open and closed lounge. It is nice but there are no triples. The Six-Pack dorms have triples, though. And the tunnels are nice.

Campus Strictness

Since 18- and 19-year-olds can get into bars in Urbana-Champaign, cops tend to be fairly lax on policing house, apartment, and fraternity parties. Frat parties rarely get into trouble, and house and apartment parties usually only have trouble when the police receive complaints from neighbors. Watch out for police bar raids, which are usually spread by word-of-mouth beforehand.

Computers

The dorm labs are always crowded on a first-come, first-serve basis, and there isn’t a time limit or priority rating. That means if some geek wants to stay on for 72 hours; then, you are stuck waiting. Besides last year a kid was caught abusing himself to Internet pornography . . . eeewwww.

Diversity

As an African American female, when I came here, I did not see many brown faces, and at first, it can be a little uncomfortable. During the summer before my freshman year, I attended the orientation and the topic of discussion related to how minorities cope. There are cultural and counseling services that are geared toward minorities on campus, and for me, they are beneficial.

Drug Scene

Cocaine is starting to make a small resurgence as a high-class party drug, but people are becoming aware of how dangerous it is. The ecstasy craze is dying from what it was a couple of years ago. The number one experimental drug right now is mushrooms. The second most popular drug to marijuana is nitrous . . . go figure.

Facilities

The Illini Union is one of the most popular places because it is located on the Quad, the center of the campus and surrounded by residence and educational halls. I love it because it has everything. If I am hungry, I can choose between a Big Mac or orange chicken. If I am thirsty and need to stay up for the night, I can sip a café latte while studying in the Courtyard Café.