Academics

I would contend that the professors at Valpo are the biggest draw to the University. I could never have imagined as a freshman at VU that in the next four years I would be challenged intellectually, spiritually, and personally by what I consider to be the best faculty anywhere in the nation. Sure, there are a few profs who you’d like to strangle, but for the most part, they will become lifelong influences on you, and more than that, become your friends. The classes are typically very stimulating (of course with some exceptions) and they all are taught by professors, not graduate students.

Athletics

Basketball is the biggest sport on campus. Everyone goes to the men’s games, and more people head to the women’s games every year. There is no bigger sport, varsity or IM, on campus. There are tons of different IMs to get involved in. It just gets more difficult to get involved in them after freshman year. They don’t advertise outside of the freshman dorms, so if you don’t know when you need to sign up by for a team, then it’s easy to just get left out.

Campus Dining

It's so-so. I have had worse at actual restaurants. The only real issue with the food is that although Dining Services claims to have ton of recipes, it always seems like there are only a few things that are made all the time. The grill in the Union is an okay alternative to the main entree.

Campus Housing

The dorms are decent. Honestly, while they aren’t the best, when I was searching for colleges and visited a few of them, Valpo didn’t have the nicest dorms, but they were dorms that I could see myself living in without feeling cramped. Once you can get out of the freshman dorms or Brandt, then either Berg or Guild/Memorial is a great choice for dorms. I’m living on campus all four years, and if you can get into Guild/Memorial before your senior year, then I would definitely recommend it as the nicest dorm.

Campus Strictness

VUPD is pretty strict on drugs, but on drinking, it’s absurd. I had a friend that went off campus, drank and came back to the dorm, and they busted him for having alcohol on campus! I couldn’t believe it. If you are at a party drinking, I’ve heard that it’s safer to find a ride back to the dorm than to walk. Rumor has it that VUPD has picked up people walking back from a party and busted them for drinking, but other people drinking at the same party drove right by the cop interrogating the kid walking and got back into the dorms without issue.

Computers

I would definitely recommend bringing your own computer. There are computer labs in almost every building, and it’s rarely difficult to find a computer, but the printers are not always reliable. During finals, especially, toner and paper are in scarce supply. I remember our Internet connection being pretty speedy my freshman year, but after that year, the connection slowed to turtle speed. (EIS claims the influx of more students has slowed the speed significantly. I personally find this to be a ridiculous answer.)

Diversity

It's true that the University is mostly white. However, the few minorities on campus do make the best effort to be recognized. There are many cultural events held throughout the school year on campus (from the Native American festival to the Feast from the East). However, these events lack participants (and anyone can help out). What would make them better is if students, white or not, got involved. The few minority and international students are more than willing to teach everyone about their diverse backgrounds. Hey, you can just walk in the pool hall and strike up a friendship with someone from Saudi Arabia or China...I did!

Drug Scene

The drug scene on campus doesn’t seem all that prominent. I know that there are kids that smoke weed, and I had heard some talk about ecstasy around my sophomore year. I’m sure that if you went off campus, either to a party or elsewhere in town, you could track down some drugs, but for the most part, I don’t know anyone that does drugs or has done drugs.

Facilities

The football field is embarrassingly small and unattractive. The computer facilities, other than those in the library, are rather pieced together and dingy. The student center is new, and offers dining options, study lounges, and multiple meeting rooms, in addition to a large assembly hall.

Greek Life

A good percentage of the students are involved in the Greek life. I am in a sorority, and I love it. The only down side is that Valpo does not have sorority houses, however, we do have fraternity houses.

Guys & Girls

The guys are the Midwestern farm-boy type. They are, on the whole, not attractive. There might be five attractive young men on the whole campus. The general personality type is rather ‘nice’ but without much substance. The girls are equally unattractive on the whole, and rather unpleasant towards each other.

Local Atmosphere

A distinct division exists between Valpo the college town and Valpo the community. VU is the only university in town, but relations between the college students and the locals are not always jolly. Nonetheless, it’s a nice town to live in, and it has pretty much everything you need, including a Wal-Mart, banks, a post office, movie theaters, and nearby malls. It’s close to Chicago, so you can take frequent trips to the city, which I recommend. Other must-sees in the area include the National Lakeshore (or the Dunes), St. Joseph, Michigan (which is just over an hour from Valpo), and Michigan City (which has great seafood, good shopping like the outlet mall, and a beautiful lighthouse).

Nightlife

There is always something to do but it's on campus most of the times. Unless you go out into Chicago, you'll be on campus. Union Board puts on some activities that students go to; otherwise you find a frat house to hang out. There's always the good old fashioned watch a movie with friends route too.

Off-Campus Dining

Very basic food fare—Chili’s is minutes from campus, as is Steak ‘n Shake. Down the road a bit is Applebee’s. There are some pretty nice local restaurants—Maria Elena’s, Bistro 157, and Café Paradiso are all nice dining facilities within minutes of campus. El Amigo, Dynasty Buffet, and Gelsosomo’s are also excellent student food.

Off-Campus Housing

Off-campus housing isn’t an option until you are a senior. There were a few exceptions last year, as I’m sure there are this year because the on-campus population is growing. I chose not to live off campus, not because it wasn’t worth it, but because I don’t have a car. Some of the apartments real close to campus are close enough to walk to classes, but I didn’t really want to have to walk in the snow and slush during the winter. I have friends that live off campus and love it, but I wouldn’t know who I would live with to split rent. With all the other things you have to pay for when living in an apartment, I felt the dorms were a better value for me.

Overall Experience

My experience at Valpo has been very good, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. The time I have spent here has been great, and the teachers and friends have made me a better person. The only times I wish I were somewhere else are when I have a big need to party, because there is not much chance of that, but your experiences are what you make of them.

Parking

The majority of the time, parking isn’t too much of an issue, but there simply aren’t enough parking spaces for the number of cars with passes. If there aren’t any spots close to your dorm, you have to just keep moving farther and farther away to even see if any spots are available.

Safety & Security

Valpo feels very safe. A student can walk alone at night with minimal fear. The police do not necessarily contribute to this feeling of safety, however, as they have a cold relationship with the student body. The familiarity amongst the students is what offers the sense of security on campus.

Transportation

The transportation isn't so bad. Just this past year, the city implemented the use of the V-line, which is a bus route that stops at all major residential and shopping areas. Sometimes the routing makes no sense---for example, the green line stops at both Wal-Mart and Target but doesn't pick up by the school while there are two other buses that both stop at Target and the school...but not Wal-Mart. Either way, most things are within walking distance...or biking distance. And if worse comes to worst, you'll probably make a friend that has a car on campus. Be sure to help out with gas money, though! All in all, the freshmen might have the hardest time with the transportation issue.

Weather

Well, how much you like the weather depends on what season you like. If you love winter, then Valpo is the place for you. It's well-known for sitting in the center of the snowbelt. Also, the College is one of the top in the United States for meteorology. It just recently built a doppler radar. So, if you really like harsh storms (tornadoes, hail, thunderstorms, three feet of snow on a good day), then you'll feel right at home here. Note: There is a reason it is sometimes called ValPourRainSnow. However, when the sun is shining, man does it shine. Valpo has a lot of beautiful photo opportunities when spring and summer come (even the fall offers some beauties). You'll frequently see bunnies and squirrels frolicking about the school grounds on your way to class, hear birds chirping, and smell the fresh flowers on the trees. It really makes you relax and forget about that past week of straight rain and mud.