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College Prowler

Parking

When you move off-campus, most of the apartments are in walking-distance from campus, so having a car isn’t necessary. Of course, it’s always nice to be able to get away when you need to and drive around. There’s an above-ground metro system in the city, as well. There are also campus buses that run regularly to different areas off campus (the grocery store, the mall, etc). And at night, there’s a campus shuttle service where you can call a special number and tell the operator where you are, then they come and pick you up and drop you off wherever you want to go. It’s totally free and really convenient when you feel lazy! Most of the drivers are other students.

Safety & Security

Safety on campus is pretty good. There are blue-light emergency phones everywhere, you need a card to get into any of the dorm buildings (so there’s no way for strangers to wander in), there are proctors stationed in the lobbies of all buildings open at night, and there are constantly campus police patrolling. The school also has a service for people who don’t want to walk across campus alone; you can call the number and two guys who work for the service will show up wherever you are and walk with you so you don’t have to be by yourself.

Transportation

Public transportation could be better, but for the most part you can get around. There's the MetroLink (which can get you Downtown, to concerts, the Central West End, fun places) and busses (passes are given to Wash U kids for free). Taxis in St. Louis are horrible though. Just today my roommate arrived 30 minutes late to a job interview because her taxi picked her up much later than she'd requested. In the end, making friends with upperclassmen who are allowed to have cars on campus is the best bet. At least thats what I did!

Weather

The weather here is schizophrenic! Seriously, you’ll go from 80 degrees to 40 within the week. I’ve seen it! Usually, it’s pretty moderate, though; it’s nothing too extreme. There’s not too much snow, and the heat is usually never excruciating.

Academics

Some teachers here are fantastic! Depends on the class really—also, they’re really great about giving teachers and not TAs (teaching assistants). The only class you’ll have that will be taught by a TA will be your English Composition freshman year class. Especially awesome teachers that everyone knows and loves: Richard Smith (he teaches Intro to Evolution and is apparently phenomenal), I’ve also loved Prof Bernard (physics teacher who moves discussions at a nice, steady pace), Prof Friedman (history and women’s studies; probably the best woman teacher here), Prof Huck (teaches art school, mostly printmaking, and has a knack for the arts), Prof Sabraw (teaches art school, mostly drawing, and will work tirelessly with each individual student), and John Stewart (the chorus director who is also a phenomenal human being).

Athletics

Wash U sports have lots of support depending on the sport. Basketball games are packed especially after winning our first men's national title in 2008. The women's volleyball team also won a national championship in the fall of 2007. The men's tennis team took home the national title in 2008. All in all, the 2007-2008 school year was awesome with Wash U coming in second in the Director's Cup. What's great is that the athletes are real people who actually participate in class. Fans pack the Field House for Friday night games. On the other hand, you won't see many student fans at softball and baseball games, or at tennis matches or track and field meets. We also just added a women's golf team. In terms of IMs, a ton of people do participate and have a lot of fun. There's everything from basketball to arm wrestling.

Campus Dining

As far as good on-campus eating spots go, Wash U does not disappoint. Holmes Lounge is a student favorite. It opens up into the Quad, and on nice days it’s an awesome place to hang out. They serve tons of wraps, paninis, and meats. Holmes Lounge is a beautiful place to study, too. It was the Queen’s ballroom during the 1904 World’s Fair. They now hold jazz concerts there in the summer. In the winter, they light up the fireplace and if you can grab a chair near it with a good cup of tea, you’re set. Ursa’s Cafe on the South 40 residential area is kind of fun. Students call it ‘the Max,’ like from Saved by the Bell. Ursa’s has pool tables and table tops with board games built into them, so you can rent games like Sorry or Monopoly and play while you eat. It’s got a big screen TV, a stage, computer kiosks, and an all-around friendly atmosphere. The food there is okay—it’s generally the same as on campus: wraps, smoothies, soups, sushi, and salads.

Campus Housing

The new dorms are nice because they look like ski lodges, with Lien House and Danforth being the nicest. The other freshmen dorms are old, but more social. In the new dorms, everyone gets a four-person suite and you share a bathroom, but everyone seems to stay to themselves. The doors for each room shut automatically so you can’t just leave them open and let your neighbors pop in and out. The old dorms are much more open and people can wander in and out of your room if you leave the doors open. Plus, there are community bathrooms. It depends on your tastes, but I think you meet more people in the old dorms. Most people move off campus after their sophomore year, but you can stay on if you like. The sophomore suites are old, but they have balconies. There are six people to a suite, two singles, two doubles, one bathroom, and one common room in sophomore suites. The new sophomore suites are like the freshman dorms. They’re really nice, but not as open.

Campus Strictness

When I was a freshman, there were practically no rules at all. The campus policy was basically, do what you want, act mature, and we won’t bother you. Eighteen-year-old freshmen could be seen walking casually across campus with a can of beer in each hand. However, things have gotten more and more strict throughout the years. As long as the alcohol doesn’t leave your room, you wont get in trouble (underage or not). There’s drinking at the frat parties, but no one ever IDs you, and I’ve never heard of anyone getting in trouble. Basically, if you’re of-age and drinking, no one cares. If you’re underage, you just can’t be in a public area. No one will search your room, no one will even bother you if they see you sitting in your room drinking (as long as you’re not acting like an idiot). The policies change and become a little more strict every year, so don’t hold me to this. But compared to other colleges, Wash U is the most lenient.

Computers

I never bring my computer anywhere and I have never had a problem. There are computers in the library, in the library cafe, in the student center, in the Business school, even in one of the academic buildings. Also, there is wireless almost everywhere, so if you do want to bring your computer you can get onto the internet easily!

Diversity

In many ways, Wash U is a relatively homogenous place, in that most students tend to be well-off, American (the international community is small), and pretty conventional in their political and cultural views (i.e., somewhat conservative or unengaged). That said, minority groups contribute a lot to campus diversity with events like the Chinese New Year Festival, or Diwali the break-dancing club, or the Korean barbecues. But diversity is, in fact, one of Wash U’s problem areas. There are people from all over the country, and sometimes the world, but they often resemble each other socio-economically and politically and reinforce the homogeneity of the campus.

Drug Scene

At Wash U, there’s lot’s of drinking, a fair amount of pot, ecstasy is becoming more prevalent, and there are a few cases of people who do coke in their rooms. I think that drinking and drugs can always be found on college campuses, and while Wash U is certainly a fun place, it isn’t really what you’d call a ‘party school.’ In other words, if drinking and drugs make up your scene, you’ll be able to find it, but if you want nothing to do with it, it can be avoided.

Facilities

Most of the facilities at Wash U are great. The new buildings are all incredible, and they're only building more. I also like that they are all now very well-maintained buildings but they maintain the old look that contributes so much to the beauty of the campus. The library is awesome at Wash U, and tons of people use it to study and to just have some quiet time to themselves. The new DUC (Danforth University Center) is absolutely amazing. There's good food, lots of quiet rooms, a fun room with nice TVs, great couches and video games, and even a couple fire places. The DUC also has easily one of the nicest interiors of any building I've seen oon a college campus. The one area in facilities where WashU is definitely lacking is the Athletics Complex. There are a lot of workout options, a pool, and a couple basketball courts, but the building is pretty difficult to navigate and is also almost always too busy. I'm sure with the amount of renovations going on at WashU, the Athletics Complex will definitely be renovated in the near future though.

Greek Life

You don’t have to be Greek to party or meet people at Wash U. It’s not at all exclusive either. I’m not Greek, but I’m an athlete and we all kind of form our own coed, giant fraternity/sorority sometimes. Plus, going to the Greek parties, you always see people you know, but there are always more people to meet, and it can be fun. Joining just means it’s another good way to meet tons of people, but it’s definitely not a necessity. If I had it to do over, I still wouldn’t have rushed.

Guys & Girls

It's difficult to choose a Wash U "type" because there are all kinds of people here. Everyone is really smart, and it's said that the girls are not that attractive and the guys are even less attractive (I don't think that's true). Wash U students are probably a little bit more intellectual than your average citizen, but it's a very normal social scene. Yes, there are lots of geeks, but most people are very social.

Local Atmosphere

I think people do not appreciate St. Louis as much as they should. It is a pretty bustling city with art exhibits, different and interesting bars, eclectic people, and interesting sights. While it is really good to explore the city, there are definitely some places you want to stay away from. I do not interact with nearby universities.

Nightlife

The nightlife at WashU is mediocre. Parties on campus are pretty much always at the frats, and there are also a couple frats that throw good parties just off campus. However, in my opinion, the frat parties can get really old and repetetive. Upperclassmen all go to bars like Morgan Street and they always have a pretty good time there, so I'm really just waiting for the ability to drive there next year.

Off-Campus Dining

The Central West End is a good place to go for food. You have really upscale dining, like Zoë Pan-Asian and Cafe Balaban. The Wild Flower (awesome place to get a bottle of wine, sit on the patio, and draw all over the tables with crayons), Rossino’s, and Dëuffs all serve finger foods at cheap prices (under $10 for any entrée). The Grand area, closer to Saint Louis University, also has some cool places to go and eat. The Jade Room and Pho Grand are located there, and they are great places to take a date. And the Clayton area just west of Wash U has some good restaurants and bars, too, like Killkenny’s Pub and Portabella. Then, the Hill is famous for Italian food eateries, and the Soulard area has made St. Louis Mardi Gras the second largest celebration in the country.

Off-Campus Housing

I do not really know that much about it, considering I am a freshman. I am going to live off campus next year in this sweet house though, and the process was really easy. A lot of the campus housing is real nice so it is not that necessary to move off.

Overall Experience

I had the best time of my life at Wash U and I wouldn’t have switched schools if they paid me. While I learned a lot from my classes (I was an English major), college was really an amazing time (as cheesy as it sounds) to learn about myself and to grow in all kinds of ways. I met amazing people, had the opportunity to participate in great activities, and overall just had a good time. One thing in particular that I really liked about Wash U was that the administration really worked well with the student body. In a lot of other schools (my high school, in particular), there is a feeling that the administration thinks it’s better than you, wants to rule over you, and doesn’t respect you. At Wash U, there isn’t much sense of a controlling entity hovering over the student body. That isn’t to say that it doesn’t do it’s job, but you feel respected and free to pursue your interests. Teachers respect you; they consider your ideas as opposed to preaching to you. Deans can be seen walking across campus and will be happy to sit down and have lunch with you if you need to talk.