Florida State University Top Questions

Many people believe that students at Florida State University are one of the following: big drinkers and/or University of Florida rejects (or just unintelligent.) Because of this another stereotype floating around is that the atmosphere on campus is that of a party school. I have also heard a lot of people stating that the population is more attractive than other Florida universities, and due to this it is the school with the most STDs. As far as most stereotypes go, not many of these are entirely true. Yes, there is a level of accuracy in all of them, but I wouldn't judge the school or community based on them. All universities have their highs and lows and FSU is no different. It's no lie that there are people who party and drink, however it doesn't apply to the population as a whole. You just as likely to find a generous crowd of straight-edge students as intense party-ers. As for intelligence, you should not consider FSU lower than UF by any means. They both have different specialties (FSU is more of a Liberal Arts school where as UF has a great engineering program.) The term "UF reject" probably comes from the fact that the schools have an intense rivalry and many who do apply to UF and don't get in had FSU as their second choice. I myself wanted to come to FSU more than UF. The attractiveness of the population is not bad, there are many charming and nice people here. And when talking about STDs, it's mostly a rumor as far as I can tell.

Florida State University is stereotyped as being a party school. Though many students here do go out and party (even on weeknights) if you do not hang out with that crowd you will not find yourself being excluded from the community. There are a fair amount of party-goers here, but one does not need to join them to find a comfortable niche at Florida State. Personally, I have found there is a very lively and creative student body at Florida State. We boast many exciting and different clubs. One can join everything from Cuong Nhu Club, a club dedicated to teaching students the arts of self defense, to the quirky but fun Humans Vs. Zombies club who hosts campus wide games twice a semester as well as skirmishes weekly.

Although FSU is home to many students, the range of individual expression is such that there does not appear to be any one dominant stereotype. Fortunately, most of the students at FSU are enlightened and broad-minded people who do not allow stereotypes to color their perspective.

While FSU is an extremely spirited school and Tallahassee is a town with some very healthy night life, that atmosphere in no way dictates the normal experience at Florida State. It is true that soririties, fraternities, and the party lifestyle are alive and well throughout the school, but they can also be avoided entirely if desired. Florida State offers a great educational experience combined with an eclectic student body. I have met such a wide variety of individuals during my time here; my classes have been stimulating and challenging without overwhelming me. And I have enjoyed living in Tallahassee, which outside of "the strip" and the downtown area is home to many beautifully maintained public parks where I walk my dog, hiking and biking trails, and a thriving music and local art culture.

The most common stereotype at Florida State University would be "partying" and "frat kids". It is easy to get lost in the lifestyle that comes with the city and University life. Many kids fall into partying on a day-to-day basis and many students join Fraternities and Sororities to feel accepted and part of something. However, that does not go for everyone that attends the school. The stereotype is somewhat accurate, but every school has their own percentage of the sort.

The most common stereotype at Florida State University would be "partying" and "frat kids". It is easy to get lost in the lifestyle that comes with the city and University life. Many kids fall into partying on a day-to-day basis and many students join Fraternities and Sororities to feel accepted and part of something. However, that does not go for everyone that attends the school. The stereotype is somewhat accurate, but every school has their own percentage of the sort.

Being a rather large school, students at Florida State University carve a wide spectrum of stereotypes. The athletic program here is no joke, and neither are all the frat and sorority houses, so naturally there's a lot of jock and frat kids. Academically FSU actually gains national recognition in some cases, especially in its music and creative writing departments. Overall there are new faces and scenes to be introduced to every day here - quite literally, and just thinking of all of the events (music, art) and clubs on campus, there really are many different types of students.

When I began my college search, I didn't want anything to do with big college football program. Jocks, Greeks, Football Fantatics? No thank you. I thought I was more of the art school type, to be honest. I visited art schools, private colleges, and then finally I visited FSU. What truly enchanted me and surprised me about FSU was that I immediately felt at home. I've never felt comfortable under any stereotype, they just box you in and give people a false impression of who you are. At FSU, though, I always feel like myself. Sure, we have a very strong Greek community, and football is a big deal here, but that doesn't define the college and it definitely does not have to define you as a student. So as an artsy, ambitious, workaholic with a Southern twang and a big-city attitude, I knew I didn't want to be stuck with a bunch of sorority girls and drunken football fans for four years. But that is not who the students of FSU are. I'm constantly abandoning stereotypes of Greeks and Jocks and learning that FSU is made up people like me, who just refuse to be defined by a stereotype. (And hey, who knew college football could be so fun?)

Two very common stereotypes about Florida State University is that we are zealous football fans and party all the time. This is not a very accurate stereotype about our student body. While many of us do root for our team and frequent football games, many of us watch the games every now and then on television. In fact, as we move forward through our college careers, we get involved in the campus community, various clubs and organizations, and our studies. We place these priorities above sports and as a result, become part of a community of focused individuals who pursue their passions.

Well, of course we have the stereotypical frat-boy. These come in a few different forms but usually they will be wearing some sort of fraternity related tank-top and a backwards hat. The other brand of frat-boy wears a colorful polo shirt tucked into cacki shorts and boat shoes. Another very popular stereotypical student you see at our school is the stereotypical "hipster." These guys (and gals) are everywhere. You can usually find them wearing thick rimmed glasses (many of which are not even prescription). Also many of them have some sort of hobo-beard going on. A popular article of clothing among the hipsters is the tight, short, jean-shorts. The legs will be ripped to achieve the shortness that they desire. The shirts they wear can vary from a straight up solid white-T, to a long-sleeve flannel with the chest hair out, to the classic "wolves howling at the moon shirt" that reminds us all of our drunk southern aunt. Both hipsters and frat-boys will talk down to you if you are not part of the clan, or they don't deem you worthy. Though all is good because luckily, there are so many different types of people here, so you are bound to find someone that enjoys your presence, and plus even though stereotypes exist, they merely serve to make it easier on our brains, everybody's different. As Donal Barthelme would put it "there are only individual egos, crazy for love."