Northwestern University Top Questions

Northwestern has a variety of activities and student initiatives that anyone can get involved in. There are activities for every interest, and if there is not, then someone is liable to create something for others to get involved in. School spirit is not that prevalent, and sports are not what Northwestern is known for. Socially, students are always willing to meet new people and usually go out on a typical Friday or Saturday night. However, many students also do homework or study. Frats are a big deal on campus, and orchestrate much of the social life on weekends for people who are into that. The dating scene is virtually nonexistant - people seem so involved in whatever they are doing on campus that they give off the impression that there is no time for dating or a serious relationship. A lot of upperclassmen go into Chicago on the weekends to bars and restaurants.

The most popular social outlets for students on campus are fraternities and sororities. There are more than ten frats and sororities on campus and about 1/3 of NU students are Greek. There are tons of groups on campus, ranging from Darfur-awareness groups to religious groups like Hillel. Theater and the performing arts are huge on campus and on any given weekend there is always a performance, concert or show to attend. Athletics exist, but the major sports like basketball and football usually end with an NU defeat. DM is probably the biggest event on campus, one that draws togther the entire campus.

There is always something to do on campus, whether it be seeing an A Capella group, a theater production, a stand up comedy show or a modern dance production. Nearly every weekend provides amply opportunity for interaction as well as participation. At the same time, Greek life is very central to campus activity outside of special activities like those mentioned above. There are few parties. The parties that do exist, are heavily regulated by the university as far as alcohol goes. Therefore, the social life can be lacking, but only if you are not active. No matter what you want to do on campus, the opportunity is there.

There is usually something going on every weekend. whether it is a student performance or play. And of course there always is Chicago which has lots to do.

The most prevalent social groups on campus would probably be frats and sororities. Sorority rush is probably the most terrifying, heartbreaking process freshmen girls could be put through. Northwestern has a "top three" consisting of Theta, Tri Delt and Kappa. Though this year Kappa's pledge class sucked and they didn't make quota so it's probably more like a "top two" now. Girls walk into rush expecting to get into those houses and the reality is 3/4 of them won't get a "top" house. At Northwestern athletic events are sometimes popular, but are constantly dissapointing. People only really go to football and men's basketball games, and we almost never win. On a Saturday night that doesn't involve drinking I go out to dinner and a movie with a girlfriend or order in and hang out with my boyfriend.

I am involved in Boomshaka, a Stompesque dance/rhythm team on campus. They are very dedicated and rock. In my dorm students leave their doors open, which I really appreciate. The dating scene is quite non-existent... a lot of my closest friends are from my dorm. On a Tuesday at 2 am.. I am studying. People love to party... Monday night Keg, Thursday night Deuce, and the weekends are crazy. Greek life is quite popular, like 40{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of campus is involved in Greek life. Last weekend I hung out with Boomshaka. On a Saturday night, you can go to the movies, go down to Chicago, having a girl night in your dorm, go to a coffee shop .. lots of stuff.

greek like is pretty big here, but you dont HAVE to be a part of it to have a social life. it's probably more crucial for guys than girls to be in a frat. there are lots of events on campus...theatre, dance, lectures, concerts

Fraternities and sororities are very important at Northwestern. About 40{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the student population is a member of a frat or sorority, and it feels like more. Greek life here isn't intense or intimidating at all, it's basically just a low-key organization that provides you with some parties and a place to live.

I think fraternities/sororities are extremely important on Northwestern's campus. Because close to half of the students are Greek, the system creates a bond. Joining a sorority was one of the best decisions I made this year, especially because I didn't come to Northwestern thinking that I wanted to rush. I met so many girls that I wouldn't have met otherwise, especially because I live South Campus.

The most popular thing to do on campus is Dance Marathon, which is a huge philanthropic event held every spring, although the preparation takes the entire school year. Most people do that at least once. The other popular thing to do is participate in research. Every department has research opportunities, so take advantage of those. You can work directly with professors and maybe even get your name published. About 30{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the campus is Greek, but you don't need to go Greek by any means to have a huge social network and go to parties. Dorm life is definitely the way to go at least the first year; leave your door open and meet people. There are always going to be those stereotypical nerds you can't talk to, but there's lots of outgoing people who like to work hard, and then play hard. Dating scene is not as bad as people make it out to be. I met my boyfriend of four and half years now in my dorm, and many people I know are getting married to people they met while at NU. There's not a lot to do at NU on the weekends that doesn't involve drinking, so if you're not into drinking, find some friends who like to do something else, like going downtown Chicago or hanging out in downtown Evanston.

There are too many groups on campus so I will not say which one is the most popular. Because there are so many different groups, students should really decide which clubs/groups they want to devote their time to. The bulk of my time has been devoted to my fraternity, Lambda Phi Epsilon. We are an Asian-interest fraternity that caters to the Asian community. If you want to have a full college experience (people that will mentor you, brotherhood, parties, etc), I believe my fraternity has everything to offer to students. I know this is a biased opinion because I am currently the Chapter President of my fraternity. However, I feel so strongly about my organization because it has practically defined my college experience. Students in dorms generally leave their doors open. Athletic events are not that popular. I would say most students attend football games at least once during their college experience. Guest speakers are very popular. One time, a student group brought Kanye West to perform. Most recently, the school brought in Lifehouse to perform for freshmen during New Student Week. Theater is not as popular...maybe this is also because I am not interested in theater and haven't actively sought out any theater-related events. I will not comment on the dating scene because I have never dated a Northwestern student. I guess this means that Northwestern's dating scene is pretty bad. I met my closest friends through my fraternity. These are the guys that will be my "best men" at my wedding in the future. If I were awake at 2AM on a Tuesday when I was a freshman, sophomore, or junior, I would probably be studying with one of my fraternity brothers. Now that I am a senior however, at 2AM, I would probably be playing the XBOX360 or taking a survey like this! One Northwestern tradition that happens each year is called Dillo Day which takes place during Memorial Day Weekend. This is when the school brings in various performing acts like rock bands, etc and students get drunk for the whole weekend. I would say people party every weekend when it is not exam season. Every Friday or Saturday night, you will see lots of drunk Northwestern students eating at the 24-hour Burger King located next to campus. Fraternity and sorority life at Northwestern is huge. I have heard a statistic that says around 40{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of Northwestern students are greek. Being a greek myself, I would say that greek life is awesome and every student should check it out to see if they like it or not. Last weekend, I was at the campus of University of Chicago because their chapter of Lambda Phi Epsilon was hosting a social event with our sister sorority. If you don't want to drink on a Saturday night, you can go explore downtown Chicago. It is such a huge and exciting city to be in. There is something for everyone to do and see.

It depends on which dorm you live in: allison hall is pretty sociable, simply because it's mostly freshmen, so everybody wants to get to know each other. Some athletic events are more popular than others: the football games that people thought we could win, people went to, the others, nobody gave a shit enough to come, so the student section was maybe half-full if we were lucky. Almost nobody goes to the basketball games, or basically any other sport even though we rock at most other sports and suck at the big ones: basketball and football. the dating scene is just like any other college, i would imagine: people don't really date, they just kind of hook up consistently until they realize that their partner is also exclusive and then "officially" become exclusive. there is a lot of pressure to have sex, which i suppose is the same at any college. People paint the rock here, which is a pretty cool tradition. There's like two parties every weekend fall and spring quarters and sometimes one during winter quarter. fraternities and sororities basically control the social life here. if they don't have any parties, nobody goes out. My advice: get a fake, or find someone who has a fake if you want to drink consistently. There isn't that much to do on a saturday night that doesn't involve drinking, except sometimes there are plays to see, which can be entertaining.

I guess Greek stuff./Hispanic Freshman Advisory Board. Not much to tell./Yes, but not really in winter. It's a sad time, seriously./People go to everything. If it's high profile, tickets will sell out in an hour./Ha!/In the dorm./Probably, studying. In a better world, watching TV or talking to friends./You can read about them on Wiki... they aren't super exciting./Often./Fairly important, I think 30 or 40{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the school is Greek./Stayed in with friends./Whatever you want, I guess./See the city, bum around Evanston.

Our social life has everything from frat parties to movie nights. we rock it all. The guy down the hall from me never locks his door, but i don't think you'd wanna do that everywhere. Greek life is huge, but there's plenty going on if your not in it!

Dance Marathon is by far the most popular philanthropic organization. Students dance for 30 hours straight on a weekend in March after fund raising all year. Students leave their doors open all the time. Two roommates -- my friends -- haven't locked their door since the beginning of the year because they didn't want to deal with the hassle of losing their keys. Everyone knows their room is unlocked, but nothing is ever stolen. Football is fairly popular and basketball is well-attended , but we are the smallest student section out of all the Big 10 schools. Our three-time defending national champion women's lacrosse team is the sport where the student section is most routinely filled. There is a lack of a dating scene. Most people don't date. It is generally agreed that the women are more attractive then the men, but for an 8000 person "smart: school, we have our fair share of hotties. Partying is generally only on the weekends, but there is some bar-hopping on weekdays. Greek life is fairly prevalent, but the frats are much tamer than our Big 10 brethren. If you dont have friends off campus to drink with, Greek life will be important. Northwestern has very few traditions outside of painting the rock. Student organizations or individuals must stand by a large rock in the center of campus for 24 hours to guard it, and then they paint it at night, advertising events or even peoples birthdays.

Sororities and fraternities are very popular. Students don't leave their dorm doors open after the first month of school. If they are in their dorm, they are busy studying, smoking pot or sleeping. In cases where the door is open, it's because there is a group of people playing video games or watching a movie. People definitely party, but if you aren't into that scene no one cares. Our recent event like a Flight of the Conchords concert and a BJ Novak stand-up comedy event have been really popular. If it's a well-known but quirky event, people will definitely show up. GO TO CHICAGO ON THE WEEKENDS.

A&O, Mayfest, Daily Northwestern... those are the ones "everyone" is in. I write and edit for Northbynorthwestern.com, an independent student Web magazine. We're basically fucking awesome, and we've won tons of SPJ awards. We cover campus news, politics, life & style, entertainment, sports, fiction, and plenty else. There's blogs, columns, multimedia, etc. It's an amazing publication to be a part of. And the atmosphere is really fun. It's not tool-ish, I promise. When I lived in Allison, EVERYONE left their doors open. Now in Bobb, almost no one does. But people knock and chill. Athletic events and guest speakers = not so popular. Theater productions usually get a good draw of students. The dating scene is... what it is. Most people do random hookups or somehow are mysteriously in very serious long-term relationships. I had a long-distance boyfriend all last year, so I'm kind of new to the dating scene. I've done the hookup thing, and I'm kind of dating someone now. And the fact that I say "kind of" is more of a reflection of my own commitment issues than something wrong with NU. Few people go on actual dates, you know, to dinner or to movies, unless they're in relationships. I met my closest friends on my freshman hall, Allison 4th floor. If I'm awake at 2 a.m. on Tuesday, I'm editing Life & Style stories for NBN. If by 2 a.m. you mean Monday night (kind of confused if you mean M or Tues night), I might be drunk and leaving the Keg. It's a toss-up. Traditions/events: Dillo Day... and Mexican night in the dining halls! Ha ha People party Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, Mondays. I usually do 2 of those nights, but some go for all of them. Fraternities/sororities are too important. I'm saving that for no holds barred. Last weekend... I passed out Thursday night. I was so tired. Friday night I chilled and watched movies with friends. Saturday night we pregamed in Bobb then went to Bat 17, then Hundo. Sunday I had to edit. You can go to theater stuff, watch movies with friends, go into Chicago... but no one really does. Off campus? I study a lot at Cafe Ambrosia. I pretty much live there.

There have been lots of great people coming to campus while I've been here,the most notable being NU almuni Zach Braff (who came to answer questions--it was great!) and Stephen Colbert (who was Grand Marshall of our Homecoming Parade two years ago--high-fiving him and getting to see him in person like has been one of the highlights of my student experience, I adore him and his show!). But we've also had former White House Chiefs of Staff Leon Panetta and Andrew Card, former Crossfire host Paul Begala, activist Angela Davis, the first and only female African-American senator Carol Moseley Braun, Jeff Corwin, Ariana Huffington, and Valerie Plame Wilson, among other speakers, as well as performances on campus by the bands Lifehouse and OKGO and singer Ben Kweller! it has been amazing to see all these people in person and hear them speak/perform..... I met my closest friends through my dorm, which is where you will meet most people, though I've met plenty of casual aquaintances through my classes and activities as well. Students usually leave their doors open in the beginning of the year, like in the first few weeks, but by the middle of fall quarter they're closed, though that doesn't necessarily mean people are anti-social, they just would prefer not to be on display, etc. If I am awake at 2 am on a Tuesday, I usually doing homework, or online procrastinating--I usually so my work in the early hours of the morning/late at night. There are plenty of options for a Saturday night besides drinking--last Saturday for example I chose between an opera and a play (there seem to be at least one, if not more shows every weekend--theater is *very* popular here!), then afterwards joined some students in the TV lounge watching a movie. The night before I had gone to see a movie at the close-by Evanston movie theater with some friends. I've actually missed several plays I've wanted to see in the last few weeks because I've had so much else going on. If you're bored with campus, there's also always the city of Chicago about 1 hour away by El train, with all their theater and concerts and activities and sights. A couple of weekends ago for example I went on a trip organized by the Center For Student Involvement to Millenium Park for some ice skating, which was lots of fun. And closer than Chicago you have all the shops and restaurants and movie theater (with both mainstream and artsy films) in Evanston. Every year there's Dillo Day, a day of concerts, free food, and for many, debauchery. There's also the Primal Scream the Sunday night before exam week at 9 pm which is always fun, and painting the rock (a big rock on the plaza between 4 of the main buildings on South Campus), which groups and individuals do at night, after guarding it for 24 hours beforehand to promote events and groups or just for fun--like my dorm did it during fall quarter.

The dating scene here is not good at all. Everyone seems awkward and shy, so I've given up. Even my roommate is having no luck, and that's saying a lot. I met my closest friends in my dorm. It's annoying it has to be like that though - no one in this dorm ever leaves, and nobody in my group of friends has any friends outside of the dorm, which I find really pathetic. I have two pretty good friends outside of the dorm. If I'm awake at 2am on Tuesday, I'm studying. If everyone else is awake, they're wasting time. In terms of being off-campus, I sometimes go to Chicago to shop or go to the Art Museum. I also like to get into Evanston - I go to coffee shops, Barnes & Noble, Panera for lunch occasionally. I would love to go to Evanston more, but no one in my dorm ever wants to go anywhere.

I stay up late. I sleep in until I have a class so I do homework at night. I go out 2 or 3 times a week which is perfect I think. My life is not a complete shitshow but its a great time. If you dont want to drink you can just chill with friends and watch a movie and facebook stalk potential hotties. I met a lot of my friends in the dorm and then through them other people. I met some girls when I joined a sorority but never got too close, I dropped out after two quarters. I left my door open freshmen year but not after that.