University of Central Florida Top Questions

The students at UCF are diverse. That is really all there is to it. We have students from every state, numerous different countries, and all parts of the world. As far as my experiences have been, I have had nothing but pleasant encounters learning about new cultures and walks of life. The University has an office of Diversity Initiatives which sets out to create inclusion for all, regardless of your race, religion, or preference of any kind, and having worked on a project with them, they really know what they are doing and how to make anyone welcomed and comfortable at the school. Students usually keep to themselves about their financial situation, and as far as the future goes, everyone at UCF believes and wants the same thing, to be successful, however they define success, exactly the way we like it.

UCF definitely has its fair share of every background you could think of, as well as its fair share of every political, moral, and religious viewpoint you could think of. As with real life, some of these groups are louder than others--UCF permits students to demonstrate their views in accordance with first amendment rights. A notable example I remember is that of an anti abortion or "pro life" group demonstrating their views--peacefully, mind you. All in all, no one should feel out of place at UCF regardless of background, or their moral or political views.

One of the things I love about UCF is the vast diversity that is there. From infancy onward I have always been around people who come from a variety of different backgrounds and cultures; for example, 80{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of students that attended my high school were not Caucasian, with groups from Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Vietnam, and Colombia. The same is true of UCF--it is nothing out of the ordinary to walk from the Student Union to the Library and see a group of Middle Eastern students, followed by a Latino organization with some black and European Americans scattered about. Thus, I feel right at home. The diversity at UCF stretches far beyond just ethnicity. Groups of Muslims, Catholics, Jews, Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, atheists and other belief systems can easily be identified across campus, bearing thorough witness to the school's religious diversity. The same can be said of political matters--democrats, republicans, and other groups all exist on campus. Moreover, the punk, hip hop, cowboy, Gothic, and LGBT cultures are all present on campus, excluding virtually no one from a group that they feel they might "belong" to. Many students are from Florida, while sizable portions come from out-of-state. Understandably then, one would think that with all of these differing views, there must be a lot of discord and a lack of unity here at UCF, but instead the opposite is true--all of these different cultures blend together beautifully, much in the same way that the different instruments in an orchestra complement each other seamlessly to create a pleasant musical piece. This remarkable diversity has made me embrace UCF all the more so for its uniqueness.

"Community" is another pillar of the UCF creed. It stands for respecting the rights and contributions of everyone in order to create a supportive environment on campus. It really is one of the most diverse schools I have ever seen, not just in terms of students, but also evident in faculty and administration members (since they practice an Equal Opportunity Employment system). Our student government body itself has all ethnicities represented, which shows every one gets an equal opportunity. Every religious student organization is welcome to table and advocate its literature, of course in a non-imposing way. So far I have seen Muslims, Catholics, Mormons, Hindus, Atheists, etc., all promoting their materials outside the student union. The same kind of freedom is also provided to political and LGBT organizations. A noteworthy aspect of our campus is the designated "free speech" areas including one located outside the library as well as in six other areas on campus. These spots are used for anyone to freely speak about, sometimes even scream, their opinions and concerns. In terms of the socio-economic status of students, theres diversity in that too. I consider myself someone who belongs to a middle class family, and I do just fine at school thanks to financial aid, bright futures' scholarship, and UCF's scholarship. Majority of students work and go to school to support themselves. So I would say, most students come from humble backgrounds and take care of themselves for the most part. This also means you see students in casual and comfortable outfits around school, further enhancing their images of every day college students. To help students out a little, University of Central Florida has a unique program called Knights Pantry. It's a medium sized storage place in the middle of campus where fellow knights donate canned food, clothes, and necessary items for those knights in need. All you must have is a valid student ID to get whatever is needed. UCF is as diverse as it gets, in terms of race, ethnicity, socio economic status, academic capabilities, interests, etc.

One of the greatest things about UCF is the unique and diverse population of students. There are students from all over the U.S. and other countries that I have met at UCF. Many of the students are very friendly and there are always groups that any student could fit into. To me UCF does not seem to have any general cliques in student populations so the possibilities of meeting and finding great friends are endless.

One of the greatest things about UCF is the unique and diverse population of students. There are students from all over the U.S. and other countries that I have met at UCF. Many of the students are very friendly and there are always groups that any student could fit into. To me UCF does not seem to have any general cliques in student populations so the possibilities of meeting and finding great friends are endless.

One of the greatest things about UCF is the unique and diverse population of students. There are students from all over the U.S. and other countries that I have met at UCF. Many of the students are very friendly and there are always groups that any student could fit into. To me UCF does not seem to have any general cliques in student populations so the possibilities of meeting and finding great friends are endless.

They're a few knotches above the normal crowd.

I believe that UCF really emphasizes diversity amongst their students. Of course, in a classroom, there is always that one person that everyone hates that always asks the teacher with one minute left what the homework assignment is, but despite that one person everyone is culturally diverse. I have learned about so many different types of cultures due to UCF. I had never even met a jewish person before coming to college, and sophomore year I lived with all jewish girls. I might even describe some activities, such as chabad, with them as a cultural shock not being brought up in the jewish faith. Also, in my french and spanish classes I am exposed to different types of religions and ideas from all over the world. I love going to UCF because I am able to learn about the world during an ordinary day on campus.

The students at my school vary. You have the ones that are passionate about school and the ones that really don't care.