University of Florida Top Questions

UF is a really large school, but you can use that to your advantage. Its size allows for many opportunities. Gainesville is the perfect college town. It caters to the students and the university, although there are some scary places of Gainesville. There is a ton of school spirit at UF and it really is the gator nation! Wherever I travel around the world I always run into a fellow UF student.

Gainesville is THE college town. There's a vibrant music scene, a fair amount of hippies, great local shops, and a fun nightlife. Walking into a store or restaurant is like walking on campus, everyone there is your age. It's rare to see children or older people. Gainesville feels like a little world inside itself. People are impressed when I tell them I go to UF. They know that it is the most prestigious school in the state of Florida. The campus has a lot of charm which you don't normally find in Florida. The architecture is interesting and there are many quiet and relaxing spots to have lunch or study. The large oaks and magnolias provide shade and beauty.

The best thing by far is football season. There is nothing like spending an entire Saturday in the Swamp watching the gators kick ass. Game days are some of my most memorable experiences at the University of Florida.

UF was a great school to go to- it has a very good academic reputation as well as a great social/athletic reputation. In my opinion, it has earned both of those by performing well in the classroom and out. I loved the size- although some may believe 50,000 people on one campus is too much, it was just right for me. As far as the town of Gainesville, who wouldn't want a whole town that bleeds orange and blue? I couldn't have asked for a better environment to live in during my 4 years of college.

Big happy family. The school is just the right size. People react positively, for the most part, when I tell them I go to UFL. I spend a lot of time in the dining hall stuffing my face. Good college town right around campus. Except parking sucks outside of campus. wtf is with the abortion grave Loootsssssss of school pride, which I love. Because there's reason for it.

The best thing about UFL is that there is such a variety of students here in Gainesville, it gives us all an opportunity to grow and learn from each other. We all come from different backgrounds and families, but we all have the desire to learn in common. In sharing this, the college experience is that much better.

UFL is in one word amazing. Pretty much where ever you go, people have heard of UF and you can get a "Go Gators!" There is so much school pride that it is crazy. People are always wearing school colors, especially during football season. Everyone on campus and everyone who is or was a gator at one point is always really friendly and nice. It seems like there is just this understood respect that everyone in the Gator Nation has for one another. I do not really know how else to explain it. It is just really great to go to UF and to be a Florida Gator!

The best thing about UF is that you can make it as large or as small as you want to. By joining groups, you can make this university seem small. This is definitely a college town. Most of what goes on centers around the university.

Our school is too large sometimes in that resources can be tight. I have difficulty getting in to see an advisor a lot of the time because there are just so many students. Traffic can be a nightmare. Classes are pretty full. But having a large student body has its perks, too. It is a lot of fun at football games to see the Swamp filled with orange and blue. The Gator nation is pretty big, and I love it! There's a lot more spirit here than you might find at other colleges. When I tell people I go to UF, some of them say "wow--you must be smart!" Others say "oh...a state school..." It pretty much depends on who is responding. In Florida, UF is considered an excellent school. It's just not an Ivy. I spend a lot of time on campus in the library, which is stellar. There's a starbucks there and a lot of nice, quiet places to sit and study. I also spend a lot of time in the Plaza of the Americas, which is just a lot of grass and trees and people relaxing and eating lunch and whatnot. It's nice, especially since Florida weather rocks. COLLEGE TOWN all the way. I think it depends what part of the UF administration being discussed. I think my study abroad advisor is horrible and a total you know what. I think my academic advisors are really dumb and unhelpful. But I thought my honors advisors were pretty cool, and I think the administration for my particular major does a decent job. Big recent controversies... oh, there are plenty. There was that tasering business back in the fall. Andrew Meyer is ridiculous. More recently though, there have been a lot of budget and transparency issues I think. As a rather huge state school with a legally capped tuition, UF has a lot of financial difficulties. People get upset when they see money going towards what appears to be a frivilous thing because meanwhile, majors and faculty are getting cut. Also, student government has some issues. It isn't exactly the most diverse group of people running the show, and the Greeks pretty much infiltrate the system. That has caused some problems with things like an opposition party's attempt to have UF do online voting for student government elections in an effort to mobilize the vote (rather than just having sororities and fraternities make up the entire voting population because they tell their members it's mandatory). TONS of school pride. Size, maybe. And I think Tim Tebow is a bit unusual...unusually freaking awesome. Winning those back-to-back national championships. The streets were wild with crazy happy college kids. It was so much fun! The parking is unbelievably awful here. I don't know a single driver who hasn't been ticketed or towed (or more likely both multiple times) in Gainesville. Like seriously? Make more parking spots, people!

In such a large school it's essential to make yourself a part of something--therefore you can feel connected. If you're connected, even to just one event--whether it be a sports game or gator nights, than you fit in, because you're connecting with other students. The University of Florida really does create a Gator Nation. I was in NYC this Spring and saw fellow students on the plane wearing UF gear, and felt no reproach for saying "Go Gators!". It's amazing to be a part of such a great community.

The best thing about UF is the diverse amount of people you come in contact with day to day. Also, the courses are interesting and challenging. One thing that I'd change though, would be the class size. They're are so big that you sometimes just feel like a number and it can be hard to meet people when theres some many in one class.

The campus here is absolutely beautiful. Some people say it's too big here, but I think it's perfect. I spend most of my time on campus at the Alpha Phi Omega booth and in classrooms (obviously). Gainesville is hands down one of the best college towns! It's so amazing to see almost every restaurant, car, and home have some kind of Gator memorabilia on/in it. UF's administration isn't too bad, I think they are really doing a great job for the most part. Of course there are always things that can be improved upon, but for the most part it's pretty good. I'm sure we've all heard about the Andrew Meyer scandal with the Police Department. School pride is one of the main reason's I love it here -- the Gator Nation really is everywhere!! Nothing is unusual about UF, we have some unique things offered here, but definitely not unusual in a negative connotation. An experience I will always remember is the national football championship last year. I went to the O'Dome to watch it with I think some 8,000 other students. We had SO much fun and all rushed out onto University Avenue when we finally won. It was such a great time!!

Our school is very large, but their is a niche for everyone. There are so many clubs and student groups that everyone can find an organization and a group of friends where they belong. UF students are smart, friendly, and supportive of eachother.

One of the best things about UF is the diversity. There are so many different kinds of students here that anybody can have a group of friends. The size is a little too big. There are so many people here, that, yes, you can find people that are like you, but it is very difficult to find them when you first get here. It is hard to get out of that high school setting, because a lot of people who come here, come with friends from high school. I was able to join a co-ed service fraternity and that is where I spend most of my time. I love that I was able to find a group of people that are very similar to me. The administration seems to be on top of things, although I have never had to deal with them for any administrative reasons. One of the experiences that I will always remember about UF is waking up in my dorm room on campus last year, looking out the window, and seeing a sea of orange and blue. It was one of the most amazing experiences ever to see that much school spirit flooding the University and the community.

One thing to love about UF is the variety of activities available to participate in, in part because of the number of students that attend. The large number of students is also a diverse group; which was different for me, and definitely better. Administration has their hands full with budget cuts and constant student complaints, but overall they're not bad. I agree with other groups on campus that would like to see UF invest its money ethically i.e. not in companies profiting from war, unsustainable practices, tobacco/alcohol companies etc. Anyone who goes to a football game at UF remembers it. Its incredible to be in a full stadium when everyone is shouting, doing the wave, informing the referees they made a bad call, or telling the opposing team to go home by jingling keys. This is just one aspect of the Gator Nation that most students come to love and look forward to, but there is so much more here too.

If i could change one thing at the school to make it more inviting, i would work on the racial barriers that are still present today. Many students do not go out of their comfort zone unless something tragic has happened.

I think the atmosphere is the best thing about UF. The school is large, but even in the college of business I have been able to find extremely small and intimate classes. People react very favorably when I tell them I go to UF. I spend most of my time in my classrooms, and occasionally in the Union and Library West. I also go to the SW Rec Center frequently. I feel the administration works in the best interest of the students, and they aim to avoid troublesome situations while still providing students the liberties to speak and act freely.

UF is the oldest, biggest and arguably the most prestigious public university in Florida, and it is many high schoolers top choice in the state, and it has a very "university" feel. I am proud to say that I attend UF. I love Gainesville, which is considered a college town. UF is large enough that students can get involved with almost anything they desire; from greek life to Students for a Democratic Society, and from putting on performances at our theater to leading study groups. Students always have avenues with which to stand out, even at such a populated school. It is not uncommon to find students across campus simply laying down on the grass with a book. However, some problems have arisen lately. For one, many departments in the school are in debt, and on top of that, many schools are receiving budget cuts. This severely affects class size and quality, and if students can even sign up for different classes. There has also been issues with the administration investing in "socially irresponsible" investing, and also not making many of their spending habits transparent to the public. There are also virtually no parking spaces for students, which is especially a problem for many of the libraries on campus which stay open until after the buses stop running.

UF is a very large school but that means that everyone can find their niche.

I love the diversity. I have met students from Africa, Italy, Norway, etc.... There are also so many people from Asia. I think it is amazing. I have learned so much about the world.