University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Top Questions

Basketball

There are many of them. Volunteer group is one of the biggest one.

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The most popular groups/organizations on campus is a tough answer, because we have a large amount. By far, I would answer our frats and sororities, because we have the largest Greek system in the U.S. Personally, I'm not in a sorority, but a lot of my residents are. They really enjoy it because they have plenty of friends in the sorority, and they host plenty of fundraisers. I'm not going to lie, they are also notorious for their parties. U of I is a party school for some people, but not everyone parties hard. Some people feel that they have to go out every weekend, but the majority will go out a few times a month just to blow off steam. Some never go out, and there's never a peer pressure situation where someone will criticize you for not going out. People tend to gravitate towards people who have the same drinking and sleeping habits, so that's never an issue. I'm involved in Phi Alpha Theta- UIUC History Honors Society. I'll be Treasurer for the second year in a row. We primarily provide tutoring for lower level history classes, and host fun activities for our members. It's a great network because I can ask around about a history class or certain professor, and figure out what classes I want to take next semester. It also helps to have a support group when you're writing your thesis. I actually met my closest friends in the dorms. I live in the "nerdy" dorm, which is pretty true to an extent. Our dorm is pretty good about keeping doors open while playing video games, so people feel free to wander in and see what game is being played. If I'm awake at 2AM on a Tuesday, I'm most likely studying, but there is a chance I'll be up with people playing games. That's probably what I would do on a Saturday night (and Friday and Sunday night) that doesn't involve drinking...

The most popular groups/organizations on campus is a tough answer, because we have a large amount. By far, I would answer our frats and sororities, because we have the largest Greek system in the U.S. Personally, I'm not in a sorority, but a lot of my residents are. They really enjoy it because they have plenty of friends in the sorority, and they host plenty of fundraisers. I'm not going to lie, they are also notorious for their parties. U of I is a party school for some people, but not everyone parties hard. Some people feel that they have to go out every weekend, but the majority will go out a few times a month just to blow off steam. Some never go out, and there's never a peer pressure situation where someone will criticize you for not going out. People tend to gravitate towards people who have the same drinking and sleeping habits, so that's never an issue. I'm involved in Phi Alpha Theta- UIUC History Honors Society. I'll be Treasurer for the second year in a row. We primarily provide tutoring for lower level history classes, and host fun activities for our members. It's a great network because I can ask around about a history class or certain professor, and figure out what classes I want to take next semester. It also helps to have a support group when you're writing your thesis. I actually met my closest friends in the dorms. I live in the "nerdy" dorm, which is pretty true to an extent. Our dorm is pretty good about keeping doors open while playing video games, so people feel free to wander in and see what game is being played. If I'm awake at 2AM on a Tuesday, I'm most likely studying, but there is a chance I'll be up with people playing games. That's probably what I would do on a Saturday night (and Friday and Sunday night) that doesn't involve drinking...

Sports events and going out to eat and hang out on Green Street.

I am involved in a plethera of activities. I am in Service and Justice Outreach (service), the Veritas Forum (Christian), and FOCUS (Christian). I have been involved with an ultimate frisbee team (sports), LAS 101 internship (professional development), undergraduate research (professional development), and more. There are many ways to get involved in these sectors and more be it by joining our basketball fan club Orange Crush or the local knitting group.

Fraternities and Sororities are huge on campus. While I am currently not involved in a sorority, most of my friends are. I have attended many sorority events with them and they have shown me how great being in a sorority can be, so I am going to rush next year. If sororities and fraternities aren't for you, there are hundreds and hundreds of organizations. Every school at UIUC has an organization that you can be a part of. There are also club sports that you can try out for if you're an athlete, or intramural sports that you can create a team and play if you maybe aren't a star athlete or not a serious athlete and just want to have some fun with your friends. Athletics are hugely popular here, no matter what level. Everyone goes to the games and supports their team! Dating can be easy if you're open minded. It's not hard to meet people in class, in line somewhere, on the bus, out at the bar, or through mutual friends. Somebody you know will know somebody that you could work well with. I met my closest friends here on campus through friends I knew in high school, and one of my friends met her boyfriend through another friend of hers. It's a chain reaction here on campus and everybody is excited to know everybody else. No one feels alone here on campus, there's always someone to talk to or run into. Last weekend, I went to a few frat houses with my friends and then an apartment. I had a great weekend, ending the second night at a bar which was crowded and I ran into around 12 people that I knew. If you're not into drinking, you can still go to the bars or parties- if you say no, people will usually not pressure you. Respect is big on campus. Also, there is the mall on campus that I mentioned and there is a movie theatre nearby. There are also many shops and restaurants right on campus.

The most popular groups on campus would probably be either honor societies, business fraternities or social fraternities/sororities. However, there are over 500 student organizations on campus so you will have no problem finding one you like participating in. Intermural sports are also popular if you are the athletic type. Many popular organizations are very involved in on-campus and off-campus volunteering projects- it is good to give back to your community!

We are part of the big 10 so sports are a big part of this campus. Also, Greek life is very important. There are also hundreds of clubs that can range from academic groups to social interest groups. There are always events going on, whether its a play or a sports game. There are tons of clubs that are always looking for more members.

The most popular student activity is hanging out at the campus bars. These bars are 19+, so you can go in soon after you enter college. However, alcohol can only be served to those who are 21+. The bars are popular not because of the drinking, but because people can gather with their friends, share some Irish Nachos and wings, and watch some games. There are over 10 bars on campus, and everyone has different preferences (pubs to watch games, or clubs to dance the night away).

Fighting Illini

The most popular would definitely be sororities and fraternities. The amount of organizations are enormous, which is over 95 organizations that are fraternities or sororities. I am involved in one of these groups and it is amazing. There is so much to do and meeting new people all the time. Also people party hard in the mainstream frats. The minority frats do not receive as much attention but they are also pretty big within the Latino community. I met my closest friends through the interest group for a Latina sorority. It was the best experience of my life, which I absolutely love.

The U of I has a lot of RSOs on campus and its up to you to decide what you think you would like. At the beginning of each year we have a huge Quad Day where most of the RSOs come out and provide lots of information to incoming students. You can ask them questions to gauge whether it is right for you and sign up to receive additional information via email.

In terms of student organizations, I'd say Greek life has the most amount of students. But there are clubs and organizations of every interest. In terms of partying, you can go out literally every night if you wanted to. I'd say that most students (at least in greek life) go out about 3-4 times a week. Most of the bars are only 19 to get in, so the bars are always hopping. In terms of frats and sororities, they usually have at least one exchange a week. These exchanges are usually themed from anything from superheroes to anything but clothes. Unofficial short for unofficial St.Patrick's day is probably Illinois' most storied party tradition. It takes place the first friday of March and most students decide to skip class. Some professors are nice and give you the day off, but sometimes teachers aren't nice about and purposely schedule a test.

Fighting Illini is the major topic of the whole university. We have one of the best football teams in the US, and you can't imagine the situation at the assembly hall every gameday. Also, there are countless other student clubs. You can almost find everything you like on campus.

There are so many opportunities for students to get involved on campus. There are hundreds of registered student organizations (RSOs) that cover a wide variety of interests from accounting to zoology. Get involved! One of my favorites is the Orange Krush, which I was involved in last year. It's the student section at the home basketball games. They are a very passionate, dedicated, and rowdy bunch. In order to join, one must raise hundreds of dollars that go to many worthy causes.

Greek Fraternities

greek, cultural organizations, and theme-based clubs as well as graduate student organizations such as the black graduate student orgs.

Honestly, the most popular organization on campus has to be the Greek system. I, however, am on the opposite end of the spectrum. In high school, I was highly involved in academics, like the scholastic bowl, and the arts, such as choir and musicals. Once in college, I continued these activities by being involved in my dorm's a cappella group and auditioning for any production put on student-run theatre troupes. While I do not know the habits of the other residence halls, in my dorm, Allen Hall, residents leave their doors open all the time. Athletic events, such as basketball and football, even hockey, are very popular. School pride is huge here. We have even had guest speakers, such as Common, and the response has been very positive. All kinds of traveling troupes bring productions through the Assembly Hall, and tickets usually sell out quickly. Dating here is pretty easy since you are bound to find someone who shares the same interests as you! I met my closest friends through my dorm's orientation, the 2015 class discussion page on Facebook, and just by wandering the halls and quad. If I am awake at 2 am on a weekday, I am usually on my computer or hanging out in a friend's room. Each dorm has its own traditions, such as mine as that has a week long celebration after returning from Thanksgiving Break called Allen Hall-iday. It is much like a homecoming spirit week with dress-up days, festive gingerbread house making, and a dance at the end of the week. UIUC, like any college, has partying, and while there are parties every weekend, people usually do not feel pressured to go to them, much like the fraternities and sororities. Last weekend, I went shopping with my friends at the mall, to a dance in my dorm, and did laundry on Sunday. The university also offers several alternatives to partying such as bowling or karaoke at the Illini Union or perhaps seeing a movie in Savoy.