Anqi
There are many of them. Volunteer group is one of the biggest one.
Alanna
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...
Alanna
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...
Gretta
Sports events and going out to eat and hang out on Green Street.
Mary
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.
Danielle
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.
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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!
Jen
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.