University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Top Questions

The sorority and fraternity life at Illinois is very active with over 20{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the student population involved in a chapter. However, students are also involved in many pre-professional organizations. I met some of my closest friends through living in the dorms freshman year, in fact, I just signed a lease with four of them for next year.

Illinois has a large Greek community on campus. In fact, a little over 22{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the student body identifies as belonging to a fraternity or sorority. If your interest lies here, you will find a group of guys or girls who fit with who you are and your future goals. While this is a great way to get involved and make connections with new people, there are other ways to do this as well. For those interested in service or belonging to a professional club for academic and career advancement, Illinois offers over 1,000 registered student organizations (RSOs). Available groups range from recreational/sports clubs to academic clubs to service organizations. No matter your interest, there is an RSO for you--if not, you can start your own! Sporting events are also popular among Illinois students. While football and basketball have huge followings and are really fun to attend, many students also enjoy watching hockey, volleyball, soccer, gymnastics, track & field, and more. In addition to watching sports, Illinois also promotes a healthy lifestyle by offering two state-of-the-art recreational centers for student use. Club sports and group fitness classes are really popular, but weight rooms and exercise machines are also available for quick workouts. For students looking for Friday night activities that do not involve alcohol, Illinites is the place to be. Offered once a month at the Illini Union, Illinites is a special program organized by the Illinois Union Board. There are entertainment skits, arts & crafts projects, and free themed foods, all run by Illinois students. It's a great way to spend a Friday night and get to know other Illinois students. With all of these options, Illinois students always have something to do!

UIUC has been respectable in sports in the past. The last couple years has been tough, but you'll always have a good time regardless. There is a tailgate scene here, and it has a alumni presence, but the majority of pre and post game fun is on the town. All the bars (which, by the way, are 19 to get into) will open early and you'll definitely be in for a good time if you're looking to get pumped up for a football game. As a basketball lover, I really like the Illini. They aren't ever really "seen" by the nation as a competitor pre-season, but they also throw together a decent squad. You never go into a season not expecting a thrill, that much I can promise you. Socially, I think you're required to live in the dorms, which is what I would highly recommend if you even have a choice. Furthermore, target the "six-pack". That is without a doubt the best array of dorms to be in. A quick search will tell you what those dorms are. If you're really needing great Air Conditioning, the best choice for you would be PAR/FAR. However, the brand new centralized dining hall in the six pack is a for sure sell on where to live. You'll want to eat there for 4 years.

U of I has over 1,000 student organization, from a skydiving club to a tight rope on the quad club. We have anything and everything so you can find ways to get involved in order to learn more about yourself, including what you're passionate about. Getting involved is also the perfect way to make friends. Not only do we have student organizations, but we also have social fraternities, professional fraternities, academic fraternities, and tons of exciting intramural sports.

The dating scene peaks in your freshman year because everyone (including you) is new...however, it kind of simmers as the years go by. However, there are always new people so don't fret! I just starting dating this guy last semester who I had known since freshman year and things are great :)

The sports and greek life are most popular.

Greek Life on campus is definitely pretty prevalent. However, it's not all there is on campus. There are so many different, cool, quirky groups on campus that anyone might want to try out. I am in a co-ed honors fraternity which is an example of something a little bit different from the stereotypical Greek life. It's an organization that combines different elements such as social, service, and scholarship. These elements are highlighted through different activites. Participation in Relay for Life, Teach for America, day trips to areas of Illinois to learn about our capitol and the Amish, and Barn dance, and Formal are just examples of different events that we plan and participate in. Some people on campus take partying to a new level. It's important to be able to be self aware and know yourself and what you can handle while still being an effective student.

You really have to try not to meet someone new everyday. And that is my favorite part about the U of I. Today, and I'm being honest here, I was walking out of my Philosophy 101 class, and one of my classmates, whom I've never talked to before, followed me out and asked how I did on the quiz we took last friday. I told him, and we quickly got into a full on conversation in which I learned that he is a sophomore *technically* because he left school after his freshman year to be in the army. He's back now and looking for some new people to talk to because most of his friends are in junior standing, and he doesn't know anyone in his classes. Everyone on campus is willing to talk, to share their stories, to tell you the latest gossip or to explain a really hard STAT problem to you. I've never had a problem getting help from my peers, and I think that it's impossible not to meet new people. U of I is so big! and that's why meeting people is so easy, and you meet so many different kinds of people. I've met the most interesting, hilarious, and all-around amazing people of my life here at the U of I, and I continue to meet new and exciting people every day. And you meet people everywhere! On the quad, in class, at Jimmy Johns(the biggest sandwich place on campus), at a philanthropy event, and at the bars! U of I isn't all about the studying, it's about the party scene too. With the biggest Greek system in the country its no surprise that we are home to huge frat parties that last into the early hours. Every weekend is a party, and also, every weekday is a party. The bars are open every night if you can't find a frat party to hang out at, and the bars welcome students with tons of drink specials.

When school starts, one of the first things you'll notice is how many football fans there are. It seems like every saturday, half of the campus, if not more, is making there way over to the stadium. When I was a freshman, I felt like an outsider because I wasn't interested in the games at first. As I joined clubs, I felt more relaxed and welcome, finding my niche with other groups. If you look around, you'll realize there is something to do everyday whether it's theatre, a intramural sport, watching a movie on the quad, etc. Joining these activities are also the places where you can find many of your friends. This is how I made friends but my best friends are from my dorm. U of I is known as a party to school to those that visit. This is pretty accurate. Most Friday and Saturdays (some Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays) you can see groups of dressed up girls and boys heading toward the bars and various apartment parties. This doesn't mean there is nothing else to do on the weekend. One of the student organizations on campus organizes 'dry' events for students to participate in. This may sound boring to some people but I've actually been to a few of these and I can personally say they are fun.

The dorms are incredibly fun to live in because everyone is really friendly. People are always leaving their doors open, and it's really easy to meet new people. Fraternities and sororities are huge at Illinois, but there are lots of things to do even if you aren't in one. the front desks in the dorms have games and movies that you can rent, there's bowling and arcade games in the union, and you can always hang out in people's rooms in the dorms.