University of Iowa Top Questions

The social life here is pretty crazy. There's something to do pretty much everyday. Yes, even besides going out to the bars. Although about 60{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the student body does this at least twice a week, there is a ton of university programming to draw people away from getting trashed and getting cited for it. CAB (Campus Activities Board) hosts free movies, comedians, and other events every week, all year. The Lecture Committee hosts a lot of lectures, but that doesn't really interest most of us. There is a lot of cheap student theatre to attend. There are a ton of extracurriculars to be involved with like music and intramural sports. Also there are a lot of athletic events that are free to attend thanks to the bankness that is Hawkeye football. It's pretty sweet.

The biggest activity in Iowa City is drinking. All week long there are house parties and people bar hopping. Weather be damned, girls go out in short skirts and tank tops, and guys in t-shirts and shorts to party. That's where the social scene is in Iowa for the majority of the population. I on the other hand, am not participating in that. Just this last week, I went to all my classes and helped a friend on homework, generally being in bed by 12:30. Over the weekend, we went to the mall and bought a first season of a show and spent all over Saturday and into the wee hours of Sunday morning watching it. Sunday we went swimming. There are pockets of non-drinking people in Iowa and they always find ways to have more fun that they remember and are embarrassed about in a good way the next day. There are an excellent array of presentations through the Iowa City and University theaters. I saw within a months time both Lewis Black and Mike Birbiglia. The writing scene is also very hot. Authors come and read their work all week in book stores and lecture halls. People you leave with in the dorms are pretty cool, too. Doors generally remain open, but people aren't afraid to knock and walk in if the door's closed.

The largest student-run organization on campus is Dance Marathon. It is an amazing group that raises funds each year the University of Iowa Childrens' Hospital's Oncology Unit. Throughout the year, participants raise money for the Hospital. If they raise a minimum of $425 they get to be involved with our big event, a 24-hour dance marathon in the beginning of the next year in honor of the kids and families at UIHC. Most people follow Hawkeye football and basketball in their Big Ten conquests. About 15{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the students here are involved in Greek life. I am so glad I chose to rush and join a sorority. These girls have been there for me so much during these last couple years. They have become my family. Although the Greek chapters on campus compete, Greeks have close friends in many house besides their own. Being Greek keeps you in the know about all of the other activities, organizations, and stuff going on on campus. Many chapter events are optional, so it really is what you make of it. Chapter-sponsored socials and events are a nice break from my hectic class schedule.

I living in the writing community and you couldn't find a more motivated and socially acceptable group of people anywhere. People here know how to buckle down and work while at the same time know how to be sociable. There's a joke that Stanley is very much the foil of Daum. (Where people are said to be so non-sociable, there are people who close the doors for other people) I have nothing against Daum, I have a lot of friends who live at Daum, but the thing of it is, they go to Daum to study and they come to Stanley in order to have some fun. Like many college students, not sleeping isn't a trend its a way of life and so usually if I'm awake, and I am...I'll order a pizza at three o'clock from Gumby's and since one of my friends doesn't like cheese, we'll get a pizza without any cheese and pineapple. Or else, I'll be playing with the poetry magnets people have put on their door, or I'll listen to my next door neighbor jam on her guitars and play the piano. Do some studying but its almost impossible to study after three o'clock in the morning so one might as well have some fun.

I've joined a lot of different organizations during my time here. Last year I expirimented with swing and salsa dance clubs and loved it. I joined a service fraternity (APO) and found it to be a good way to meet people, get involved on campus, and volunteer in the community. Both my years here I have played on a club soccer team which has been a blast. Athletic events-especially football-are a lot of fun. Going to the football games have been some of my favorite memories here. For the most part, students are social and leave their dorm doors open, unless you're living in a quiet, more study oriented dorm (like daum and stanley)

Like i said earlier we are known to be a party school which is fine, as long as you don't forget the real reason why you are here (to get an education!!!)

Greek Life and several student org's

I would say become involved in as many things as you can without overdoing it. The school work takes up a lot of time in and outside of class. There are always parties going on but there is also two malls and movie theaters around the area. There are great places to eat and nice parks to relax in.

The dorms are a great way of meeting people, especially if you live on a floor with other people in your same major. Students are generally very friendly and are looking to meet new people. Personally, I met my fiance who only lived 1 floor under me and was the same major that I was. I recommend for at least the first year living in the dorms.

I am partial to The 10,000 Hours Show. This is a student group that sponsors a free concert for everyone that volunteers 10 hours over the course of about a year. Dance Marathon, STAR, and CAB (campus activities board) are all pretty popular. There are always open doors. Even if they aren't open, most people are around and love to visit, so just knock! Athletics are HUGE! As far as the dating scene, I met my boyfriend in the dorms before school even started and it's really easy to meet people so a good dating scene. I was randomly assigned a roommate and we ended up being best friends and then we leave our door open a lot and people walk in and we become friends. Also, one night three boys walked into our room and asked us to dinner and that's how I met my boyfriend. Greek life here isn't that big but they are fairly active in campus life.

Football games are amazing! So many people go to the football games and it is always a lot of fun! Getting to the stadium early to get in the front row was a lot of fun this past fall! Also there are over 400 student organizations that you can join to keep yourself busy and possibly learn new things. People are really nice here and usually keep their dorm doors open when they are in. There are fraternities and sororities on campus but its only something like 15{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} or so of the population that are involoved in them.

There is a ton to do at Iowa. Atheletics is the most popular thing for students to do here, especially football. Even if you dont like sports, the atmosphere and team spirit surrounding an Iowa football game is pretty amazing. You really get a sense of belonging and University pride.

There is so many things to do on campus. Everyone goes to football games. You will stay up later than you ever have and will find yourself eating pizza at weird times. The weekends are a good time no matter what you do. If you don't drink the bars can still be fun to dance at. If you're not a bar person there are movies playing, activities at the IMU, and other people you meet that just want to stay in sometimes.

DANCE MARATHON DOES AMAZING THINGS!!!! Dorm life is a great way to meet people your first year on campus (even if it's NOT your freshman year). A lot of people actually do leave their doors open, especially during the first few days/weeks of school. Make the effort though too, meet someone new! My closest friends/roommates are girls that lived on my floor my freshman year. If I'm awake on at 2 am on a Tuesday, I'm most likely studying for a test the next day. Frats and sororities are not the stereotype that is in movies, etc. It is just a good way to meet people, but it's not that big of a deal. There are also several service fraternities. I personally don't drink and find that there are plenty of things to do on a Saturday night: going to the fieldhouse to play basketball with friends, playing frisbee, ordering late night pizza, hanging out in the dorms/apartment to watch a movie.

I would say that the typical Iowa student has a great social life. Perhaps sororities and frats aren't your thing. But that is not all that Iowa City offers. Athletic events are huge. Football is THE social event on campus, due to the pride the community has in the football team. I wouldn't say that Iowa City is all drinking either. I know several people who don't partake in that scene and are still very happy and social people. Coralville is right next door to Iowa City and there is the second biggest mall in Iowa there. Student services bring in a lot of bands for concerts, there is always movies playing at the Bijou and rec services has several intramurals offered.

One of the most popular student organizations on campus is dance marathon. It is a 24 hour event that is a fundraiser for kids with cancer. They start raising money and planning for it almost an entire year in advance and then for the actual event everyone literally has to dance for 24 hours straight. Most students living in the dorms leave their door open, especially for the first few months. Athletic events are incredibly popular: most students will buy season football tickets, a lot of students also buy season basketball tickets. Other athletic events such as gymnastics and volleyball are free. Fraternities and sororities are present on campus, but they are certainly not the majority. Last weekend I spent Thursday night at a rec center playing basketball and volleyball, Friday night I went out with my roommates, and then Saturday night a group of friends and I went to play some other people in a volleyball game.

A lot of people are involved with extra curricular activities. People are really friendly and eager to tell you about their club. Every fall and spring there are events which advertise all the student organizations. As for students- people in the dorms are really friendly. Dorms are always open and people are hanging out in the common areas. People are in inviting. RAs tend to host "socials" or "floor dinners" to get new students acclimated with campus. As for night life, Iowa City is crazy. Be careful- unless you are 21 try to avoid the bar scene, it gets most people in trouble...There is a lot to do besides go to a bar, people like to attend theater, comedians, and concerts. The nice thing here, is that if you want to go out, there is someone to go out with, but if you want to stay in, someone is always there to pop in a movie.

If I'm awake at 2am on a Tuesday and I am not studying, I am probably having a dance party with my roommates. The roommates I currently have as a senior I met because they were on my residence hall floor my freshman year. All of us left our doors open, and residents still do, and I think that aspect allows more people to meet and make friends. When we are asked to give prospective students advice, you will always hear one or two people tell the students to leave their doors open. I know the last time I spoke on a student panel (this takes place at large visit days or recruitment efforts where audience members have the chance to ask current students any question), my advice to students was to leave their door open, pop a bag of popcorn (but don't burn it because then you'll lose friends) and the smell will attract people to your room! I think most of the questions in this section I answered in the very first box i filled out. But there is so much to do on campus. If you don't want to drink, Campus Activities Board is hosting a free concert or free casino game night for you to attend. Every so often the Field House hosts night games and leaves everything open late. To be honest, I can not say what the most popular groups or organizations on campus are. Everyone is involved in so many different things. The larger groups are the ones you see more often on campus: STAT - Students Today, Alumni Tomorrow, they're always giving away free stuff and trying to get students to become members. When Student Government elections come around those different parties will be out campaigning on campus. Other than that, I don't see one group "dominating" campus. The Greek life is present, but not overbearing. I am not a part of the Greek system and I am very happy with how my four years have turned out. I did attempt informal rush, but ended up not liking and felt like it was too expensive. The student group that I am involved with is STAR - Students To Assist Recruitment. We are a volunteer organization comprised of about 160 members that, as a whole, donates thousands of hours of our time to recruiting potential Hawkeyes. I currently serve as President, a position I would've never imagined holding when I was in high school, or even when I first joined the organization. The group has allowed me to grow as a leader while doing what I love: talking about Iowa and promoting Iowa to prospective students and their families. I talk more about this student organization on job interviews than any sort of work or professional experience I've had.

Sororities are very popular on campus, and many people join either a sorority or a fraternity. In mayflower, students are less social since the environment is more apartment oriented for privacy; however some students bond well and you can still meet a ton of people. It all depends on the people living there, though I'm sure the other dorms are more social places.

As I already mentioned, students come together for Iowa football more than anything else on campus. Living in the dorms, students tend to leave their doors open and are very receptive to meeting people and making new friends. Many organizations provide activities for students. One - College Activities Board (CAB) - has an activity every Thursday night. From comedians and movies to casino nights, CAB provides a range of activities with lots of FREE food & prizes!