University of Iowa Top Questions

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!