University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Top Questions

I think Pitt is a good size - it's big enough to avoid people you don't want to see but still small enough to actually meet people. I love the campus because it's basically interspersed with all of the other Oakland buildings, but that is definitely a particular taste. It's not a secluded, collegiate area like CMU or some other private schools. I spend most of my time in the Cathedral because that's where all my classes are, and it's also where I do most of my homework and writing. The only complaint I have is that the extracurricular clubs, etc. tend to be really cliquey.

Pitt is a great school, there is always something going on, from sports (pitt bball and football, steelers, pirates, penguins), clubs, city and school events, to parties. Best thing is Sundays during the fall, the city is alive with excitement about the stillers, their results has a profound impact on the city...

This school is a good mix of people from different cultures and backgrounds. You learn a lot and it's a great opportunity to step out of your own comfort zone. There are many good chances to do some really cool things (study abroad, join a club, etc.) if you put in the effort. Oakland caters to students very well. I do a lot of lifting, wrestling and grappling. I have a pretty close group of friends. There is a lot or pride come basketball season. I think Pitt's administration needs a lesson on how to connect to students. Overall, no one is going to do it for you, it takes YOU buckling down and getting it done.

I love Pitt because it's in the city. It always seems like the possibilities are endless if you find yourself with some spare time. It kinda sucks having security guards when you live in the dorms because they make you feel like you're a baby and often times they are more rude than nice. My favorite place to be is at the museums or at Phipps Conservatory. Both are quick walks from campus. There is a lot of Pitt Pride but if you're like me and think people are a little too crazy about sports, they are easy to avoid and it's always nice when almost everyone is at a basketball or football game because it feels like you have the entire campus to yourself.

I love the University of Pittsburgh. I transferred here my sophomore year from a very small, Catholic college in Erie, PA. What I found most attractive was the size of the campus and the amount of things to do. Not only does Pitt offer you a wide variety of extracurriculars and student activities, but Oakland is full of things to do, as well as the surrounding neighborhoods like the South Side, Squirrel Hill, and Downtown. When transferring I was nervous and anxious, but the administration really made my transition a smooth one. All of my credits transferred and my adviser was very friendly and made herself available to me for questions, even outside of registering/transferring my courses. Pitt offers students a good atmosphere, which is why I think students have such great pride in the school.

Pitt takes extremely good care of new students. There are always activities going on for freshmen and every step is taken to ensure the students are comfortable and even proud about their choice to go there. One of the coolest things about going to school in Pittsburgh is how your student ID acts as a free bus pass. Pittsburgh is an exciting city with loads of things to do every day, so being able to get around easily for free is a huge advantage. The Pittsburgh bus system is pretty reliable and most, if not all, of the busses go through Pitt's campus quite frequently so getting around is never a problem. It's kind of annoying how three of the best dorms on campus (Pennsylvania Hall, Panther Hall, and Sutherland Hall) are on upper campus. Upper campus is a huge pain to get to and from (it's all the way up "Cardiac Hill") especially if all your classes are on lower campus. Living in the Litchfield Towers is the ultimate freshman experience at Pitt. The RAs are really cool and they plan fun activities for the residents every week. It's also pretty neat to live in a circular building where walking down your hallway means walking in a circle. The rooms really aren't that small compared to the freshman dorms at most schools. The only sucky things about Towers are the communal bathrooms and the weird elevator system which really screws you over if you're not on every third floor. But otherwise it's very convenient to live there because it's practically the center of activity on lower campus. Plus, you don't have to leave the building to get a good meal! Market Central is the new dining establishment on the lower level of the Towers. For one ID swipe you get all-you-can-eat access to six different things--there's an pizza/pasta bar place, a sandwich place, a diner-style place, a stir-fry place, a vegetarian place, and an unpredictable place that is very random. When it first opened, Market Central was really good and everyone loved it--but they were all sick of it a few months later. By the end of the year, no one wanted to eat there anymore. But I guess that's true for any dining hall--boredom with the choices is inevitable, even if there are as many choices as at Market Central. If you buy a computer right before you start at Pitt, don't buy any software for it--you can get it all here for free! It's a pretty sweet deal. The Cathedral of Learning is a wonderful place. Chances are you'll have a bunch of classes there throughout your time at Pitt, and you might chose to study there too. It's a gorgeous piece of architecture that looks pretty on the outside in any kind of weather, and the inside is really cozy. The Cathedral is definitely my favorite building on Pitt's campus.

One of the most unique things about the University of Pittsburgh is that it is in a city; Oakland isn't just a college town, but the tallest building around is Pitt's own Cathedral of Learning. If you go out for lunch at Joe Mama's or The Red Oak Cafe, you'll see other students inside, but chances are you'll run into professionals in suits and scrubs on their lunchbreak, too. And there are plenty of activities and ways to be involved on campus, but there is so much else out there. Pittsburgh is incredibly diverse with a unique history and culture, with nooks and crannies to find if you take a step outside campus borders. We have free access to public transit, so why not take advantage of that? However, there's still a definite sense of community among the students; we still have dining halls exclusively for students and riots when our sports teams beat rivals, just like any other university.

Best thing is the student body, not the prettiest campus though

I really love this school, and in the past few years there has been a dramatic change in the students at the University. For some reason, the students seem to show more pride and togetherness than I have ever seen before. It may be due to the success of the basketball team, or the fact that we just have better students now, but the pride is becoming unbelieveable.

One of the bigger issues with Pitt is the bureaucracy that is implemented by the Administration, its practically impossible to organize any on campus event without filling out pages and pages of paper work, and a part of this issue is Pitt Police .