University of South Florida-Main Campus Top Questions

I love USF Tampa! It is a great place to learn and have fun. I have met some amazing people here and have also found a lot of new opportunities by coming to such a large, inclusive school. I would recommend USF to anyone I know, as it has something for everyone if you just look around. Not only are the people amazing, but its located in the sunny Tampa Bay. Its close to the beach, Amalie Arena, and Channelside, as well as countless other interesting places.

This is my dream college. I've wanted to go here for as long as I can remember. I have visited the campus about four times and every single time it has felt like home to me. I love the vibe of the campus. I love the look. I love everything about this place. I am beyond excited to start my journey here as an Engineering student in the fall.

I love USF and Tampa! There are great teachers that are actually interested in the student's success. I've been to other larger schools and I feel like USF has provided me with a better education than any other school I've attended. I love that Tampa is a college community but not a college town. Tampa does not revolve around USF, there is so much to do in Tampa and the surrounding areas that you are able to meet new people and branch out from just knowing college students.

As a student of the University of South Florida at the St Petersburg campus, I am privileged to enjoy my college days on a smaller campus in a college town. The serenity of campus life on the water with views of sail boats and kayaks and rolling green grass makes you proud to be a USF Bull. Classes tend to be smaller by design and the close-knit weave of the buildings give the illusion that the St Petersburg campus is even smaller than it actually is. This feeling translates into the stronger communal bond that forms with your fellow campus-mates. You aren’t just “another one”, you are “one”. Though our school is still in its infancy and does not receive the recognition it so truly deserves, the students, alumni and faculty, alike, of the University of South Florida, regardless of the campus attended, have extreme Bull pride. We wear our colors proud and shout and cheer at every game and deck our cars, bodies, faces, toenails, fingernails and homes with green and gold because we are proud of who we are and what we stand for.

As a student of the University of South Florida at the St Petersburg campus, I am privileged to enjoy my college days on a smaller campus in a college town. The serenity of campus life on the water with views of sail boats and kayaks and rolling green grass makes you proud to be a USF Bull. Classes tend to be smaller by design and the close-knit weave of the buildings give the illusion that the St Petersburg campus is even smaller than it actually is. This feeling translates into the stronger communal bond that forms with your fellow campus-mates. You aren’t just “another one”, you are “one”. Though our school is still in its infancy and does not receive the recognition it so truly deserves, the students, alumni and faculty, alike, of the University of South Florida, regardless of the campus attended, have extreme Bull pride. We wear our colors proud and shout and cheer at every game and deck our cars, bodies, faces, toenails, fingernails and homes with green and gold because we are proud of who we are and what we stand for.

I personally think this school is great. I love the campus. I was really surprised when I first got here. The one thing I would change would be the price of on campus housing. I will be moving off campus into a much nice apartment and I will be paying a lot less and it is bad because you have to live on campus as a freshmen. I personally love the size of the school. I think it is "just right." A lot of my time on campus is spent with my friends. You make so many friends so quickly and they stick with you. Everyone is so friendly here. There is a ton of school pride here also. Everywhere you go you see people with school shirts on and flashing the bulls sign. Go Bulls !

I absolutely love USF. The large campus atmosphere is perfect for me. We, as Bulls, have a tremendous pride in our school and making it known worldwide. Tampa is an excellent place to go to school with so much to do and so many opportunities in business, medicine, engineering, the arts and much more. I'm going to school for cell and molecular biology, and we have a phenomenal program here, with a great amount of research (being one of three Research One schools in the state). I'll always remember USF for the great times I had with Dance Marathon, a philanthropy that raises money for All Children's Hospital, and my involvement in Greek Life with Alpha Delta Pi!

The University of South Florida is a huge campus that in many areas resembles a serene Florida park rather than a college campus. Students are always outside on the benches studying or just enjoying the nice Florida weather. Despite the campus' large size, classes tend to be close by each other so walking to class is not too bad. The city of Tampa Bay is also huge, so we don't get the true "college town" feel, although all of the locals support the USF Bulls with great pride. When I tell people that I go to USF, they always know exactly what school I'm talking about because it is a well-known university. It's never "Oh, where is that?", which is nice. The best thing about USF is that it receives the most funding out of any other university in Florida, so there are constant renovations and improvements taking place all over campus. Beautiful new buildings appear almost every semester and little touches like new trees or fountains are also frequently added. USF is also extremely close to some of the best beaches in Florida, like Clearwater Beach and St. Pete Beach. The major complaint that I share with most students is that there is not enough parking around campus. There have been a handful of times that I was actually late for my class merely because I was driving around looking for a spot.

USF is a great school for the price. Our state of the art Marshall Student Center is one of the most impressive things on-campus that many universities simply don't have. USF is conveniently located close to I-275 and I-75 to make it accessible to people who live on different sides of town. The campus is large, but not too big and made with plenty of paths between buildings and plenty of parking lots (though congestion still occurs at times). One thing I would change about USF is our commuter image. I think if our school supports having more fun things on-campus that more people will stick around and hangout during the nights and weekends. The university has made progress by opening our library 24-hours a day, 5-days a week and starting Weekends @ USF, which allows people to get the word out about events they are planning during the weekend. I think USF also needs to take part in cleaning up the neighborhood near it. It can be described as low-income and it can attract criminals on-campus and become a safety issue for USF students. The decaying University Square Mall nearby also does not help the situation. Most people aren't too surprised when I tell them I go to USF because a high number of Tampa residents who go to high school here end up at USF. I have a mixed opinion on our administration. The dean could do more to be closer to her students - but she does attempt to make things better for us - it is hard with such a large university. The biggest recent controversy on campus happened today. The Republican Presidential Debate was held at on our campus and many students were angry at how it disrupted their day - leading to a protest later in the evening that attracted over 300 people. School pride is mixed. Students tend to join on the bandwagon when our football team is up and then jump off when we make mistakes. Other sports teams have lackluster support at our school. When provided with free shirts, students will proudly wear their school colors though. One experience I will always remember is orientation during freshman year - it was a nice preview to what college life would be like. There was so many things going on - even a mini-club party that was plenty of fun. It was when I first realized how much of a social experience going to a huge university would be like. The most frequent student complaints are parking issues, unfair professor grading curves, and issues in the financial aid department. Many students also believe the school wastes their tuition money on unnecessary things, such as a grass bull built on campus that cost thousands of dollars in upkeep costs every year.

USF is amazing. The best thing on campus is the diversity that it represents. You get to interact with people from all over the world and learn their ways of life. This in itself broadens your horizons and makes you more tolerant and understanding to that which seems different. There are also over 500 student organizations that are supported by student government where students can enjoy activities that appeal to their interests, including sports, activism, advocacy, awareness, socials, cultural clubs; and even academic clubs for all majors. The neat thing about this is that if a student comes up with an idea for a club that doesn't already exist, he can submit a one page application to request the formation of such club (the requirements that need to be met is at least 5 other students who are interested in joining, and the willingness of the organization to comply with university policies). Our school is also in the top research universities in the state of Florida. Advisors are more than willing to help you getting matched with programs that match your interests. The school is relatively large, due to its myriad of colleges. However, we have a student center where students have rooms for club meetings, food courts, center for student involvement, etc. There is a lot of school pride. Homecoming week is filled with colors and overall school spirit. We also get free tickets to football games, and there's a shuttle that takes us to those games. Safety is very cherished, so our school takes all the necessary precautions to avoid incidents that endanger a student's life.