University of Wisconsin-Madison Top Questions

You have an entire city at your disposal. The city is campus and it's amazing how integrated they are. You can do anything, and most of it is free.

There are countless organizations on campus. You can join anything from the equestrian team to dance to book clubs. I am a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. We do a lot of local volunteering and fundraising for events. Athletic events are very popular on campus. On the day of a sporting event, people are walking around everywhere in their Badger gear. Dorms are great for socializing during your first year. Students usually keep their doors open and the house fellows organize events for each floor, so it is easy to meet other students.

Sports are very big but also there is a student organization for just about any and everything.

I honestly can't even decide which student organizations and groups are most popular because there are so many different ones available, and so many different types of students that each one is important to many people. With this said, there are a few well- known organizations, but everything is truly interest oriented, and there is something for everyone. A prevalent organization on campus is called Hoofers, which is and outdoor oriented group that takes trips or outings that are focused on outdoor activities. Different branches of this group include the outing club, skiing and snowboarding club, equestrian club, scubadiving club and so on. This is just one example of the way that students organize groups based on interests, and how it can spread to so many different people. Also, even though it is not a group or anything, football games generate a lot of school pride and festivity that many students take part in to support the school and friends. I am a season ticket holder for football, and I wouldn't think of missing such a fun, exciting game during the season. Games generate so much school spirit and a sort of unique feeling that unifies the students in supporting the university. UW Madison is notoriously known for being somewhat of a party school as well, and while it can be very fun, not everyone does it, and there really are so many things to do that you don't always need to feel pressured to go out to a party. In fact, since so many students are so studious, it is understood when school comes first and you can't go out with friends. Otherwise, it really comes down to who you surround yourself with, and you can easily be accepted for doing whatever you like on the weekends because there are so many possibilities and so many different people to share them with. There is also frequent movies playing at the school unions, and a bunch of concerts on campus, so you can easily find something to keep you busy when you're not studying. Also the city around campus holds even more opportunities, and every student gets a free bus pass so it is easy to travel out to a mall or surrounding areas if you look at the bus schedule.

The most popular groups on campus are the political groups- College Democrats and College Republicans, but outdoor groups such as Hoofers also have pretty big membership. Football is the major sport here, and student season tickets sell out in minutes. Basketball and hockey are very popular too, but if a student is going to get season tickets for only one sport, they're going to get it for football. Game days are when the campus really comes alive- there's parties everywhere, lots of music, tailgating, etc. On the academic side, the Distinguished Lecture Series is really popular, and those events often sell out as well. On the weekends, I would say about 75{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the campus goes out an parties, but most don't do it every weekend, and it's not always a wild event. If you don't want to drink, the university always has a lot of events going on, there's movies playing the in the unions, bowling, pool, and dorm events and outings.

Due to UW-Madison's size, students can find virtually any activity or group. Groups range from fantasy sports leagues to music groups to community service teams. Sports teams, clubs, and intramural leagues are also very popular. I myself am involved in both intramural volleyball and soccer, as well as music and church service groups. Because of all these options, it is easy to find things to do on weekends instead of just partying. Places such as the Orpheum Theatre and the Overture Center offer shows and concerts, ranging from local music groups to famous bands. If the weather is nice, the Memorial Union Terrace is also a great option for fun, friends, and music. Weekends in the fall will likely be a little more wild than normal, due to football games. I met most of my friends in the dorms my freshmen and sophomore years. I also met friends in classes and through St. Paul's Church. I considered joining a sorority, but opted not to. There are many options for frats and sororities, but the whole scene is not outlandish. There isn't a typical "frat row" that you see at many other colleges, but rather the frats are more interspersed and on the whole very welcoming to students outside the frat. If you get tired of campus life, there are also options off campus. Busses can take you the West Town or East Town malls, Target, nightclubs, and music bars.

Wisconsin, I feel, really spoils us as a student body when it comes to activity outside of study. There's just SO much to do. Sporting events, for me, are number one. The badgers are pretty much good at every sport. That makes going to games fun and exciting. The girls at UW are GORGEOUS. It's almost unfair. There is a strong dating scene here. Even Freshmen who get paired up early are happy about it because Madison is a dating-friendly city. Greek life is NOT that important, but it's something that I enjoy. Give it a shot if you want, and if you don't, you'll probably have a friend who will. Once they're in, you can go to their parties. This IS, as much as I hate to say it, a party school. People party. A lot. In the beginning it was almost disturbing. Welcome Week is the week after move in and before classes formally begin. Needless to say this week is the birthplace and manifestation of regretful decision-making, but it also was a lot of fun. There are things to do that don't involve drinking. I don't know how popular they are because of my living situation. On that note, and in ALL caps: IF YOU DON'T LIKE TO PARTY, PLEASE DO NOT LIVE IN THE SOUTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD. I cannot stress that enough. Lakeshore and southeast are your living options for public dorms. Lakeshore is quieter and tends to be more academic whereas southeast is overbearingly social at times.

Student government is big at UW-Madison, as well as public interest group WISPIRG. These groups also encourage volunteer work through themselves as well as other, smaller groups. For any professional career, there are a handful of student organizations dedicated to educating you and connecting you to adults in those fields. I was able to find a small pre-law group called the Legal Studies Association and really make it my own, becoming the organization's President my Junior year. This has cemented my interest in the law, and I think that without having sifted through the wealth of student organizations on campus I would still be pondering what I wanted to do with my life. You can party as much or little as you would like to after your freshman year. The first year, however, is filled with energy as students look to make a new circle of friends, and often this is accompanied by going out to parties in large groups. Friday and Saturday night the dorms will be alive until 2-3 AM, so if this is not your scene I would recommend you look into some of the alternative dorms on campus (Chadbourne, Barnard, etc.).

At my school, there are hundreds of active student organizations and an even larger amount of student interests that circle around campus. That being said, two of the largest organizations around UW-Madison are Wisconsin Union Directorate Committees and our large greek system. The Wisconsin Union Directorate is composed of committees such as Art, Music, Film, Society and Politics, Global Connections, Alternative Breaks, and Publications. Through these committees, students can explore these fields and help set up events at our unions for the student body to enjoy. Our greek system is also very big at campus. Rushing for a sorority or fraternity at the beginning of your semester at UW-Madison could be a very reward experience for you if you are interested in such a thing. UW-Madison is known for being a party school, but during the week, students work hard to get good grades and excel. If you ask any one at our school, they know that we work hard and party hard. However, if that is not something that you are interested in, do not worry. There is something for everyone on our campus. It's hard to find a moment of boring, free time at this campus.

I think oftentimes incoming students look to a school's Greek system to gauge what the social scene is generally like. At the University of Wisconsin, the Greek system exists but does not dominate the social scene. I was part of a fraternity, and while I appreciate the social, academic, and philanthropic avenues which my fraternity provided me, I also realize that there is a large social life in Madison outside of the Greek world. Many of the advantages of Greek involvement can be found in non-Greek contexts. For instance, students can take part in social and community activism through the Associated Students of Madison (a body of student government) or one of the two major student newspapers. Because the university is so large, students are intent on finding smaller communities in which to immerse themselves. While attending the university is enough to solidify one's identity as a Badger, extracurricular involvement is important in finding a more intimate, meaningful context. In other words, students find their way into the university through extracurricular activities which fit their interests and personalities. At the same time, these extracurricular activities allow them to expand their horizons and take on risks that are educational. Students find employment in the unions, the school cafeterias,the University of Wisconsin Foundation, and the libraries, which allows them to financially support themselves while providing fundamental services for their peers. Other students join business organizations to form networks and find like-minded peers. Students who excel in a certain language or who simply wish to experience a totally new culture study abroad.. I went to London during my Junior year, which was definitely one of my most rewarding, valuable college experiences. These activities are all lively, enriching ways for students to develop and grow.

Being in the Big Ten Conference, athletic events are extremely important to students at UW, especially Badger Football Games at Camp Randall, our stadium. Home games are usually packed and extremely energetic. Students are very involved in traditional cheers and songs while in the stands, and there is even a day at the beginning of the school year for all Freshmen and new students to head to Camp Randall to learn these songs and the possible hand motions that go with them. UW students, drunk and sober alike, completely animate when the band plays these songs. The amount of school spirit here is extremely refreshing. Every year, there are two major drinking holidays: Halloween and Mifflin. Halloween attracts thousands of people from other campuses for its infamous reputation and its street music festival, Freakfest, which takes place on State Street, a pedestrian-friendly commerical mall. Mifflin, or "Mifflin Street Days", is a weekend-long party that takes place in almost every house on Mifflin Street. It originated in the 70's as a protest to the war in Vietnam and has evolved into one of the sloppiest and craziest weekends on any college campus. The police try to get involved as much as possible each year, to little avail. It lasts from early morning until...well, early morning again. There are few hours that people are NOT partying this weekend. It's the last weekend that people are in Madison before finals in the Spring, so people see it as their last chance to really party before going home for the summer. The most popular organizations would have to be our ballroom dance club or PubCom, the Publications Committee. PubCom has several branches to it, two of which I belong to myself. I'm part of Working Title, our creative writing club, and Souvenirs, one of our several student-run magazines that we produce annually. PubCom is generally more for those interested in a literary field, but it also includes branches like theatre, which is responsible for putting together and hosting free screenings of movies in one of our two unions a few times a month. Yup, that's right, we have TWO unions! Union South was just rebuilt and finished this past spring, and is incredible, to say the least. There is a rockwall, a bowling alley, movie theater, concert hall, bar, restaurants, cafes, and several study areas and meeting spaces inside. Our other union, Memorial Union, is on the other side of campus, right on Lake Mendota with it's own Terrace and swimming dock in the summer. There is tons of windsurfing, sailing, and boating in in the summer and spring months, and, when the weather is nice, the Terrace is filled with people of all ages, sharing pitchers of beer. Although there are many activites for drinkers, there are also lots of things available for underagers or non-drinkers. Aside from the numerous activites in Union South, there are many free events like ballroom dancing lessons or various workshops that take place weekly. We have an amazing acapella group, The Madhatters, that have performances throughout the year. This group actually just performed at the White House recently! You can also get tickets as cheap as $10 for the Madison Symphony Orchestra with your student ID. My favorite event would have to be the annual Yule Ball that PubCom hosts in December (which they just started in 2010). As a Harry Potter lover, it was amazing.

I don't see how this is a relevant question.

Greek life is pretty big at Madison, but because of the sheer size of the student body, it does not play nearly as large of a role on campus as it does in other schools. Due to the school's D1 status, becoming a Badger athlete is usually difficult if you haven't been recruited and is very time-consuming if you are in a sport. If you still want to be an athlete, though, don't worry- there are endless intramurals going on throughout the year and multiple club teams that you can try out for. Football games are huge social events, as well as (to a lesser extent) men's basketball and hockey games. Madison has earned its status as a party school, and Fridays and Saturdays are generally filled with social activities that may or may not include booze (some students like to include Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays in their weekends too...). Opportunities for free activities are everywhere, so if there's something you're even remotely interested in there's probably a way you can learn it. I've learned how to ballroom dance, make perfect mac and cheese in Cheese Club, break dance, become a certified phlebotomist (blood-drawer), do yoga, and a whole lot more...and that's just outside of my pre-professional and school-related activities.

This semester at UW Madison there are 763 different student organizations, covering a wide variety of interests. I would say that the most popular organizations are those that are the interest groups that are particular to your major and long-term academic goals (ex. Kinesiology Club, Pre-Veterinary Club) because joining clubs like these is a really good way to meet people that are probably going to be in the same classes as you or will have already taken those classes and can give you some pointers. Also very popular is the Greek scene. We have a ton of really great club sports here as well as intramural sports that are less competitive. There are many different groups for international, minority, and LGBT students as well. At the beginning of each semester we have a Student Org Fair, with each club setting up a booth and handing out a little bit of information about what they do so look out for that and shop around for whatever interests you. You are not necessarily committed to anything because you pick up a pamphlet or put your name on an e-mail list!

Of course, football and basketball games are a pretty common/necessary to attend. On game day, the whole city of Madison is either at the game or watching it in a bar. Game days in Madison are so much fun and totally worth your Saturday. I lived in the Lakeshore dorms, which are situated by a Lake Monona. It was such a great experience and I recommend the dorms to all incoming freshmen. I live with my dorm mates now, as a Sophomore, and have made life long friends. We go out most weekends but, with so much going on in Madison, students do not need to drink to have fun. There are always movies and live entertainment at the Unions and many more alcohol-free activities. I am involved at a student run newspaper on campus and really enjoy it. Off campus, I work as an intern at the Capitol.

One of the most popular student activities is cheering on the sports teams. UW Madison is known for its BIG TEN basketball and exceptional football teams. The road next to Camp Randall, Breeze Terrace is always buzzing on a game day. That being said, while the sports teams are often of interest to students here, there are so many other organizations to get involved in, you will find it hard to pick just one! Balancing these extra activities with schoolwork is perhaps the most challenging part of the whole situation as finding something you will enjoy being a part of is simply that easy.

Student orgs is where I met most of my friends. The Wisconsin Union Directorate is a great start. There are nine committees within WUD including Film, Music, Art, Society and Politics, Hoofers (horseriding, mountaineering, SCUBA, etc). I'm on WUD Film and we program free movies on campus 6 days a week ranging from Hollywood blockbusters to experimental avant-garde shorts. I'm on a long-form improv team called The Titanic Players that I auditioned for freshman year. I now live with 5 of my teammates and they're the best friends I could ever imagine. There's a big Greek life on campus, but I've avoided it completely. Madison is in Wisconsin, so of course that's a huge bar scene. There are dozens of cool pubs and bars of all types of styles, classy, typical college bar, gay bar, everything. Some even have 18+ dance nights if you're not of age. State Street is the main shopping and club street and it's got many restaurants open until 4 am, so even if you're out late there's something to do. The Henry Vilas Zoo, Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, Chazen Museum of Art, and Veterans Museum are all located on or near campus. There are many traditions in Madison including Mifflin Street Block Party every April where one can drink outside, Freakfest every Halloween (bands have included OK Go, Third Eye Blind, and Neon Indian), Badger football games, and the weekly Farmer's Market around the capitol every Saturday morning.

Student Orgs are very open to everyone, including freshmen. Before I even located the Student Union on campus I trained at WSUM, Student radio. I was one of the only freshmen in the first group of trainees, but still managed to become an integral member of the station. I now have my own show that I produce every week. It is a fun hands-on activity that is what you make it, much like this university. By my second year being a DJ, I was training a new batch of future WSUM members. My proudest moment arrived when this young man, who was adamant about not talking on air, introduced a song with confidence. WSUM helped me to become involved and meet friends outside the dorms.

There are all kinds of things to get involved with on campus, and not one group is obviously most popular. Sports are a big deal, and everyone has pride in our excellent teams, even if not an athlete. Football especially is a big deal, and going to games is an important part of the fall semester for many students. Student organizations cover a wide variety of interests, from Model United Nations, to Sci-Fi club, to Cheese Club, to Classics Society. I personally am the secretary for the Ten Percent Society, a social group for queer and allied students on campus that has weekly meetings involving lots of board game playing, as well as trips for things such as apple picking and laser tagging. I also am involved with UW's Hillel, the Jewish student center. I attend Friday night services weekly, and eat dinner and socialize with other Jewish students afterward. There is a pretty active Greek Life on campus if that's what you're interested in getting into. It's also pretty easy to avoid Greek Life on campus if that's what you're into. UW is constantly bringing in speakers or holding special discussions or lectures. Last year we even had Barak Obama come to speak. These are great opportunities to learn about things that don't necessarily have anything to do with your major. Madison itself has lots to offer students. There's the (in?)famous FreakFest and other Halloween celebrations, which I love, since Halloween is my favorite holiday. Also popular is the Farmer's Market, which is the largest in the area and is great for people looking for fresh, local food on a budget.

There are all kinds of things to get involved with on campus, and not one group is obviously most popular. Sports are a big deal, and everyone has pride in our excellent teams, even if not an athlete. Football especially is a big deal, and going to games is an important part of the fall semester for many students. Student organizations cover a wide variety of interests, from Model United Nations, to Sci-Fi club, to Cheese Club, to Classics Society. I personally am the secretary for the Ten Percent Society, a social group for queer and allied students on campus that has weekly meetings involving lots of board game playing, as well as trips for things such as apple picking and laser tagging. I also am involved with UW's Hillel, the Jewish student center. I attend Friday night services weekly, and eat dinner and socialize with other Jewish students afterward. There is a pretty active Greek Life on campus if that's what you're interested in getting into. It's also pretty easy to avoid Greek Life on campus if that's what you're into.