undergraduate

Introduction
First of all, I would not recommend Clemson for people who: want to be in a huge city, like cold weather, hate football, want any extremely diverse student body, or don't want to work hard for good grades.

Clemson University is located in the small town of Clemson and is surrounded by Hartwell and Keowee Lake and the Blue Ridge Mountains. I'm not talking about a 'one-stop light and a Burger King' kind of town - it's bigger than that! There are plenty of restaurants, bars and grocery stores around. There are also larger cities, like Anderson, Seneca, Greenville, are only a 30 minute drive away. They are great for shopping! There are also big cities, like Atlanta, Charlotte and Columbia, are within a 2 hour drive. The coast is only about 4 hours away, with Myrtle Beach, Charleston and Savannah, all which make for an easy and fun weekend get-a-way!

The weather here is, in my opinion, just fabulous. The Upstate of South Carolina has the perfect changes in seasons. When school starts in August, it's pretty hot, usually around 95 degrees during the day, but a cool 70 degrees at night. In late October, the leaves start turning and it's actually pretty beautiful, but it's still a nice temperature, around 75. People wear shorts all the way into November. It starts to get cold around Thanksgiving and stays cold until early March. By cold, I mean between 40 and 55 degrees. We get a lot of ice storms, and occasionally snow. Those from up north love it because they aren't used to classes being cancelled for an inch of snow/ice on the ground. It's funny that with most Clemson students, an 8 AM class won't get them out of bed until 8:05, but an inch or two of snow will wake them up at 4. Spring starts in mid-March. You know when warm weather is near when there are 20 girls tanning in the middle of campus on Bowman Field.

Football and tailgating are basically institutions at Clemson. If you don't enjoy eating great food, drinking cold beer, dressing up, hanging out with friends, and then showing pride in your school by cheering on the Clemson Tigers in Death Valley, then do not come to this school.

Clemson students are not a totally homogeneous group, but there are not large minority groups. Most of the student body consists of white, Christian students from the middle or upper-middle class. Despite the majority, there are plenty of clubs and groups for people of different ethnic or religious backgrounds. Even though it is not racially diverse, Clemson's student body has many different types of students with different interests.

When I go out of town and people ask where I go to school, I love to see people's faces when I say that I go to Clemson. Most people know about Clemson, and I love the popularity and prestige of this school. It is nationally recognized, ranked No. 27 on US News Best Public Universities, and that comes with a price. President Barker set a goal for this school to become a top 20 school and we have got closer every year. Everyone at Clemson takes pride in this university and must do their part to continue to better the school. Because of this, classes are hard, professors are tough and students work hard for their grades.

Campus Life and Social Life
The best things about campus life are all different types of people. There are Greeks, jocks, rockers, gamers, goths, skaters, straight-edgers, partiers, actors, activists and dancers. Because of the many different interests of the students, there are many functions and events. For example, in one weekend, there could be a football game, a Halo tournament, a Seventies costume mixer, a local punk band concert, a performance of the play Hairspray and a speaker on US relations with Columbia. There is pretty much something for everyone here!

Partying is a big part for most students. Going out on Thursday nights is pretty much a tradition. There is usually a Greek mixer or some kind of theme party, or people go downtown. Downtown Clemson is that of legend. With about 12 different bars with 2 blocks, there is a place for everyone. No matter what group of people you call home, almost everyone comes together to have a good time!

The same is true for football games, for the most part. Basically the entire city of Clemson turns into a big blob of purple and orange. People start tailgating at 6 AM for an 8 PM game. It's that serious. Lots of students dress to the nine, with guys in bowties and blazers and girls in cute sundresses. It might be just the southern hospitality, but you can walk up to any tailgate, tell them your a Clemson fan, and they'll offer you all kinds of food, drinks, whatever they got. The football games really bring the community together. Memorial Stadium is also known as Death Valley, because it is one of the most intimidating and loudest stadiums in the nation, as well as one of the largest. The Tigers run down the hill, rubbing the famous Howard Rock, while cannons are shot and the band plays the Tiger Rag. This has been called the most exciting 25 seconds in college football. The intensity is almost doubled when Clemson plays our rivals, the University of South Carolina (USC) Gamecocks. This is the biggest game in the entire season for both teams and basically the entire state of South Carolina is watching. Basketball and baseball are also popular at Clemson, but nothing compares to football seasons. (Honestly, me and a few friends delayed our graduation to December just to get in an extra season!)

Most students spend their weekends partying, tailgating, hanging with friends and going to games. Some people go home and sometimes, the unlucky ones spending their weekend catching up on school work. A lot of people rent cabins in the mountians and go skiing, or go camping and spend the weekend on the lake. Academics
Clemson's academics are great. There are five different colleges within the university. Our biggest departments are engineering, nursing, business and agriculture majors. As far as gradaute studies, Clemson's PRTM (Parks, Recreation, Tourism and Management) is one of the most selective in the country. I am a history major with a pre-law concentration and even though it is not one of the most popular at Clemson, it is filled with excellent professors. There isn't one major that is underfunded or lacks because of its small group of students. The professors here expect a lot from their students but they definitely prepare their students with the proper information. They are very easy to talk to and always have an open door. It is required that professors have at least two hours scheduled to be in their office for students to come by. The workload is not unbearable but it is not a cakewalk. To get good grades, you must keep up with the readings, do the homework and study for exams. Sometimes you will find a professor who will let you slide by with a B with minimal work, but it's not very common.

Student Body
The student body is pretty likeable as a whole. We are all your average college students who like to have fun, party, listen to music. Most of us are southern born and bred and we like to show it. The guys are good looking, smart and fun. They are also gentlemen. Down here, doors are opened for you and everyone is extremely friendly. The girls are nice and fun, even those in the sororities. Everyone pretty much gets along. Some girls like to dress up like they are going to the club for their 9 AM class. I would not recommend that. I know you want to look good, but you will probably get laughed at. Jeans, hoodies, t-shirts (espcially Clemson t-shirts), Rainbows and Birkenstocks make up the unofficial uniform at Clemson. It's pretty easygoing.

In Closing...
Clemson is a great school. You will have lots of fun, and have chances to have lots of new experiences. The curriulum here guarantees that you will leave as a more educated, well-rounded person. And lastly, a degree from Clemson is definitely a plus when apply for a job!