Big School!

Introduction
University of Illinois Urbana Champaign (UIUC) is a big school. That is the first thing someone should know before even considering coming here. It's not as important if you are from Chicago or a big city, but if you are like most people here, you're from a small town somewhere in Illinois. Coming into a school where the freshman class alone is more than 9000 people can be a shock if your high school was about 900 people. Don't expect to be known by anyone unless you make an effort. As the overused saying goes, you can always make a big school small, but you can't make a small school big. If you want all small classes and close relationships with your professors, don't come here unless you can make the effort to get that. Even trying to be outgoing doesn't always cut it though. An intro economics class can have as many as 1000 people in it. Just be ready for that.

Campus Life and Social Life
Social life at UIUC can be a ball. It's a big drinking school and a big party school. We have the largest Greek system in the nation and it shows. If you want to join a fraternity or sorority, you have a lot of options. If you don't want to join, you can still go to the parties though. Just remember that if you're trying to get into a frat party, it's always good to have the girls in the front of the group because that's what frat guys are looking for. The bars can be especially disgusting, if you go to the main ones on Daniel St., but there are some better, smaller, bars that aren't ridiculously crowded. Beyond the drinking scene, there is still a lot to do here. The different organizations on campus are always offering something entertaining; there is always a play, show, or concert going on during the weekends. And if you love big name bands, Assembly Hall can't be beat outside of Chicago. Last semester alone Dave Matthews Band, Fall Out Boy, Foo Fighters, Weezer, and 311 played here. Basically, if you want to find something to do, you can. Advertisement
Academics
UIUC is known as an engineering campus. We are in the top ten of almost every branch of engineering. If you're into that, there are few other public schools better. Everything else is a different story. There are definite benifits to going to such a large and nationally recognized university, regardless of your major. All the departments have highly reputable professors and they all have the available funding to provide a good education. Certain departments, especially in the Fine and Applied Arts (music, art, theatre etc) are not on the same level as the engineering and science departments, but they are still very good departments anyway. Also, simply graduating from UIUC is great for employers because of the university's high national reputation; it's also a great alma mater to name drop because so many people have attended here. The workload varies greatly from major to major. Engineers have a much heavier workload than liberal arts majors, but any major can still be challenging. There are plenty of classes to choose from, but the best ones fill up fast. Try as hard as you can to get into an honors program, because those people get priority registration and a freshman can register before a senior. Most of the professors and TA's are decent. Most class lectures are taught by a real, certified professor, usually with a Ph.D., but there are also quiz sections that are taught by TA's. You never know what kind of TA you will get; it's really just luck of the draw.

Student Body
If you ask ten people where they're from, seven will usually respond "the suburbs", two will say that they're from a town that you have never heard of before that is in southern Illinois, and one might say their from out of state or possibly out of country. There is great diversity here, with a lot of international students. Because we are such an engineering school, there are a lot of "engi-nerds", but that doesn't describe everyone. Most of the students on campus are drinkers, so if that doesn't float your boat, you are going to have to look long and hard for non drinkers. But you can still have fun walking down Green Street and watching all the drunks on Friday night.

In Closing...
Housing: First years have to be in University Housing, you can't avoid it, but if you're willing to pay a little more, you can get private certified housing, which is of a higher standard. Most of the dorms provide for a fun time because you live with a bunch of people that are into the same things as you. The Six Pack is the most fun because there are so many people living is the same block, and it is very convieniently located to the sports complexes and the quad. ISR is known as the engineering dorm and the name is said to stand for "I'm a Social Reject" because it's so quiet and boring there. FAR/PAR is the other set of mainly freshman dorms, and believe the name: they are FAR from everything. Try not to get stuck there. And be prepared for some bad food. Almost everything in the cafeteria can be classified as either "tolerable" or "horrible": there is usually no "good" food.

Sports: The sports teams here are pretty good, not to say anything about the abysmal football season we just had. The plus is that football and men's basketball are the only sports that students are charged for; everything else is free, and they are a good time when there is nothing else to do.

The Chief: Our beloved/hated mascot performs during half time of most sporting events, and the campus is pretty divided on whether he is a time honored tradition or an offensive example of ignorance and hate in white America. Just be ready to hear some arguements and controversy.

The Area: It is a beautiful campus, 140 years old with great weather (most of the time). The town and campus are very safe areas; there is no great threat of crime in the area, if you stay on campus and are not idiotic. The bus system is good and there is no real need for a car when living here.