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Here at the University of Louisville, we've got a myriad of students on campus. UofL is a college in an urban setting. Most of our students commute to school daily. Many students live in Louisville, and some even live in Southern Indiana, right across the Ohio River (Students from Southern Indiana don't have to pay a higher tuition rate; they get the in-state tuition rate that Kentuckians like myself receive).

Since there are so many commuter students, there really isn't a "typical" student here. It isn't until you get into specific majors at UofL do you start to see anything resembling a stereotype. For example, at the Speed School of Engineering, there are some of the typical nerds/geeks that people imagine....however I can honestly tell you it is FAR less than you would think. Most of us are just your average college student with a knack for math and science in some way.

The ONLY stereotype found here in a somewhat consistent manner are the fraternity and sorority students, which is really no different than any other college I've seen/been to.

In short, stereotypes aren't the norm here at UofL.

There is no other school that I'd rather graduate from. I love the environment, I love that I can live off campus, but not far enough to make it not worth the drive each day. I love that it is a beautiful campus in an urban setting, and I love that it is consistently getting better every year. The business, engineering, and medical/nursing schools here are some of the best in the country. The medical and nanotechnology research done here makes history (the first artificial heart was implanted this year by a doctor here at UofL, for example). It is one of the best college sports towns around (athletes, we have some of the best facilities in the country), if you're into sports.

The only thing that I would change would be the amount of pride shown here. We've got a few homebodies that only came to UofL because it was close to home, so there are a lot more University of Kentucky (rival) fans than I'd like sometimes, but everyone is free to wear whatever they want so it's not a huge deal around here.

The student government is really active here, it makes us feel like they care about us and about future students, and that's important!

The size is just right. It's a commuter school mostly, so the students that live on campus are pretty tight-knit in many cases, but there are a lot of us living close to campus too, with plenty to do nearby.

It's a college in an urban area, so there's a lot more to do here than just stuff for college students!

I love UofL, and I love being a Cardinal. Go Cards!

The University of Louisville Speed School of Engineering is the ONLY college on Earth where you can earn both an accredited Bachelor's degree AND an accredited Master's degree. The School of Business, School of Education, and Law School have all been ranked in the top 10 in the last four years. We have a lot of transfers from a local community college in Louisville, so the average ACT scores aren't as high as the first-time freshman scores, which are much higher.

The class sizes aren't bad at all, with most classes having under 30 students. Not a bad class size!

Professors are pretty good about learning names, at least on my side of campus. I'm a Civil Engineering student at the Speed School of Engineering here at UofL. I'm very proud to be here. The class sizes get smaller every year, and I've had classes with the same people for 2-3 years now, and we've all become very close. We have some awesome professors here, and not just in Speed School.

UofL is geared toward constant improvement. Every year, UofL announces some new initiative to improve either the school's standing or it's effect on the environment around us.

I'm proud to be a Cardinal, and I'm still surprised every day at how good my school is.

This is a commuter school in an urban setting. We've got all kinds of students here. We have students from every state in the U.S. and students from nearly 100 countries around the world. There's no prevalent financial background here, we're a healthy mix of it all.

Most students wear jeans and a t-shirt or a hoodie to class, with the occasional sharp-dressed guy/gal and the occasional pajama-clad student here or there.

We have some politicians here, the student government is quite active. Just last week there was a rally to protest the tuition hike (it was quite the sight!). Student elections are pretty big here, and I'm not just talking about voting for Homecoming King.

A lot of students work nights at UPS to pay their way through school, and quite a bit are here on some sort of scholarship. Of course, we have some students here up to their eyeballs in debt, silently working hard to be able to pay off their student loans one day.

No stereotypes here, we're all students and we come from all walks of life.

If I had to pick the most popular student group/activity, I'd have to pick from a list of my top 3 choices. They're found below:

-Greek Societies (fraternities, sororities)

-Intramural Sports (gets bigger every year)

-Sports fans (football, basketball goers)

There are clubs for everything here. There are over 300 student groups at UofL. Religious, intramural, academic, and greek groups are all over the place. There is ALWAYS free food somewhere on campus at some sort of group meeting (most groups want more members too, so the food really is free!)

Athletic events are crazy popular, especially football and basketball. The new KFC Yum! Center is nearly always packed to the brim in the student section.

There are all kinds of events. Charity runs (5K, etc.), breast cancer awareness fundraisers, movie nights, speeches by important political figures (senators, governor, etc.), and more.

There aren't as many parties here compared to other campuses, simply because UofL is a commuter school. If you're LOOKING for a party, however, there's always something going on, and 4th Street Live (the local bar scene) is always popular and very close to campus.

All of my professors are very good about being reachable. If they aren't in their office, I usually have an e-mail response from them within a few hours. Most are willing to cut you some slack if you come to them with a legitimate issue. The worst thing about some of my professors is just the amount of homework we get sometimes....but when you're a senior in an engineering program, you can expect to have a little more of a work load. Overall, I'm pretty happy with the professors we have. You'll always have one who's been there way too long and is getting cranky, and you'll always have at least one who's extremely friendly and fun to listen to.

It's a medium-sized university in an urban area, near the heart of Louisville and only a few blocks away from Churchill Downs, a hotspot once a year for the Kentucky Derby. It's got a little history to it, and we've got athletic teams that are relevant in nearly every sport that we participate in. At the time of this answer, our football team is headed to a bowl game after winning a share of the conference title, our men's soccer team had yet another run in the NCAA tournament, and our men's and women's basketball teams are both ranked in the top 15 in the country (men's at 4, women's at 13). The rest of the sports are just as successful.

We've got a top ten business school, a top ten research facility, we're the only college in the WORLD where you can receive both an accredited Bachelor's and an accredited Master's degree, and our city was named one of the top 20 cities to live in last year.

The Greek and Roman mythology class has a reputation for being a fun and easy class...it's ALWAYS full on the rosters as soon as scheduling opens up online. Psychology is a really popular one as well, and it's really interesting the way they teach it. There are also some...ahem...different classes that can be popular; classes like fencing, kickboxing/self-defense, fitness walking, and others like those.

How the parking situation works. Underclassmen parking passes are good for the parking lot at the football stadium only (unless you're a resident, then you can park at the dorms), and you have to ride the bus from the parking lot to campus. It really isn't a hassle at all, but it's nice to know before hand how it works.

It's pretty good, from what I've seen. All of the students in Greek societies love it! There are tons of events for Greek students to participate in as part of their fraternities/sororities like Fryberger, Fall/Spring Rush Week, Intramural Sports (everyone can do that one, but the Greek teams usually dominate), and more!

It's a perfect mix of urban and college campus feels. It's right in the middle of "Old Louisville", Churchill Downs (for you horse racing fans, or even people who just like getting dressed up to go out), downtown Louisville, and the main highways to get around the city. It's close to downtown and the river/waterfront area, but it also is right next to the highway so you can hop on and get to most parts of the city pretty quickly.

Seriously. UofL is smack dab in the middle of the city of Louisville. It is three (3) miles from the downtown, it is in the middle of Old Louisville, within walking distance to both the local bar scene AND Churchill Downs, site of the Kentucky Derby, the most famous horse racing event in the world.

UofL is right off of the highway, so you can hop right on and get to anywhere in the county in under 40 minutes, which makes it a very convenient commuter school.

The library is a pretty good option most of the time. For Speed School students, each major has a hangout place where people go study, but the Duthie Center is very common, and the McAlister's on campus is always crowded, even with people that aren't eating at the time. The great thing about Kentucky is that there is a short period of time each year with GREAT weather, and at that time it isn't uncommon to see people studying outside in the shade.

I love my college! I feel like I go to a great school where I'll get a degree that will take me places, and I get to root for some winning teams in various sports. Who doesn't like winning? We'd love to have you here at UofL! GO CARDS!

I wanted to stay in Louisville! I love the small city feel. I think it's the perfect size....big enough to have attractions and sports teams (not professional....yet), and small enough to be able to get wherever you need to go in a decent amount of time. No, it isn't a town built around a college, but it is a great place with a city that surrounds the school and supports it well. That, and I got a scholarship. ;-)

It's a campus in an urban setting. Less than five minutes from downtown, but in an area that was clearly the center of the city before it was built outward into the city we know and love today. Everything on campus is within walking distance of each other, and all of the buildings have a brick exterior with just enough age on the outside to let you know that our campus has been around a while. It feels like home!

The classes here are pretty good, I'd have to say. The schedules tend to work out great for most students, and the classes are a proper length. A lot of students here end up having at least one day off each week after their freshman year (except engineering students, I'm jealous of the rest of campus).

All in all, we've got some great teachers and some awesome classes. I highly suggest it here.

UofL is the best college sports town in America. At the time of writing this, our basketball program is ranked #7 in the country with the only NCAA Basketball coach to take three different teams to the Final Four, an hour and a half away from the #2 team in the country, our in-state rivals, the University of Kentucky.

Our football team (as of right now) is tied for first place in the Big EAST and is in the thick of the race to win the Big EAST Championship. We are in our second winning season with a second-year head coach who took our football team to a bowl game in his inaugural season here, and WON.

Our men's soccer team went to the NCAA Championship game last year and are currently in the NCAA tournament as I write this. The women's basketball team is coming off of another great year with a top 5 recruiting class.

The swim/dive teams took the Big EAST Championship this year.

The women's lacrosse team is ranked nearly every year.

We have some of the best athletic facilities in the country, and we have a basketball court in the KFC Yum! Center that rivals that of an NBA team.

I LOVE UofL sports.

UofL has partnered with Sodexo, a local food company, to provide sustenance to students using food grown nearby. By using a meal plan, you can buy food TAX FREE on campus, and believe me that adds up quick.

There are several different meal options on and off campus here, and everything is close by. Subway, Wendy's Chik-Fil-A, Taco Bell, White Castle, and McDonalds are all the local fast food places on or right off campus. McAlisters, Damon's, Qdoba, Homerun Burgers N Fries, and Beef O' Brady's are all on or right off campus as well. Not to mention the Kroger and the Ville Grille (a buffet/cafeteria).

Again, SO MUCH FOOD.

The "freshman 15," for sure. A lot of people tend to gain weight (about 15 pounds, according to legend) when they do their first semester of college. Beware of late night snacking and overdosing on soda and pizza! Make your health a priority, and don't let stress cause you to overeat.

Anything and everything! We've all worn pajamas to class one time or another. Sweatpants and t-shirts are nothing unusual here. Most people wear jeans and a t-shirt or something else casual, but you can't be too surprised with anything people wear here. A lot of people in Business school and Engineering school dress up for class when they have interviews in the same day, so seeing ties and suits is nothing out of the normal either. Halloween, people dress up in costumes (sometimes), and during 80's week, the Greek students dress up in 80's gear sometimes!

Not if you nominate yourself as all-time designated driver! It's a great way to make friends, and people learn to trust you really quick. If you don't drink though, it won't be a big deal unless you let them call you out or pressure you. It's bound to happen; one person who's had a little too much is going to call you out about not drinking with them. However, if you're cool about it and either brush it off casually or respond jokingly, it shouldn't ever be a big deal. If it DOES become a big deal, you don't want to be at a party with people that serious about drinking anyways.

That will depend on you and your family. At first, either you or your family is going to want contact as often as possible. Either way, as you spend more time away from home, it's normal to call a little less often. Families back home do tend to enjoy a call once every week or so, though, so don't neglect them completely!