Indiana University of Pennsylvania-Main Campus Top Questions

When I tell people that I am a student at IUP they all have two reactions. One is oh so you go to a party school, and the other is that you must be an education major.

I think that the best thing about IUP is it's size and location. The university isn't too big or too small, I think that it is just right. I love how the class rooms don't have too many people in them and that makes IUP an easy learning environment because the teachers are always willing to spend some one-on-one time with you if you need help with anything. Another good feature about IUP is that it is a college town and it is never hard to find something to do.

I think the school has a reputation of being easy to get into, and inturn, for dumb people. By raising admission standards, they would up their respect

IUP is a great school, I enjoy it for the most part, you have tons of different types of people easy to make friends, and always something to do. Its a college town, for the most part the business try and help out the students as much as possible with specails and discounts on everything under the sun. The bars are amazing, thats all that can be said about that. We have a ton of school spirit, if they could just get back the name of the IUP Indians rather then the crimson hawks.

Just face it. IUP is a large college, which comes with strong downsides, mainly being merely a student in a large crowd to the professors. However, the Robert E. Cook Honors College was just perfect - you can get the classes of a large university with a smaller, more focused group and critical thinking set up. The Honors College has a freshman class of only 100 students, which means by the end of the year you know pretty much everybody. Besides the amazing critical skills you learn from the Core curriculum and the fun classes, the dorm is cheaper because it is now one of around two or three dorms left on campus in the traditional dorm format - two roommates, community bathroom. But trust me, it's better than living in the suites. The suites are a unique "living experience", but doesn't build a sense of community, and they were so hastily put up that after one year of use they are falling down. There's very little to do in town - there are some good food places, a library, and way out there there's some chain restaurants, Wal-Mart, and a "mall" with a movie theater. There is very poor parking on campus - so much so that it's hardly worth it to bring your own car. Your student card can get you on the buses around the town for free, and they even go to Walmart and the mall, as well as run late at night.

I went to IUP as a freshman. The school is very nice from the outside looking in. The dorms are not the best but deffinitely not the worst. Some of the classrooms are fortunate enough to have a/c which is a major plus! The best part about IUP for me was the amount of activities that go around all year. There is almost always something to do, and the school puts a lot of money into making more and more activities available to us. What made me not stay at IUP after my freshman year was a few things. The weather at IUP is awful. I don't know why, but it just is. Once November hit, we had snow/sleet/rain/ice every day until the end of April. This weather hit me hard and I became very depressed. I just couldn't deal with never seeing the sun, the gloomy weather got the best of me. Another reason I did not like IUP was that it just wasn't a challenging enough school. I had an english 101 teacher who couldn't spell! No wonder I got an A, I knew more than she did! Fortunately that was the only prof. I had that wasn't very good. All of the other profs I had at IUP were excellent, they would go out of their way for anyone who needed anything. IAnother thing I hated about IUP were the people in financial aid and in the other offices. Sometimes you would have to call 15 times and speak with 20 different people to get a simple answer. The people were not helpful and simply did not want to find what you were asking for. No one was ever rude about anything but you could tell they did not want to help you. My bill was at one point $12,415 and at the end of the year for some strange reason they tacked on an extra $874 and would not give us a reason why. This was very strange, especially since my mom had already paid the bill in full and was told we would not be charged for anything else. The last thing I didn't like about IUP was the food. Although there was a huge selection of different places to go and tons of different things to eat, it was all unhealthy. The vegetable stand was always full of veggies (and sometimes fruit) but it was never fresh! The lettuce was always brown and kind of soggy, and they all just looked so old so I never got to eat anything healthy. When I came home from school I had to take detox pills to get all of the bad stuff out of my system because it had screwed up my entire digestive system! They also, like many other schools, add laxatives to their food because of how badly the food is to digest and I was not comfortable with eating the food after hearing that!

It has a good size and there's always something to do

Best thing, I'd say, would be the Oak Grove and the landscape of Indiana. I love the fact that its an old town. Walking around looking at the old architecture is a good way to kill time. I would change all the construction. Yes, some of the older buildings needed renovated. It was necessary and they did a nice job restoring them for the most part; but the new suites are atrocious. Personally, I come from, what I thought was a small town, then I went to IUP. At first I thought the size was too small, but after staying there a few years I realized that the size was just right. A small town and yet still, a moderately large campus. Most were surprized I was going to IUP. I spend most of my time in the Oak Grove or Weyandt Hall. The town wouldn't be there without the college. Construction, or rather, the new suites are a posing problem on campus. Not much school pride. I've never been to a full sporting event. The most unusual thing about IUP is that people are only nice when it gets dark out. (beer friendly) The day after we moved in, and I realized I was in college... and went to IUP. Frequent complaints? --Fosters

Honestly, I love IUP. I grew up in a small town and there wasn't a lot to do. IUP has opened so many opportunities for me. I'm challenged academically. I'm envolved in campus activities. And I've grown as a person. I like being able to walk where ever I need to go. It's small city. People complain about how small the town is sometimes, but apparently they've never been to the country. Indiana's 10 times bigger than where I grew up. I think it's the perfect size. Even if Indiana isn't good enough for you, Pittsburg is only a half-hour away. I'm a music ed major, so most of my time is spent in cogswell, the music building. If you're not willing to work music is not the major for you. It is a demanding major, but I enjoy being busy and the people I get to work with. The cool thing is the you get to know you're professors well and the ensembles give you chances to meet other people. Being envolved is the ensembles gives you a chance to travel and inspire other young musicians. It's a challenge and a reward within itself. The experience that I will always remember happend my freshman year. I'm a member of the marching band. It's a lot of work and coming from a small school and learning how to march a whole new way was difficult. I wanted to quit. It seemed like they wanted more out of me than what I could give. I was overwhelmed. I stuck the season out and gradually each show got easier. Our last show of the season was at Giant Stadium. It was an awesome experience to being playing in a huge stadium infront of thousands of people. It made all of the struggles worth it. Looking back now, it's cool to see how far I've came. I definitely take pride in where I go to school. I believe I represent the best school in the state and I'm proud to go to IUP.

I love IUP so much! It is a tough transition when you are a freshman, but now I feel that one of the best decisions I made was to come here. The Oak Grove is a really nice place to relax with friends or even do homework. In the beginning of the fall semester and the middle to end of the spring semester, the rocking chairs on the porch of Sutton Hall are also a great place to relax and just enjoy being outside. The campus size is just right, its not too big, but yet not too small. The town of Indiana, PA ia small, but I come from a small town, so it definitely makes me feel at home. We have everything here a small town usually has like restaurants, a mall, Wal-Mart, movie theatre, etc. My favorite time at IUP is definitely the fall semester. Football games are crazy fun, especially when we play Slippery Rock and win! School pride came be seen everywhere and its just a great atmosphere! Towards the end of November, IUP always hold the annual Lighting of the Christmas Tree ceremony at Sutton Hall, which always puts me in the mood for Christmas!

Cold and desolate but we make the best of it.

The best things about IUP are the few administrators that take their job seriously and act professionally. I would certainly change many things... First and foremost, I would hire new staff or retrain a good portion of them. Many of them are constantly on power trips and class time is spent either on tangents or with remedial aid. I am not a high school student and if the students that you are teaching honestly do not know the information they should have never been admitted to the school. The students would be the next thing that I change. I do not mind people partying, but this school takes it too far. We came to college to make something of ourselves and not to take the easy way out. Many times I feel like I am in high school. The cliches are terrible, everyone must be trendy and hip, and god forbid if you are different or actually have your own views. No one will want to talk to you. Its almost like the majority of people at IUP, staff and students are majorly self consumed. When I tell people I go to IUP the first thing they ask me about is the parties.

IUP is a large school, but as you walk across campus you'll find that you know many people. IUP has its fair share of all-star students, but those students who succeed are those who take the opportunities that come their way. Though under construction, IUP's campus is very beautiful, especially in autumn. IUP sporting events could use a boost. School pride is improving, though it has a ways to go. Jimmy Stewart is from Indiana.

Obviously, right now the residential reconstruction is a huge process currently underway. Most of the old dorms are being demolished and new suites are being constructed.

IUP is just a great school. It is big without being massive and you can't know everybody even if you try. People ask me where IUP is and yes, it is in the middle of nowhere but if you have an imagination you can do so much! IUP has a lot of school pride. The Crimson Hawks are an amazing football team! And students can get into the games for free!

I think the best thing that I have grown to love at IUP is the off-campus church called Victory Christian Assembly, along with the IUP Voices of Joy. One thing I would change would be to provide more activities to do for the students, besides the partying because all of those party seem to always result into a fight amongst the students. The size of IUP is definitely growing and is actually being renovated, with new dorms at the moment which are really nice, but very "pricey". I usually spend most of my time in my dorm room, because its not much to do around there. The town that IUP is located in is Indiana, Pa, which is a very small town, and not very exciting especially for the students who are from big cities like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. I think the administration of IUP is lacking at the moment, and can be improved, tremendously, in my opinion. I think the school pride of IUP is growing and will becoming major in these upcoming semesters, since we just recently chose our new mascot, which are the Crimson Hawks. Overall, I think the biggest complaints you may hear from students is the lack of activities provided around campus, because students say they become very bored at IUP from time to time.

IUP is a fairly large school. Everyday as I walk through campus I see people that I have never seen before. It's acually rare to see people that you have seen before. I think it's the perfect school. Although it is a bit in the "country" it's only about 45 min. to Pittsburg. The town of Indiana is nice. There is a mix of resturants and bars to go to right on the main street a couple blocks from campus. I have found it to be clean and pleasent. There is even this really cute boutiqe on the main street, called Lucy Rae, where you can find the neatest things. I am taking classes throughout the summer and although I thought it would be pretty dead around here, it's not really. There are still many people out at night and there is always something to do. I like to visit the cats at the SPCA its fun and you can do it even if you're dead broke!

IUP is set in a college town and is really fun. It has a lot of students, I think around 15,000 and was a good fit for me. being that i transferred there from a small school it was a nice change, not to mention the number or good looking girls.

IUP is Just the right size its not too small but not to large either. You make friends easily and most people are freindly. I spend most of my time in the oak grove or in Davis Hall where most of my Major classes are. IUP Actually is quite advanced. Most people who don't go to school here don't know about all the great work IUP is doing in several departments.

I love the size of IUP!!! My professors know me and my advisor and I have a close trusting relationship. The new residence halls are nice and provide most things, so you really only need to leave for class and food. The residence halls do have a few small problems, but aside from the price (expensive!!) it isn't really anything that can't be fixed. Philly street is the place to go if you want something off campus. Lots of small shops and restaurants and if you're of age the bars are supposed to be a lot of fun. The biggest problem is the caf and their justification of the "fry bar" constituting a healthy meal, but that can be worked around also--we have a gym for a reason. IUP has a TON of school pride...HOMECOMING!!!!!! I loved my first year at IUP. I wouldn't change even one second of it.

IUP, for me, is just the right size. General classes are large, but not too big. The largest class I've ever had was probably 70 people max. Even though there are lots of things to do around Indiana, some people may find it boring. Fortunately, places like Monroeville and Pittsburgh are close by. There are many extracurricular activities ranging from sports to community service to greek life to special interests (you name it, we've probably got it). Sometimes it's just hard to make time. The faculty is usually hit or miss. Sometimes you can get a really great professor that cares and is interesting and other times you get a professor that seems like they are waiting for retirement. Even if you're not looking for an easy professor, professor grading sites and your peers will become your best guide. As for the campus, even though it is really beautiful, it seems that it is always under construction.

I think the best thing about IUP for me is the size. I couldn't pick anywhere else I'd rather be. It's not too small and not too big. The campus is pretty and buildings are all within a reasonable walking distance.

I love IUP. I didn't get a chance to do a formal college visit or anything, but when I went for my freshman orientation I fell in love with the college. There's a main street with a lot of shops, restaurants/bars, and a small movie theatre within walking distance. It's definitely a college town, and there are usually some town or college events going on. Also, one thing that I like is that there are trees. I know that may sound strange, but after living in a city, it's really nice to walk from class to class under a bunch of trees. It also provides a cool, relaxing place to hang out with friends while taking a break from homework.

IUP is a pretty big school and the town really revolves around the university. On campus, I spend most of my time at a building called the HUB. It has a gym, wireless internet, and a food court to keep my friends and I occupied. The students that go to IUP have a tremendous amount of school pride, but I sometimes think that the university policies, especially on weather, are faulty. In this past semester, there was ice and snow all over the roads and sidewalks; cars could barely drive and it was even harder to walk across campus. Instead of cancelling classes in the morning, the admistration waited until two in the afternoon to cancel all classes. Students at IUP often complain about the food at IUP, especially at the main foodcourt Foster. My friends and I have become sick after eating certain foods, but the salad bar and some of the freshly prepared foods such as sandwiches, cereal, and the occasional grilled cheese are healthy and delicious! It all depends on what you eat.

The best thing about IUP is the athletics. I believe we are taking big steps in building solid programs, including the women's basketball team as well as all of the other programs. The Memorial Field House weight room has improved greatly with the new Nautilus machines and the free weight sets. One complaint I have about IUP is the parking situation. There is no parking and if you are inside a building for 30 seconds and come back out...there is a 95{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} chance you will get a ticket.

I love IUP's smaller size. It's big enough that there's a great mix of people from diverse backgrounds, but small enough to have small class sizes where you really get great instruction and get to know other students, and it's pretty hard to get lost on the campus. The campus itself is really pretty and a lot of us just like hanging out in the Oak Grove.

IUP has a lot of opportunities and i like it for now. The one thing I do not like is the very small town its located in. The school is quite large, but it still has its benefits like meeting a large number of people. On campus, I spend most of my time over friends' dorms and houses. The IUP administration who are adults (ie: not students) are very helpful to me. However, those workers who were students employed at the school's offices were not as helpful. The most memorable experience I had was homecoming, it was quite an experience having the campus full of activities and hanging out with friends. I noticed then at that time was the most pride I saw.

IUP for me was just right. It wasn't too big and wasn't too small. It is the biggest state owned school in Pennsylvania. It's big enough to not know everyone and small enough that you still recognize people on campus on a regular basis. Most college students after turning 21 spend most time uptown at the bars. The most popular bars are the coney and boomerangs. In addition a lot of students spend time in the oakgrove where most classes take place. There are benches to sit on and places to play frisbee or past the football. IUP just built fabulous new dorms. The dorms are nicer than any apartment off campus. I highly recommend living in the dorms your first year when going to school at IUP. My best experience at IUP is the people I lived with freshmen year. I lived in a coed dorm and all the girls and guys are still best friends after 4 years and we had some of the best times of our lives in the dorms. Its not where you are that matters as much as who your with!

IUP. It's got a great campus in a smaller city feeling. It's under construction for all new dorms and everything else right now, so there is a little mess of fences everywhere and buildings being ripped down/ put up. Other than the construction, it is a beautiful campus with an Oak Grove centered in the middle of it. To me, it is a size that is just right. It doesn't take too long to walk to class, maybe 10 or 15 minutes for the furthest class, and that's a stretch. Most classes are located in the same general area. I spend most of my time in Cogswell because, as a music student, I have a lot of classes there, have a lot to practice, and that's where a majority of my friends are.

I love IUP and I am extremely glad that i chose to enroll here. Most of my time at school is spent studying and you will probably get the same response from any nursing major. However, when I have some free time I really enjoy spending time in the Oak Grove enjoying a frappachino with some friends. School Pride is surely not an issue at IUP. The students here demonstrate their pride at sporting events, during Homecoming, and it can be seen all over campus. One experience that i will always remember is my first IUP homecoming and seeing the thousands of students lining the streets watching the parade.

I loved the small classes. Our professors knew everyone in my class. They would go out their way to help us out anyway they could. People always say. "Party School!" when I tell them that I go to IUP. I just tell them that all schools are party schools, it's what you make of it.

The best thing about IUP is the high quality of teachers that are in the Education and Communication areas. They are so good and do a great job of keeping up with the current trends in their fields. They really use excellent pedagogy in their student teacher training and even have programs for students to get real world experience in teaching in inner city locations. The town is small and at times a bit like "Northern Exposure" meets "Mayberry", but very quaint and filled with very kind people. It is close enough to Pittsburgh to have the safety of a small town atmosphere, but near enough to Pittsburgh to enjoy all the features found in a big city. The athletic teams are still building athletic abilities, although they have a small following it is not as spirited as the pride found for the Pittsburgh Steelers or the Penquins. Many students carpool to the city to follow their favorite sport. This summer with the Penguins run for the Stanley Cup, students without tickets just went to stand outside the arena and to show their support. Many thought that was even more fun than watching the match inside. My favorite part about IUP is the Oakgrove. It is the most beautiful, peaceful place. Wonderful in the summer with the picnics and so beautiful in the fall as the leaves begin to change color. Most of the administration has been very kind and quite engaged with the well being of the students. The latest controversy with over the May commencement, it was changed so each student's name would be called at the ceremony. There seemed to be confusion about the departmental ceremonies, but seemed to have worked out okay. The biggest student complaint is usually about parking. There is a great deal of construction going on. many old buildings coming down and new ones going up. This has created a real parking mess with areas closed to parking. But the new buildings will definitly be worth the inconvenience. I don't know if this is unusal about IUP, but they have just started using a new way to pay your bills on-line and it is so much better than the old paper billing method.

IUP cares only about its money. Of course, you won't see this in the politically staged tours of the school and very biased guidebook. The entire structure of the school is poorely set up and regulated. For example, the Financial Aid office is filled with an incompetent staff that gives conflicting advice and answers. During the summer various buildings will close randomly and without warning, without even a courteous email to the students. The library, which is important to students taking summer classes, has done this several times in the summer. During the last fiscal school year, the library had to cut hours due to funding problems. The various departments are also poorely run and full of petty politics. For example, the Nursing Dept. office also closes randomly at the discretion of the staff without warning to the students and so has random office hours. For an example of the petty politics, the Nursing Dept. has a closed admission process instead of a rolling admissions process purely for the purpose of making itself more selective. I transferred into the nursing dept late and so had 3 of my 5 required summer classes crammed into the summer merely because the department chairhead wants the program to look good on paper, and it would be easier for students to get in if admissions were year round. The current president of the school had alcohol served at his inaguaration dinner, then turned around and waged a war on campus drinking. What an example he set. The school is undergoing residential reconstruction at the cost of the entire student body and a higher tuition. Those of us who don't live in the dorms still pay the price? What is the real reason IUP is doing this? The guidebooks will say that IUP wants to provide a top-notch learning environment to the students. What a load of crap. The real reason is that IUP faces a potential drop in admissions as the demographics of PA faces a decline in an incoming student population. As IUP is already a low budget bottom of the tier school system it appeals mostly to in state students that are tight on money. With a decline in exaclty its main source of revenue, IUP must build new dorms and facilities as part of a larger plan to compete with in state private schools and out of state schools to maintain its enrollment standard. It's all a political game. The new dorms are nice (I've been in them) but vastly overpriced, especially since they will be trashed in several years and IUP will still need to pay off the debt. Right now it is a pain to go to this school as the construction is loud and annyoing.

IUP is a great school with different types of people that you can easily become friends with. I dont think i'd change anything about it. The school is just right, population wise. Everyones like, "IUP oh you go there!" ..in a good way. I spend most of my time at the field house with all the sports. Def. a college town cause during the summer it is dead up there. Admin is great with workin with you, figuring out what you need to do to fix a problem. Biggest controversy was when t-pain didnt show up for a concert and the crowd got rowdy and people got peppered sprayed. But also Bill Clinton came and gave a speech there as well. School Pride is pretty good. One experience I will always remember is the branch campus was a great time so if you get accepted there your first year don't worry it's great.

IUP is undergoing many new renovations, which I feel are MUCH needed. I think that these changes being made are making the university more modern and up to date with other universities. I wish that IUP had more things to do within the town of Indiana. It would be great if they had a mall with better shopping, more places to go out to eat, more night life, more stores in town, etc.. I think that IUP really needs to work with the town to accomplish a more college town feel. I also think that IUP should have more than one 24-hour computer lab available for students. IUP keeps one computer lab open 24-hours, but, it is on the edge of campus and I don't always feel like walking all of the way over there late at night. Even though IUP is a fairly safe campus, being a woman, I don't feel safe walking there alone late at night. Maybe if they kept the library open 24-hours or possibly a more centrally located computer lab.

I personally thought the school was perfect size for me. I personally chose IUP because I saw oppertunities in baseball as well as academically. This year we set the record for records broken in a single year, and I made Dean's list in the Spring semester. The people I have met also make the school what it is. I wasn't ignored because I was the freshman on the team, rather I was welcomed and taken under everyones wing to show me the ropes. The only controversy I encountered with the campus was when I was in crutches. i didn't feel like there were enough accomidations for people in crutches. I would crutch up and down the big hill by Foster everyday and be drenched in sweat everywhere I arrived. I was late to a few classes because to weather. Another great thing about IUP is the town, Indiana. I love this small college town, I would wear IUP baseball stuff around in the mall and I would get compliments from random towns people wishing us luck in our last game or congradulating after a victory. I am orriginally from a small town in Maryland, and Indiana reminds me a lot from where I come from. There are so many experiences and moments last year that I wil always remeber, that I don't have evnough time to cover them all, but most of them occured in the dorms. Although our room was right above the boiler room, and it reached temperatures in the 100's in our room, I still had a great time. The dorms is where I met most of my friends, and you all become your own family and watch out for each other. All in all, I have nothing but good things to say about IUP.

Indiana (the town) has a love-hate relationship with IUP. Businesses with a high percentage of students as customers deflate into husks during the summer and swell during the spring and fall terms (I drove a taxi here for a while, and believe me when I say it's a night and day difference.) Many businesses cater to students, who represent a large chunk of spending ability in this town. On the hate side, there's an ongoing zoning war in regards to student housing-- Much of the student housing in the boro is transformed from what was initially single-family dwellings, and many of them look pretty shabby. It's next to impossible now to convert a house in a residential district into student housing, but the residences grandfathered in are a sore point for the residents. (On my block we have one, and the smell of pot often drifts this way when the wind is blowing in the right direction.) On the student side of things, the entire central part of the boro is pretty much considered 'residential', now, with the exception of frat row and some of the other huddled buildings near campus.. So anything new (and therefore not trashed) is away from the main part of campus. Much of the student population lives increasingly in apartment complexes now-- Closest to campus are the Lazor brothers buildings, and up Oakland avenue a little ways is Carriage House and Essex House (Carriage house is considered one of the 'drug centers' of the area.) If you don't mind the noise from neighbors, Copper Beech is a really popular place to stay.. For quieter fare, try Spring Meadows, Westgate, and Hampton Court. IUP's last president (Lawrence Pettit) received a vote of no-confidence from the faculty-- Frankly (and personally speaking) I think Atwater is really doing a lot to make IUP a respectable university again. Still, The Penn (student newspaper) is awash every issue with DUIs, disorderlies, and underaged drinking reports. The team used to be called Indians, by virtue of being in a town called Indiana. A few years back it was renamed to the Crimson Hawks. Why people didn't google it first, I'll never know-- Crimson Hawks is the name of an adult comic, although they were kind enough to change their name. (The Gazette article about this is at http://www.indianagazette.com/index.php?Itemid=39&id=2095&option=com_content&task=view ) What part of IUP you go to makes a big difference. The business college, Eberly, is flat-out gorgeous for a college of this size. The computer labs are top notch, many interesting lecturers come to speak there, receptions with white table cloths and fancy food from the culinary students are served. In wood-trimmed cases, piles of Wall Street Journals are there for the free reading pleasure of anyone promenading the smart, tidy halls of the building. If you're in the college of humanities and social sciences like me, well, I hope you like dixie cups. Keith hall (once the Keith School) is one of the oldest buildings on campus-- It's lovely in another way, with huge windows and 1900-something architecture. The only problem is, the paint on those windows outside is peeling, and has been since I started here at IUP. I want to know why, if Eberly gets wood-grain newspapers and housing gets the Suites, IUP cannot scrape the peeling paint off and re-paint some damned windows on one building. In the next few years IUP is planning on deciding whether to rennovate Keith or tear it down. I think I'd be devastated to see it go and be replaced with something modern that'll fall apart in a decade, but at the same time I seethe every time I look at those windows, which are an outward symbol of the esteem (or lack therof) that IUP's administration looks at the history department with. Business is where the money is, I can't deny that.

IUP is a great school, and I do not regret my decision to attend here. It is a large scale school with a small town atmosphere. It is a nice place to meet new people and experience new things without being overwhelmed. It is important to get involved with some organization, as that is the best way to broaden and heighten you experience. The one bad thing about IUP is the lack of things to do other than party. If sports and culture are your thing than IUP may not be such a good choice.

The school's just about right in size, I think, but it spends way too much time focusing on regulating alcohol consumption when it ought to be educating students about what happens when they've consumed too much and how they ought to handle potential alcohol abuse, for their own health. The biggest recent controversy on campus that caught my attention was the fuss over the mascot; kudos to us for finally having something a little bit less offensive, but it took way too damn long. School pride tends to be synonymous with alcohol consumption and stupidity, depending on the crowd you're in, but if you can get past that, you're in good shape. When IUP's classes are in session, the population of the town doubles. Locals either accept that students are their business or they hate students; one approach is productive, the other simply results in "good" students getting treated like the asshole who peed on somebody's lawn (which, in turn, makes the townies look like assholes themselves, but it's difficult to blame them when the loudest students are generally the drunkest and these are the ones receiving the most attention).

I am doing an internship in Pittsburgh with a federal agency, a position that I was able to obtain through the help of IUP faculty. The agency I work for does a lot of work with other federal law enforcement within Western Pennsylvania and I have met numerous agents from FBI, Secret Service, IRS, Federal Probations, Postal Inspection Service, District Attorney's Office, etc. Many of these agents are IUP alumni and have all provided me with their contact information and have encouraged me to get in touch with them if I need anything during my job search when I graduate. IUP students and alumni share a unique bond and always look out for one another. Because IUP offers such a great education, they graduate some of the finest and have contacts throughout various professional fields. These contacts become very useful as IUP students graduate and enter the workforce. The comraderie among IUP students, faculty, and alumni is unlike I any other I have witnessed within a university. IUP offers great opportunities, both while studying on campus and post-degree!

Since I commute, I know the parking situation is insane. A professor and I were on the attack for a parking spot at the same time. First, why am I trying to fight my professor for a spot. I can't believe HE didn't have a designated area available for him to park in. Apparently his lot was filled as well. Second, there is no reason for me to get to school an hour and half earlier, but due to this parking catastrophy, I do it! I know there is thought of new dorms being built where parking lots are currently. This is going to make things worse.

When I first moved here I loved it, the town is so small compared to Pittsburgh where I'm from though. I love the campus because everything is close together. The classes are mostly in one general area. There's food open til 12:30, if you like pizza. The gym is nice and open early to late. The dining hall isnt bad although you'll notice they had better food near the beginning and end of the year to entice incoming freshman. The oak grove is a nice spot, its surrounded by class buildings and the library and you can usually find someone out playing frisbee or football or passing out flyers. Everyone on campus is actually pretty friendly, more than I thought they would be but it makes a nice atmosphere. Some general classes can be pretty big such as my General Bio and Chem classes but other classes such as my Sociology and English class were small and personal. Teachers will give you their office hours and are always there to help. Some classes have big tutoring sessions on specific days if you cant meet teacher office hours.

I loved the atmosphere...and I made friends really quick...but dont be fooled there are alot fo fake ppl there too. I spent most my time in the radio station, the african american cultural center and CBLOCK (carriage). I think that IUP's Administration can use some work but over all they are concerned about the students. The biggest controversy was BEC Homecoming...enough said...One experience I will always remember is meeting my Best friend there... but there were plenty more

If there was one thing I would change about IUP it would be the lack of school pride. I know at other state schools there is school pride and fans for every sporting event. At IUP many times most of the campus doesn't even know that there is a scheduled game or even whether a team is doing well on campus.

parking is hard to find.

The size of the campus is perfect because its the atmosphere and opportunities of a larger school while still having the small town feel; a really unique quality to a college.

IUP is located in a college town. The town is pretty much empty when the students leave on breaks.

The best thing about IUP: The professors incredible willingness to help, and all the fun you can have (with or with out alcohol) while learning. One thing id change: administration can be a little frustrating sometimes. the school is just right when it comes to size. when i tell people that i go to IUP they ask; Whats IUP? most of my time on campus is spent in class, or in the brother room of my fraternity. IUP for sure is a college town. One experience I will always remember is first coming to IUP and realizing that it seriously was the place for me.

I think IUP is perfect for me. The size location and price are all good. I like the fact that its not too big to the point where I don't know anyone but small enough that I can make friends and partake in networking oppurtunities.

nice place to go to school....not too big, not too small....decent places to live in town.