University of Iowa Top Questions

I think the stereotype that Iowa students are all party animals is accurate (to a point) for a large number of students here, but not all of them.fit that stereotype. While the stereotype may apply to a majority of the students, people who don't consider themselves party animals and/or don't want to fall in with that crowd can easily make friends with people who break the mold.

People here do drink quite a bit. That said, I don't think the stereotype of a "party" school is that accurate, because the number of actual house parties at any given time isn't actually too high. The traffic in the bars is the real indicator of the lifestyle here: people don't hang out in houses too much unless it's winter time.

Yeah Pretty much. Lots of parties on the weekends although the bars are 21+ after 10pm so it is harder to drink. watch out for cops they are out to get you here. there are a lot of bros and hoes but its a big ten school what do you expect? Oh and the tailgating here is massive. Beyond anything you can imagine.

It's a small portion of the population. There are a lot of people who do not fit any of these stereotypes, and then some that do. It depends on where you go, who you go with, and how you choose to live your life that will make your experience different.

Mostly no. Granted, with 20,000 students, someone is bound to be an exception, but Iowa City is a very hilly, beautiful, liberal town in which I have never seen a single stalk of corn. I have heard stories from friends who grew up in very small towns (we're talking graduating high school classes of 12) in which they had a "drive your tractor to school" day, but that's more of an event that plays on the stereotype than actually encourages it.

Being in Iowa City means that there is a thriving diverse and multicultural life that any student is able to take part in. There is always something to do, and many new things to learn about the surrounding community.

Iowa does have an active night life, but there are plenty of alternatives to drinking. These alternatives include night games at the wellness center.

Yes and no. Keeping a balance between school and going out is all you need to do. That way you can enjoy going out as much as possible just as long as you can stay somewhat focused.

Yes

Yes, for the most part

Not entirely. A majority of the students participate in "thirsty Thursday" and skip classes on Fridays because they're too hung over to go to class. It make the bus lines and downtown area unbearable to be near Thursday afternoon through Sunday night if you don't drink. A small population does not drink, but you'll be strapped to find those few.

About 1/3 of the population is from Illinois, so theres a big out of state community and its easy to find rides home if you dont have a car. Iowans do wear jorts... i still dont know why. and Iowa is not the reject school for Illinois Students. Its campus is way better, its absoultely gorgeous. It has the fifth highest ranked accounting program, and its medical school is unbelieveable. Iowa is a excellent school.

no

A little....all stereotypes are based in some truth. Iowa does produce a massive amount of corn, and there are hicks here! :) The University of Iowa is also a large party school, we have an amazing downtown nightlife!! However, The University of Iowa is also an extremely difficult school, and you do have to work hard to keep your grades up here! I transferred from a small, private college and I found Iowa to be much more challenging!

Not entirely. There is a large bar scene downtown, so there always seems to be something going on, but as for iowa students being rich and preppy, the majority aren't.

The University isn't boring, but the state has no major cities, airports, sports teams, etc. so it might take some getting used to if you're not from the area. Some students are small-town hicks, but most Iowa people are much more aware than you'd think. There is a large contingent from the Chicago and Minneapolis metro areas as well. The football team is terrible, so it's hard to think the program is of any real importance; Iowa spends much more time making sure a quality education is available to students who really want to take advantage of it. Drinking is very popular and prevalent, but the student body is too huge to be categorized in any one way.

To the most part yes, it is normal for people to go out at least three times a week and four or five in nothing shocking.

Yes. The girl thing is especially-my theory is that they are all offspring of the trophy wives from Chicago. They are too rich to go to IL state schools (which aren't nearly as fun or highly-respected academically as Iowa-save Champaign) but not smart enough for UofI or Wisconsin.

Unfortunatly, yes, this stereotype is rather accurate.

the partying does not describe EVERY student, and not every student is involved in athletics, some are there just for a good education!

It is only partially true. Yes, we do have a well populated down town area, but there are so many students that choose not to live up the bar scene.

Heck no. I never lived on a farm, I know nothing about farms or corn. There is plenty more to do here than just watch the corn grow (pardon my pun). We actually do have some diversity, but I will admit, there's not all too much. And for the last time, we do not grow potatoes here...

yup

If you want to party you won't be upset. However, other activities are abound if you put at least minimal effort. There is a great music scene here, lots of cultural events, and lots of recreational clubs. We do have a lot asian students, but it adds to the diversity of campus, which is sorely needed at Iowa. While there have been a lot of assaults, many have been off campus, and the police have taken pro active steps to make Iowa City safer. Only time will tell.

No

Not at all, actually not even close. Iowa City is such a unique place. Actually, everyone says it's that "true college town" that everyone thinks about when they think of college life. Not only is the city filled with hills, trees, and has a large river that runs right through the middle of campus, our downtown is directly across from the center of campus. With a pedestrian mall right in the center (brick paved with a fountain in the middle), all of the streets lined with an eclectic mix of restaurants, an expansive bar scene (only 19 to go into the bars), and a very strong focus on the arts (ex: weekly outdoor concerts), Iowa City is not how people picture Iowa. The University is nearly 50{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} out of state students, with 33{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of those being from the Chicago-land area. Thus, our student stereotype is also incorrect- in fact, we don't even have an agricultural program. Many of the students come here for our strong writing program (world renown writing program where MANY authors have spent time), our business school, incredible medical program, law program, education, and engineering. Anytime one of my friends comes down from Madison, Minnesota, or anywhere else, they always say "wow, Iowa is awesome- not at all what I was expecting."

Yes- smart Partiers- some

No.

Every college drinks a lot.

Usually

While the first stereotype is accurate, there are still many other ways to have fun on this campus. The last two are inaccurate, Iowa City is nothing like the rest of Iowa. It is by far the most open and diverse city in Iowa, making it one of the best cities in Iowa.

Yes. It's a very liberal, progressive campus. There is a lot of drinking, but there are also a lot of people who don't drink. It's such a large campus that it doesn't matter. And Hawkeye football is a big deal, so everyone becomes a sports enthusiast.

yes, completely. A good majority of the students use their fake ID's to go out and party pretty much every night. I'm surprised they haven't died because they tend to be stupid about their drinking habits, ie get drunk before even going out to get drunk, not bring a jacket in the -15 wind chill, ect.

Not entirely. Sure, there have a lot of bars in Iowa City, a lot of kegs are tapped every football Saturday in the fall, but we know how to both play hard and study hard. There are some people on campus who never go out and are always studying. There are also a few people who go out up to 3 nights a week (usually freshmen who don't survive past their first semester here). Most of us are somewhere in between. We go out with our friends to celebrate birthdays or begin done with exams, but not every weekend. It is all what you make of it, and depends on what you want to get out of college.

Yes.

There is a lot of partying and going out, but there are also a lot of alternative activities to do both on campus and around Iowa City. Even though a lot of the students do spend their weekends partying, I think the majority will hunker down and study when they need to. The stereotype about the students from Illinois I believe is false for the most part. Personally, I am from Illinois and i had no desire to go to the University of Illinois. I hated the campus and thought the school was too big. When I came to the University of Iowa campus I fell in love with it. Additionally, there are many strong programs here so I felt that by coming here, I had many opportunities

yes but that is not a bad thing!

yes

Iowa is hard, but what college isn't? It depends on the classes, teachers, students, etc. Iowa is close to a lot of bars but that does not necessarily mean that all students go out and get drunk every single night to the point of passing out.

For some but definitely not for all

No stereotypes are ever accurate, although I would say that there is a great emphasis on the downtown scene and party life, but not on behalf of the University. I wish, although they do a wonderful job already, that extracurricular activities were promoted better, such as symposiums and club gatherings and invitational meetings.

To a limited extent. There is a vibrant night life but that doesn't just include drinking. As far as the second that is totally not true; plus, there are also soybeans...

This is not true at all! There are so many other things that you can do instead of drink everyday, and seriously, who would go out drinking on a monday night when they have an early class on tuesday?

Absolutly not. Iowa is a great school with tons of great undergraduate programs and students who really care about what they are learning.

Not for the entire student body.

NOPE! Not everyone parties/ drinks!!!!

Well, I have lived in Iowa my whole life and in Iowa City the past 15 years and can tell you-- Iowa City is a lot more then that. The stereotypes are not true, it is not at all a farming community, it is a good sized and educated community that takes pride in its residents and students.

Like any other college town, Iowa does have a party scene. However, the stereotype seems to exclude all of the amazing opportunities Iowa had to offer. There are so many activities that don't involve alcohol. Some of my favorites are the free movies at the Iowa Memorial Union on Thursday nights and the live bands and plays the university brings in. On the topic of campus size, the university does have a larger campus but you can get for any building on campus to another within ten minutes. Most of the incoming freshman will have classes on the east side of campus so you won't need to worry about walking to the west side, or as we say here "across the river". As for meeting people on campus, you get what you put in. The more activities you involve yourself in, the more people you will meet. I can't walk around campus without seeing at least one person I know.

Well, for the most part everyone here is really friendly which is one of the things I love about this campus and the students here. There are students from across the country and the world and I am an example of someone who is not from Chicago and I absolutely love it here. Our students are involved in more than 400 student organizations, over 100 majors, and about 10,000 of them have some sort of on-campus job. The majority of our students are not coming here because it is a party school and the ones who do fail out after a semester anyway.

Not not at all, there is a lot of diversity at Iowa. Everyone has a place. Iowa students like to go out and have a good time, however, if that is not for you, there are a lot of things to do besides go downtown.