University of Iowa Top Questions

Students most frequent complaint is there is nothing to do except to go downtown and drink. Most first year students don't recognize that there is a bigger city surrounding the University campus. Iowa City and Coralville are both filled with things to do, ranging from movie theaters to bowling alley's. Iowa City as a town offers more than just what the campus has to offer.

The best thing about Iowa is probably the diversity. I would shrink some class sizes, and in the philosophy department could be structured better, or even at all...On campus I spend most of my time at the Old Cap and library. I have little school pride as far as athletics go. I don't believing in unfairly categorizing people but the amount of illegal and unprofessional activity that the atheletes tend to be involved in is disheartening. I believe if you are lucky enough to attend any school through a scholorship you should act like it, on and off the field. The art department always deserves more money, no matter how much you give them, that building is amazing, and we shouldn't lose our Pollock... I believe everyone should have the right to smoke, but when are they actually going to start enforcing the smoke free campus. The littering that is a direct result of smokers (butts) is appalling. They should fine them, heavily, and without prior warnings. California fines first offense litterers $1000 no ifs ands or buts, so should we.

I think that the size of Iowa is great. It's pretty good sized but it's really easy to connect with a group of people and I always see familiar faces on campus. Football season here is AWESOME! Everyone is so into and the games are so much fun. When I tell people that I go to Iowa, that are shocked and ask why on earth would I chose to go to Iowa? I just laugh at them because they just don't know Iowa like I do. I spend a lot of my time in the dorms or working out or just anywhere that tickles my fancy at the particular time. The Pentacrest is great on nice days and when it snows, it makes a great sledding hill. There is only one thing that I'd change about Iowa: since it is a large university there is a lot of beaurocracy. It is manageable but not the easiest thing to navigate.

One thing that I really like about Iowa is that it is a Big Ten campus, and you can get that feeling at times (especially on football Saturdays) but it isn't too big. The campus seems to be just the right size. You are able to walk from one side of the river to the other where you may have classes in 15 minutes (and that isnt even walking really fast). I would also think that there is a lot of school pride. There are always people wearing all sorts of Hawkeye gear wherever you look.

Iowa is the perfect size. Big enough that you are always meeting new people and small enough that you run into your friends all the time.

Iowa campus is a little spread out, and I wish we had more parking opportunities. It is a great college town that the community really supports. One thing I'll always remember is the early tailgating for football games.

The best thing about Iowa is that since it is a state university it has so much to offer! Students shouldn't be scared that it's "too big." There are a lot of ways to get connected.... student orgs, meeting people in the dorms, going to sporting events, etc. The school is just the right size! It's also important to let people know that Iowa is part of the entire community. There is no clear division of what is and what isn't part of the campus. There is a TON of school pride here and not just in the atheletics. It has many amazing academic programs as well.

I couldn't leave Iowa City, I only ever applied to the University of Iowa because since I have moved here; I have bled black and gold. The Iowa City community is so kind and interested in everything that University does. I would say that Iowa has probably the most pride of a lot of Big Ten schools. I would say anyone who doesn't know if Iowa is the right choice, should come to a football game because you truly don't know what Iowa is about until you see Kinnick filled and see the pride all Iowans feel for the Hawkeyes.

The best thing about Iowa is the small community feel. We have over 30,000 students but even with a large campus, if you apply yourself and get involved with some of our 400+ student organizations, it has to chance to feel like home. This is such a great feature because it allows you to personalize your experience here in college. It is what you make it. You can choose to be involved in a ton of different activities or just a couple. Iowa gives you the opportunity to make your experience of college your own. The school pride here is unmeasurable. The best way I can explain the overwhelming pride is on game days. Football season is way more than just football. When you step into the student section in the stadium, you are engulfed in a sea of black and gold. Everyone is there to support the football team and to show what the University of Iowa is made of. My first game was unforgettable. Being a part of that event was the first time that I truly felt like a Hawkeye.

I love our campus because I think it is absolutely beautiful (especially in the spring). If I could change one thing it would be the parking situation on campus because it is not the best. Our school is a fairly large school, but once you've been on campus for a couple weeks it starts to feel a lot smaller because you get to know so many people. Iowa City is a college town. When I am on campus, I am either in the Pappajohn Business Building, the Admission's Visitors Center, or the Iowa Memorial Union (IMU-our student union). There is a ridiculous amount of school pride and on any given day about half of the students are wearing something that says Iowa on it or is black and gold. I will always remember rushing the field after we beat Iowa State last year.

Iowa is the perfect size. It is a "small-big school." We have all the luxuries of a Big 10 school (athletics, departments, extracurriculars, etc) but we have the personal attention and class size of a small school. Everyone finds something for them. The downtown is alright, not the best food selection, but off campus there are more options.

There is so much that can be included in "The Big Picture" I don't know where to even start. I have so much pride and respect for Iowa as an institution that I could go on for pages. To be honest, when I was a senior in high school, I made fun of a friend of mine for looking into Iowa as her college or choice. However, when I actually went on a campus visit, and saw how much Iowa has to offer - I chose to attend. I would not change my decision for the world. So many doors have been opened up for me while I've attended Iowa, and I have changed so much into a better person because of Iowa. The best thing about Iowa, as I'm sure you've heard before, is the people. Plain and simple. Everyone who goes to Iowa, loves it. And if they don't, they still walk around with a smile on their face. Everyone here is so extremely friendly and willing to help. And, we have an enormous amount of pride. More often than not, I will walk into a class or just walk on campus and see IOWA! proudly displayed on peoples t-shirts, sweatpants, backpacks, jackets or umbrellas. There is never a season someone can not find something IOWA to put on! I was at HyVee one time, and I was proudly displaying my school's name on a hoodie, and as a girl I walked past turned the corner, I could hear her say "why does everyone at this school wear Iowa stuff?" She obviously doesn't go to school (or work) here or she would understand. I feel like Iowa is a perfect size. It is not too small, but within a Big 10 atmosphere, it is still small. Iowa was the only big ten school I looked at, everything else was small and cozy. I decided to attend Iowa because it was larger than my high school, but not too large where I felt like I would get lost in the crowd or become just a "number" in class. I think the one and only negative thing I can say about Iowa is the lack of parking. And that will be the biggest complaint voiced by students. I don't know what it is, but it is expensive and very hard to find. Not that I want the administration to cut down trees or take away from our beautiful campus just to make more parking, but the matter of the fact is that it isn't great. I honestly do not have one place, besides work and the office of the student organization that I am in. Otherwise, you can find me all over the place. I love walking around campus, especially after the flowers have bloomed and everything is so gorgeous and picturesque. My roommate and I will take our cameras to class with us, just incase a blooming tree or snow covered building inspires us. Now that we're seniors, next year we won't have the luxury of seeing these beautiful images on a daily basis anymore. So we try to capture them on our memory cards and save them for viewing after graduation. The Pentacrest is a fun place to sit and relax in the sun, as well as Hubbard Park. So many people round up games of Ultimate Frisbee, football or softball. It is also the site of many promotional events; for example, student organization fairs, or free give-a-ways by organizations. After class, my friends and I would always go sit by the river. It is so beautiful and relaxing. You take a blanket down, maybe an iPod with speakers, do some homework or take a nap. There are SO MANY experiences I'll always remember. It brings me to tears that this is a reality, and that all of my memories as a student will come to a close relatively soon. I think the times that stick out are in the small moments. My very first day on campus, when I was so scared that I would not make any friends, but now I have some of the best friends I could ask for who will always be a part of my life. The girls that I met freshman, and who have remained my close friends; the laughter and tears we have shared will be something I'll always remember and never forget. Homecoming has always been such a special time for me. I have never missed a Homecoming Parade, and there is always so much excitement and tons of people - all fans of the Hawkeyes. It is great to see so many people, outside of tailgating, supporting Iowa. Speaking of tailgating, I think that will be an experience I'll never forget. My parents decided to buy a "parking spot" at one of the tailgating places, and I have never had so much fun. Tailgating brought me closer to my parents, if you can believe that. They were here almost every other weekend, and we were constantly given hours to chat and catch up. It was a great start to my senior year having my parents here tailgating with my friends and their parents. We would grill out, play games and just talk. The sea of black and gold that just winds through this town on game days is just amazing. My sister, and many of my friends who came to visit, were blown away by how many people tailgated and by how much Black and Gold was worn. Even if our football team doesn't always win, tailgating it always a positive experience! I told you I LOVE Iowa, I'm sorry I wrote so much, sometimes I get carried away!

I came to the UI with big goals of working closely with professors, delving into legal issues, and seeing the world. I have achieved every goal that I have made. Iowa's small-town college feel allows for motivated minds to have the experience one desires. I not only studied abroad in Germany and Turkey, I interned at the Justice Department in DC. I will be returning as a full-time empolyee this summer, working in the Justice's Civil Rights Division. It was because of the support and encouragment of the UI's faculty and fellow students that provided critical guidance in shaping my career path in the legal field. Whether I am in the U.S. of travelling internationally, when people hear that I attend The University of Iowa, I always hear, "Wow, you go to Iowa! How about them Hawkeyes?" Iowa's reputation of a leader in education and school spirit is known far and wide. It is the experiences both in the classroom and in the stands of an athletic event that has allowed me to appreciate being a Hawkeye for life.

If I could change one thing about Iowa, I would want those who stereotype us to focus more on our education than about partying. All schools have some partying involved, and although a lot of the downtown establishments are bar, there are so many more things to do besides it. Like, for instance, our graduate program for medical school is ranked 9th in the nation of all the public medical schools. I wish people knew us for that instead of partying, because I think that might scare students from coming here for college.

What can get students up at 6:00 am on a SATURDAY? Iowa Hawkeye football!! Game Day Iowa City is an environment one must experience. School pride showcases itself more than ever on home game weekends, and what's better than hanging out with friends and watching football?

The best thing about Iowa is the entire atmosphere from athletics, academics, and all social activity. The campus is just right. Everything is pretty much compact into or near the Pentacrest and has the feeling of a small school yet theres something like 30,000 people that go to the University. The school pride is tremendous, just walk to Melrose street before a football game and you'll understand.

The best thing about Iowa is its night life. Downtown is crazy and always a good time. I spend most of my time at the athletic facilities, in my room, or at the athletic learning center There is school pride, but smaller sports need a lot more recognition, i.e. tennis Iowa City is absolutely a college town, there isn't anything fun or interesting outside Iowa City/Coralville

I think that the University of Iowa is a perfect size. Most people where i am from are big iowa fans and support me here. There is a tremendous amount of school pride.

I love the atmosphere at Iowa. If you want to come to a true college town Iowa City is the place to be. Everything is basically built around the life of the students and the university itself. Students are proud to be Hawkeyes and it shows not only at sporting events but at other functions as well!

The best thing about the school is that it is not to big and it's not to small. When I told my friends I was going to Iowa, they thought Iowa was Idaho, and when I go home they refer to my school as Iowa State. Which doesn't fly. I spend most of my time at the complex. Being in to sports, my day revolves around the rec. Iowa's administration is great. They do all they can do, the teacher are flexible friendly, and they understand what students have on their plate everyday. They are always will to work something out. I've had over 20 maybe 30 teachers now and not one was a bad. The school pride is everywhere. To be honest, that is one of the major reason why I came here. I came here on a visit and saw Herky's everywhere. I thought to myself they must take this stuff as serious as they do back in Ohio. The only thing really unusual from all my friends colleges is that Iowa has a ton of Moped. The biggest complants is parking. PARKING PARKING PARKING. I dont understand those people. They just wait at your meter. I saw a meter person stand by my car. It's bad. Really bad.

The University of Iowa is not too big or too small. People typically respond to my telling them I attend Iowa by saying "Are there any black people there," or "IOWA, why would you live in Iowa, there's nothing there." I spend the majority of my time in the engineering building. Iowa City is definitely a college town. Iowa's administration is really dropping the ball when it comes to educating about diversity. The biggest controversy on campus in my personal opinion is the incident involving the African American students that had their doors vandalized with racial slurs and nooses. Yes, there is lots of school pride, which at times can be overwhelming. I will always remember my first tailgating party at the U of Iowa. Although it was not my first time tailgating (I am from the home of LSU!) it still was a very exciting experience. I am not aware of any student complaints.

I came here for the field hockey prgram so I'd say that's the best thing. I also like the university itself and the professors. For me, Iowa is a little big. My friends in Denver gave me a lot of grief when I told them I was going to Iowa...they think the state is completely flat and covered in corn fields...no Rocky Mountains...the university and the campus is quite pretty though and there are hills. I really only go to three places besides classes- Hillcrest, the Learning Center, and Grant Field, the field hockey field. Yeah, there's a lot of school pride...you mostly see it in clothes people wear and at athletic events.

Iowa is filled with great people and there are so many things I wouldn't have experienced if I would not have come here. It is a great college town and people at the university really care about you. I have never felt like a number and the people are really kind and helpful for the most part. Being a Hawkeye and especially being a hawkeye athlete is very exciting and I take pride in it. Everyone loves the hawkeyes and it is such a wonderful environment.

The best thing about IOWA is the school pride. One thing I would change is having the buses running more frequently on the weekends. I feel that IOWA is just the right size. Coming from a college prep high school, my classmate's initial reaction was confusion. I had been accepted at some "big name schools" yet I chose to come to IOWA. I spend most of my time either training for rowing or in Java Juice downtown studying (I absolutely LOVE the smoothies!) I feel that the administration here at IOWA really does want the students to succeed.

The best thing about Iowa is the people. I really enjoy the atmosphere of Iowa City and everything that goes with that. There is a great deal of school pride for the Hawkeyes. It truly is a Hawkeye state and people from across the state root for the Hawkeyes.

I love that there are so many people around and if you are sick of one group of people you can go and make new friends from other groups. I spend most of my time either in class, studying, sleeping, or rowing. it is really hard to get out and have fun when you have so much homework to do and practice. i love that we have a lot of school pride at sporting events.

Everything about Iowa City, from the allowance of only 19+ aged people into bars, the absurd concentration of bars downtown (across Clinton Street from campus), the lack of classes on Friday, the set up of the Greek system, and the underlying indifference of the administration who pretends to try and fix the problem is all geared towards underage drinking. By only letting 19+ people into the bars, they are limited to college students with few high school students, with the 18 year old college students finding ways in, and by the time people are 21 it stops being cool to be in bars as you're older than everyone drinking in them so people stop. There are something like 40 bars within a three block radius right next to campus, with bus service there all night from the 6 of 10 dorms NOT right across the street from downtown. No one really wants to do anything about it; the city says they get too much tax revenue off bars that would go out of business if they couldn't sell alcohol to 19 and 20 year olds. That's pretty much all Iowa City and the University of Iowa are; the city isn't much other than a compact little habitat that the University lives in.

I love that the school is big but it has a small feel too it. I can blend into the crowd when I want to, and I can choose when I want to be noticed. I honestly feel that this is MY campus, which is really cool. I also love the surrounding town. Businesses, bars, and restaurants are centered around college kids, so it feels like you're constantly being catered to. Its a great feeling. The Hawkeye spirt is pretty amazing, especially during football games. Everyone is really into where they go to school, and we all band together. I love that I can call myself a Hawkeye. A major drawback, however, is that Iowa is basically in the middle of nowhere. Getting to places like malls, movie theaters, and grocery stores, if you don't have a car, can be a big hassle. My best advice: make friends with someone who has a car on campus.