University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Top Questions

Some of the most popular student activities are the intramural sports. These are a great way to meet people and continue playing athletics competitively in college. If sports aren't your main interests, there are pretty much clubs for anything. The clubs range from politics to sailing club (a club that I am the Education Chair). Each year, there is an activities fair at the beginning of the school year. This includes every club with sign up sheets, food, etc. There is literally 100s of clubs just waiting for your interest! If you can't find an activity that you like there, I am not sure what to tell you!

Lots of kids love to do intramural sports; soccer, basketball, football, even quidditch if that's your thing. There's a whole variety of fraternities and sororities; Greek life is huge at Pitt.

The largest group on campus is, to my knowledge, the Pitt Pathfinders. Their responsibility is to introduce newcomers and prospective students to the campus and provide insight into what life at PItt is like. As far as greek life is concerned, it really isn't a big part of Pitt's social scene. I think only 10{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the student body is enrolled in either a frat or a sorority. If a prominent greek life experience is what you are looking for, Pitt may not be the place for you. People party every weekend, and if you really want to find one, you will. Like any large campus, the dating scene is plentiful and there are lots of options. On the whole, i think the females at Pitt are definitely more attractive. If drinking and dating aren't your scenes, then have no fear! One of the perks of living in the city is that there is always something to do or see. If you want to go to the movies, no problem. Just wanna grab a late night snack? You can find that right down the street at half off. The Carnegie Science Center plays laser light shows that are pretty awesome.

The largest group on campus is, to my knowledge, the Pitt Pathfinders. Their responsibility is to introduce newcomers and prospective students to the campus and provide insight into what life at PItt is like. As far as greek life is concerned, it really isn't a big part of Pitt's social scene. I think only 10{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the student body is enrolled in either a frat or a sorority. If a prominent greek life experience is what you are looking for, Pitt may not be the place for you. People party every weekend, and if you really want to find one, you will. Like any large campus, the dating scene is plentiful and there are lots of options. On the whole, i think the females at Pitt are definitely more attractive. If drinking and dating aren't your scenes, then have no fear! One of the perks of living in the city is that there is always something to do or see. If you want to go to the movies, no problem. Just wanna grab a late night snack? You can find that right down the street at half off. The Carnegie Science Center plays laser light shows that are pretty awesome.

There are over 400 student organizations at Pitt, each of them have its own unique goals and attractiveness. The huge Fall student activities fair is held annually at the Peterson Events Center, where more than 5,000 students show up to learn about all the campus organizations and get involve with one or two new ones. Campus organizations are a big deal in the life of a Pitt student. I don't think I have met anyone that's not part of any organization on campus. Since there's so many clubs, there is bound to be one or two clubs out there that fits the interest of each student. There are many huge and famous events throughout the year. The biggest community service event is the PItt make a difference day, in which almost all 400 campus organizations join together to go around Pittsburgh on a Saturday to clean the streets, plan trees, and other community service. Giving blood is also another big event on campus. Central blood bank and American Red Cross visits Pitt almost ever month to seek for donors and volunteers. Lastly, Pitt basketball and football games are events that students hate to miss, and they will skill studying for a morning exam in order to see Pitt go against colleges like Notre Dame or Syracuse. Dorm life is very essential to a Pitt student's college journey. Students are guaranteed housing for three years, and most students stay on campus for all three years before moving off campus for their senior year. The RAs on campus are very outgoing, caring, and understanding to every student that they are in charge of. They help make dorm life safer and more fun. Living on campus is the best thing a student can do in college, because a student is literally missing everything if he/she lives off campus.

The social activities that students do depend on the time. During the day, if you're into sports, kids will play a pickup game of basketball, soccer, football etc. Kids also go to the basketball and football games, and watch profession and college sports together. Kids might also play video games together (I play a lot of Madden). There is also a lot of just hanging out. This might include getting something to eat together, sitting around and talking, watching TV or a movie together, playing a board game, and random fun things (juggling a soccer ball together in the hallway, playing mafia(game)). At night time there's a good amount of partying (mostly Friday and Saturday nights). I don't party so I couldn't tell you what they're like, but I've heard that they're decent (although I've heard complaints about the frats from boys not in frats, and that sometimes it's hard to find a good house party, but sometimes you do find a good house party and it's fun). Although there are definitely a good amount of kids partying on weekend nights, there are also a good amount of kids hanging out who aren't. Thus, if you want to party, there'll be people to do that with, and if you don't there will also be people do hang out with. One thing I'd like to mention is the atmosphere living in towers (freshman dorm) during freshman year. It was a lot of fun, and much different than the other dorms I've seen. Most people keep there doors open, which really encourages kids to be social. Most people were good friends with a lot of kids on the floor, and were at least friendly with the remaining kids. Overall, freshman year at Pitt was a great experience and a great place to meet people and make friends.

Greek Life is very prevalent on Pitt's campus. But that being said, there are a multitude of other activities to get involved with. Pitt Program Council plans out events and concerts that are held on campus each semester. There are a number of non-social Greek organizations, including business focused fraternities, a community service sorority, honors fraternities, etc. These organizations are helpful because they help build the bond of family, helping one another within the organization, but ultimately hold a greater purpose. There are groups for every major, business, nursing, engineering, health sciences, math, etc. I have gained my closest friends through my freshman year dorm as well as the activities that I am involved with on campus. Unlike big party schools, on week nights I usually stay up until 2 or 3am studying (simply because I know that I work best at night). But during the day, there are plenty of places to do homework and studying. The library usually closes at 2am and is open 24 hours during finals week. The party scene usually consists of a moderate Thursday night, and then a busy Friday and Saturday night. Some people go out all three, some two, one, or not at all. If partying isn't your scene, you will definitely find other friends that feel the same way. Your weekend can be spent having a pizza and a movie night as most pizza places are open until 2am, or you can explore museums in Pittsburgh (get in free with your ID!), or check out the Pittsburgh Orchestra or Ballet. If you aren't a big partier it doesn't mean you'll be spending your weekend alone watching tv. There are plenty of people that choose to do other things with their weekends.

Pitt has MILLIONS of groups. Frats, dance clubs, video game clubs, movie clubs, etc. We even have a Quidditch Team (the Harry Potter sport. Don't ask me how). Everyone is super nice and friendly. Doors are open at dorms. You make new friends every day, and I have honestly not met a single person who was unfriendly, rude, or negative in any way.

Pitt has MILLIONS of groups. Frats, dance clubs, video game clubs, movie clubs, etc. We even have a Quidditch Team (the Harry Potter sport. Don't ask me how). Everyone is super nice and friendly. Doors are open at dorms. You make new friends every day, and I have honestly not met a single person who was unfriendly, rude, or negative in any way.

Pitt's football team and men's basketball team are by far the most popular sports to follow. Both of these teams' games are very popular to go to, and I've even been on ESPN before at a football game! A lot of popular speakers and figures come to Pitt - from President Obama (who came downtown when he was campaigning) to Michelle Obama (who came to our campus), to Joe Biden (who came to our campus just a few weeks ago well into his term as vice-president), to famous actors (that one guy from Inception who is not Leonardo DiCaprio), to Ke$ha who performed here last spring. If you want to do something on a weekend that doesn't involve drinking, a Pitt organization has Friday night tea houses, with music, conversation, and games, and there are always random campus events going on. There is also a large art and theatre scene downtown, and through the university's organization called PittArts, it's really easy to get cheap tickets to broadway shows that come here, plays, or philharmonic performances. If you want to do something on a weekend that does involve drinking, you will likely just be able to roam the off-campus student residential areas and find a house party. There are also well-known fraternity houses and at least five popular bars within a five or ten minute's walk from main campus. If you're roaming the streets at 10pm or later you can tell that at least half the people walking around are drunk.

Sports are very popular here. Our basketball games are hard to get tickets to and operate on a "loyalty points" system. Dorm life is very social and friendly, if not loud. We just had Spike Lee visit campus and tons of people came. Pitt is always hosting great events and fun things to do. Greek life isn't huge but it is prevalent, which is nice because the school isn't "run by Greeks". Friday and Saturday nights get crazy, but people are spread out across Oakland so you never feel boxed in with the party crowds. If you don't want to drink, you can always hang out with friends or hop on the bus to go shopping.

I started at Pitt as a junior because I transferred form Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC). In one of my classes I met one of my good friends named Dave. We had Human Resource Management (HRM) together. We became friends at first by studying for exams together, and then we started partying together all over campus. The parties here kick ass by the way. There is literally a party every night of the week so whatever your schedule may be you can fit it in. Anyways, I needed to find a place to live because my plans fell through and I needed something fast. I saw on facebook that my friend Dave was looking for roommates, for a 6 bedroom house in North Oakland. I jumped on the opportunity knowing that Dave was a responsible kid who liked to get down and party whenever he had time. The rest is history; we live with four other students who are all cool people. I really enjoy the diversity of Pittsburgh, the University of Pittsburgh, and my house. Also the nightlife for someone over 21 is amazing. There is the Southside (so many bars), Station Square (sick clubs), North Shore (Clubs and Bars), Squirrel Hill (some bars), Shadyside (get dressed up and bring some dough), and so much more (it's crazy). You can go to the opera if you don’t like to party (Civic Light Opera at the Benedum is beautiful), 5 museums, and of course Penguins, Steelers, and Pirates games. I could go on all day, but you just need to know that there is something to do for everyone even if you don’t like to party as hard as me.

As a student, I was a member of the Pitt Outdoors Club, which is how I met most of my closest friends. Student organizations were very popular. I think because of that, Greek life is not as important at Pitt as it is at some other schools. The frats and sororities are definitely there, and they throw a lot of parties, but the majority of students are not a part of that scene. Pitt has a pretty strong athletics program. Our football team doesn't have the same support it used to. The stadium is sort of a pain to get to. The university does provide shuttles, but not all that many students go. Although tailgating for the games is pretty popular. The field is great since it's where the Steelers play. Season football tickets are only about $25 for students. Pitt basketball has a huge following. The school has a pretty big party scene. During the first few weeks of school, you can wander down into South Oakland and find house parties all over the place. The bars in Oakland are pretty tight about checking ID's so most of the partying for younger students happens at houses and apartments. Since the school is in the city, you have access to all sorts of things. There is decent shopping and several movie theaters nearby.

Hell, even if all you like is football and partying, go to Penn State, OSU, WVU or even Rutgers. They have better athletics and social scenes. You won't get mugged and probably will get a better education to boot.

Things to do on a Saturday night that don't involve drinking are going to Pittsburgh's sights like the inclines or the light shows. You can go sledding when it's wintery on the hills near the cathedral of learning. You can eat at one of the many fine restaurants near campus or in southside. You can take a bus or drive to the malls that are near school. Also checking out squirrel hill or shady side is a good option.

Pitt has something like 300 groups/organizations/teams on campus. There's definitely something for everyone. Making friends is pretty easy and there are a lot of opportunities to do so. For the most part, parties are a Thursday/Friday/Saturday thing. If you don't like partying, there are a ton of other things to do at night.

Pitt's most popular team is probably the basketball team, however, the football team generates just as much hype. So, during the fall and winter many students are at some type of sporting event. Also, the sororities and faternities are fairly popular around campus. Most weekends (when you are younger) are spent up at the faternity houses. However, it is not required for you to join one in order to have things to do, there are just as many things to on the weekends without joining.

I have not gotten involved in any activities at Pitt besides attending sporting events. However, Pitt offers a wide range of activities so there is something for everyone if you are interested.

There are always parties but there is also always something fun to do, like a movie in the union that has not been released on video yet or free food events.

The student life at Pitt is pretty cool. Greek life is pretty big and everyone can rush. There's an organization for anyone (if you don't find what you like, it's fairly easy to start one). Museums, libraries, theatres, cinema, discount venue tickets and weekend trip tickets are all either free or at a severly discounted rate (the difference picked up by the school). The Study abroad, Semester at Sea and alternative spring break programs are amazing! Freshman are required to live in dorms...which helps to meet people and most of them are pretty nice. They just built three new mid-rise buildings. There's always a party somewhere...just need to meet the right people. There's a nightlife on the South Side, which is an area just across the river filled with everything anyone can think of. For non-drinkers, there's a lot to do as well.

Dorm life varies, usually people sneak in drugs or alcohol on a daily basis. It gets loud. There is no A/C. Pitt puts on events, but for the most part they're really lame. Dating is hit or miss...

There are the athletes that no one sees much of because they are always at practice. Once again there is the Greek Life. There are also House Parties all around Oakland. It is a real good party school, even if you don't visit the Fraternity Houses. However, I have never had a dull day since I decided to pledge. The football and basketball games are especially popular. Be careful tailgating though at the football games. There are always guest speakers, almost too many. Go to these events if your meal plan runs dry. They usually feed you some pretty good food before/after they talk. Also, there is a lot of free food everywhere, just look for the flyers. Dating scene? Don't get a girlfriend/boyfriend the first two weeks of college. You'll be missing all the fun. But yes, some people date. On Tuesday at 2am you are watching TV or procrastinating homework, unless you're a raging alcoholic. Drinking nights can begin on Wednesdays, but traditionally Thursdays. We like to be conservative on our Mondays and Tuesdays. I usually party Weds-Sunday in the beginning of the semester... which gradually becomes Thus-Saturday... which gradually becomes Friday... which gradually becomes not at all. Like I said before, I think fraternities/sororities aren't a solution to finding a good time, but they intensify your entire involvement on campus. You make a really close group of friends, but that does not mean you don't have other friends. I'm rooming with three of my good friends who are not in my fraternity, but I guess that's just how I approach my involvement in Pi Kappa Alpha. But we are the best fraternity on campus, so if you're going to join one, you know where to go. Sigma Sigma Sigma is also a good sorority to join. You can go to the Waterfront which is a brand new section of Pittsburgh that has plenty of shopping, restaurants, museums and theaters to go to. You don't need a car or gas money for anything. That's a definite plus.

The first few weeks of college are awkward. It takes everyone time, but eventually everything will fall into place. I had a hard time meeting people initially. I did not connect with the people on my floor, and in classes of 100+ students I did not speak out to introduce myself to others. Although it took a few months, I eventually found a group of close friends. Now, ~6 months later, it feels like I have known them forever.

Popular organizations: The Oakland Zoo (cheering section for the basketball team) is popular, but tickets are not that easy to come by. Football games are great fun, but are a 10-minute bus ride (at Heinz Field) away. I've said this several times before; but really, if you enjoy a hobby, you'll find like-minded individuals here at Pitt. Check out Pitt's "student organization resource center" (Google it) for some types of groups. Party scene: Good heavens, there is a party scene. Most of it occurs in South Oakland, several blocks from campus. Yeah, the neighborhoods look shady; but go with friends, and you'll be fine. Most people party only on Friday and Saturday, some also on Thursday. There are some who drink every night, but they'll drop out. Don't be them. "Excess in moderation." Don't drink two beers every night; wait until Friday, and drink all the beers. If you don't drink, don't come here. I'm kidding, don't worry. If you don't drink, and want to have fun, catch a (free for Pitt students) bus to SouthSide Works or Shadyside. I took my girlfriend to a jazz club, then an indie-friendly movie theater; there's always something to do. Frat life: Near non-existent. Something like 8{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of students are in a frat/sorority. I was in one for 36 hours, then walked out of my first meeting. I'm not a fan of paying $400 a semester to make friends, so that's that. However, within the sororities, they all seem to form very "sisterly" relationships with each other.

Pitt has a great social scene - whatever you're into, they usually have it. i used to wander down into Towers (the freshman dorms) at two or three in the morning to see kids playing magic cards on the tables. Sports are huge, especially Pitt basketball - but also the Penguins and the Steelers (when they won the superbowl in 2006, our campus went into a riot, setting cars on fire andpolice were called in - it was a blast, some of the most fun I've had in college.) Parties are prevalent, every weekend there's always stuff to do - but if you don't like to party, it's not an overbearing scene, and you can go your own way. it's fairly easy to date, there's lots of bars/restaurants/coffee shops/museums/parks/countlesss other date-things you can do. there are different sections of Pittsburgh, you have oakland, downtown, southside, waterfront, strip district, all with different sorts of fun activites to do. frats and sororities are not really all that much fun or all that prevalent. But if you're into that kind of thing, it's big enough to have fun.

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The biggest organization on campus is Black Action Society which holds some really nice events for its members. Pretty much there is a club for any interest you have- there is a ski club which gets you really cheap passes for skiing at Seven Spring Mountain Resort which is really sweet. The boys are cute here and most girls are pretty. I'm not in a sorority but there is a great greek life here. People party every day of the week here and there are seriously a million bars. There's the Waterfront if you don't drink and you can see movies or go out to dinner or go on the incline in Pittsburgh, which is a little train thing that goes up and down Mt. Washington. There is a ton of stuff to do here. Commuting, from what I heard, is terrible- don't do it just live in Oakland!

Sports, volunteer work and Greek life are the most popular school activities. Next year, I plan to explore a multi-cultural sorority with which I have become quite familiar, as well as hold greater participation in a music group that my very own friend and high school classmate, Alicia Bekany has founded at Pitt. I am part of the student-alumni association, have participated in various activities with my residence hall and spend quite a lot of time socializing with friends from my dorm, from classes and from other activities and experiences I have had at Pitt. My favorite form of volunteering is the English tutoring that I do, nearly on a daily basis. I made it known to everyone that I would be available to read, edit, advise and revise any type of English assignment, paper, report etc. should anyone ever need or desire the help. Little did I know that I would get a response from almost all of my friends! Some nights, I had two or three papers to work on. I even helped a friend go from a C to an A- average in her Composition class with some instruction and paper-writing help. I find great purpose in helping others achieve their goals, because ultimately, they are helping me achieve my goal of being a great teacher as well! On a typical Saturday night, even in the dead of winter, girls can be seen leaving the dorms clad in mere mini skirts, tanks and heels, already tipsy and headed out for a night of extreme partying. My friends and I, however, will most likely be found on a bus, headed to some outlaying area -- Squirrel Hill, the Waterfront, Southside Works and Shadyside are some of our favorites. Or perhaps we are holed in with ice cream and a movie for a night of relaxation. On the other hand, we might be studying, writing papers or catching up on school work. Further still, we might be throwing a lounge party, hitting up Market Central for a midnight snack, or having a sleepover in one of our rooms just for the excitement of throwing all of our pillows and blankets all over the floor and acting like kids again. There are a million things with which to fill a weeked in Pittsburgh. Between the museums, outlaying communities, academic buildings, restaurants, shopping areas and movie theatres, there is no reason at all to waste one's life with partying and sloppiness.

Pitt has a very neat social life. Pitt sports provide sports fans an outlet and the inner city environment gives everyone something to do even in the wee hours of the night.

Last year the girls on my floor weren't all that nice. I was friends with about 4 out of 27 people. No one's door was ever open and some of the girls formed a little clique and all they did was stand in the hall and loudly talk about everyone and cackle at obscene hours. The girls I mangaged to make friends with were amazing and we all became close with some guys on a lower floor. And as for 2am on a tuesday, we were usually found watching television telling dumb stories, mini golfing around the floor, just sitting in the hall being goofy, or some other shenanigans.

Pitt athletic events are the most popular. Football is the most popular during its season, as is basketball. In the dorms, I've noticed that when one person on the floor leaves their door open, the whole floor tends to. But, there are some floors who all have their doors shut. Partying is a big deal. The parties are fun, as long as they don't get too out of hand. I am not a fan of frats or sororities. If people have to pay to have friends in college then they should see a psychiatrist and be tested for social disorders. There are a lot of people with many different interests that will be your friend and not ask for money. Also, frat guys thing they're God's gift to man. News flash, they aren't.

The most popular group is the pitt alumni council, I see those shirts everywhere. But other than that theres no campus wide popular club because, again, of the lack of unity. Students keep their doors opened depending on the dorm and the floor. Almost everyone in towers leaves their doors open and close-knit floors in sutherland do as well but on my floor not a single door was open. I once went 4 months without laying eyes on my next door neighbor. Athletic events are somewhat popular and most people go to atleast one pitt arts theater event. I met my closest friends from my floor. I did not meet a single friend from a class, only from my floor. If its 2am on a tuesday then I'm more than likely hanging out with my friends in the lounge just talking. There are few traditions/events ever year and most people dont go to them because of a. the lack of unity or b. their disdain for school spirit of any kind. There's orientation week and lantern night, fall fest, and bigelow bash but that is about it. I went to all of them and truly enjoyed it but compared to how many people go to pitt, very few came to those events. Most people go out thursday friday and saturday and stay out till midnight of 1. Frats and sororities are looked down upon and disgusting for the guys and slutty for the girls. I don't drink or party and instead go out to nice restaurants downtown, watch movies, shop, or explore oakland and the cathedral.

wasn't involved, not enrolled long enough before graduation.

Wanna build a race car? Join SAE. African drumming ensemble... we've got it. Along with anything else you could think of. Freshman year is the year to connect with the people on your dorm floor. We would hangout and do stuff all the time. Dorms are pretty secure but off campus you want to keep your doors locked. I don't party and I'm not involved with greek life, but if you want it, it's here. Pittsburgh is a free bus ride away, so theres restaurants, clubs, shopping, movies etc. easily available.

There are a lot of guest speakers and whatnot but I think that the biggest activity Pitt students do is party. There are activities where you can go to but it seems like not many people go or it's a certain kind of people that go to those activities.

Lots of sports clubs- almost everything you'd want. There's black action society, Chinese Association (CASA) *&also there is one for all the different asian groups*, Carribean & Latin American Assocaiton (CLASA), Hindu Assocation, African Student Organization (ASO), "White" Greeks, "Black" Greeks, Intercultural Greek, Christian Organizations, Anointed Steps of faith (I recommend even if you've never stepped before!), political organizations, volunteer organizations, etc (there are alot!!). People love basketball and football mostly. There is a Pitt Arts- which provides free or cheap downtown pitt art events & free food sometimes! Guest speakers- yea there are a couple. I met my closest friends through organizations & then my best friend from high school's friends & I all rented an apartment together. Dating scene- well there's plenty of people- a lot of people "hook up" so it's harder to find someone to be serious with- I wouldn't recommend it unless you really find someone you can be with that wants that- you can have so much fun with just friends. Fraterntieis & sororities are kind of in their own world- but they do have events anyone can attend. There are a lot of pitt arts, activities by each organizations, friday night improvs in the cathedral, game nights (friends can have), random places to visit in Pittsburgh, Lots of places to go camping/hiking, concerts, etc (much to do besides party!) make you own fun- I guess I partied a lot at house parties & fraternities and by the end of the year I felt like it was an empty lifestyle- b/c I didn't enjoy them very much & you don't make quality friendships if all you do is party. But most people experience it for themselves to discover this.

I would say at our Johnstown campus the most popular activities are athletics. Although, our frats and sororities are very big and very involved with our campus as well. There are a lot of restaurants and things to go to around campus that are really fun so you can enjoy to get away with friends.

Pitt doesn't really emphasize sororoties and fraternities terribly much but they are definitely there if you are interested. if you want to go out on a weekend and not drink i recommend going to eat n park (like denny's) or going to squirrel hill and seeing a movie. there's a movie down at the waterfront too which is amazing and reasonably priced for what it offers.

I would like to minimize the so-called "Greek" impact on Pitt's campus, since it is one of the few aspects of Pitt of which I am ashamed, but almost 20{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the student population is involved in some Greek organization. Many of these are academic in nature, and perfectly respectable. However, there are around 20 or so more "traditional" fraternities and sororities which many people join. Not that all Greek organizations are bad, but some are, luckily, if you aren't so big on the loud music, sexual assault, underage drinking scene, there are plenty of things to do, because as I've said, Pittsburgh is a great city, and relatively safe, as cities of its size go. There are lots of cool places to go on dates, lots of great food, especially after 11pm, when many of the Oakland restaurants offer their food for half price.

Freshmen year in towers is where I met all my closest friends to this day. I think it can be generally said that the people that you live with and around freshmen year, are going to be the people that you will spend your college years with. It's hard to live on a floor with 40 other people (especially girls) but you learn to live with each other and you learn who and who you cannot get along with. People generally go out every weekend, but much more freshmen year. It's ok, just do it cause its the easiest year of your life. While it's tempting to go out with 16 of your new closest friends, please dont all leave at one time. You look foolish hahah. Go to the frats but not too often, stick to South Oakland house parties. But also please go to plays and concerts that are around the city. I always complained felt that there wasnt anything to do but go to parties on the weekend freshmen year but then sophomore year i realized that i just wasnt looking.

South and North Oakland is the part of Pittsburgh where the vast majority of off campus students live (The U of Pitt is in between S & N Oakland). North Oakland is home to many frat houses and south oakland is mostly houses/apartments. It is approximately a 5-10 minute walk from the majority of apartments to campus. Freshman and Sophomore year most students venture out to Frat and House parties. Junior year is when most students move off campus and start throwing parties and Senior year everyone is 21 and goes to bars. Bars: Oakland is home to around 10 bars some of which are more popular than others. The South Side, Shadyside, and Station Square are the other areas Pitt students frequent and they are all within 4-5 miles of Oakland ($10 cab ride). Those areas have more older post-college professionals while Oakland is almost exclusively college students.

Pitt's social life is however you want it to be - it can be easy to get lost in the crowd, but with all those people it's also easy to make tons of friends. Most people live in the dorms their first year or two. I met many of my current friends on my floor freshman year. The rest of my friends I've met at parties and through other people. The party scene isn't quite as bad as schools like Ohio State, but there isn't really much else to do on a Friday or Saturday night if you're not 21. You could get half-price food (a lot of the restaurants in Oakland serve a half-price menu late night) or maybe find a show or something, but I've always had the impression that most people are at parties on a Friday or Saturday night. Some popular groups on campus are WPTS (student radio), Habitat for Humanity, STAND (about taking action for Darfur), several literary magazines, sports teams, frats/sororities, and tons of volunteering opportunities. Use your student ID for free bus rides! You can get anywhere in the city and Pittsburgh has a lot to offer outside of Oakland.

Social life is good...plently of nondrinking activities...its what you want to make of it...

It's all what you make of it. Be friendly and you will have friends, simple enough.

I'm in Free the Planet, which is Pitt's environmental group. I really like it. We take on projects such as recycling at Pitt and creating bike lanes in the city. We've had a little success but it's hard to work around everything that's already set up at Pitt. Most people in dorms do not leave their doors open. Especially in Tower C, it's like completely devoid of a social scene (especially on the girl floors). Athletic Events are extremely popular. Guest Speakers can be popular depending on who it is. Spring term Jerry Springer came and that was a very popular guest speaker event. I think most theater productions at Pitt are not very popular but I really enjoy going to them. The dating scene is pretty cool. I met my boyfriend at a club and we've been together for a year and a half now. If you want to party everyday of the week, you can. If you hate partying, you're not going to be very happy at Pitt. There are plenty of things you can do if you don't drink. There are tons of places around Pittsburgh such as coffee shops, stores, and restaurants. Also, almost every weekend in the dorms the RAs will organize a non-alcoholic event. Those usually don't have a very high attendance though.

There are lots of popular groups on campus. Some of the most popular are Greek Life and the activities committees. I'm involved with WPTS which is Pitt's radio station. It is a small group, but everyone gets along really well. Joining the radio station was a great way for me to meet people when I started at Pitt. Some of the most popular events at Pitt are of course the sporting events, concerts, and the spring and fall fests. Guest speakers also get alot of student attention, especially political figures. Homecoming is always a blast too. There are a lot of parties at Pitt. On any given day there are tons of parties going on. All you have to do is walk through Oakland and look at which apartments have kids hanging around, and you can find yourself a great house party. I'm not big on hard-core partying, but I still have fun on the weekends. There are concerts and plays to see, shopping, museums, etc. And it is still fun to go to parties and not get trashed. There's something for everyone to enjoy as far as social life goes.

I don't drink. I dunno, the frat parties aren't really my idea of fun but sometimes I felt bored on the weekends when all my friends were out partying. There's no doubt partying is big at Pitt, but if you're like me and don't go looking for it it's not hard to avoid.

Oh geez, where to begin... friends are easy to make. You can stick to going to frats with the people on your floor or go see a cheap or free show every weekend. If you're looking for a good party, you can find it, but if you want more out of your nights, you can find it. Really, it's about asking and looking around. It's easy to find parties. It's also easy to find cheap or free adventures elsewhere on a Saturday night, like midnight ice skating, overnight backpacking trips, concerts, movies, speakers, games, and late night restaurant deals. There's also plenty going on during the week - 4-square, Hindu Student Council, Pitt Outdoors Club, speakers, game nights. And you can usually find free food at events and meetings at least once a week.

greek life is big but not required for a social life, pitt runs many events to keep you interested

There is not a lot of unity among the student body as a whole. This is not a type of school where everybody goes to the football games, in fact, not many people went at all last year. In addition there are not big events that everybody attends. Pitt is the type of school where you find your niche and the group of people you want to hang out with, and that is where you find your social activities.