University of Rhode Island Top Questions

My classmates at URI are usually very friendly. However, most of the time you have to go out of your way to talk to people in your classes, because if people do not have friends in classes they tend to be closed off.

As an engineering major most of my classmates are to themselves and don't really talk to each other much. Most of them are shy and afrid to talk to other people.

My classmates are very into partying and greek life but also seem very driven to getting their degrees.

-In my experience, different groups seem to get along. Especially at the gym and in sports, every racial group is always accepted and often combined. Not a huge amount of diversity at URI however. -I can't really identify a kind of student that would be out of place at URI. There may not be huge numbers of diversity, but there is diversity. There are people that will easily relate to you. -Students wear casual clothes to class for the most part. Jeans and a sweatshirt. T-shirts, sweatpants, sneakers. In the business school, some students like to dress in professional wear once in a while just because they want to. -Different types of students interact with each other, mostly in class. Or those who live on campus will interact with different types of students who also live on campus. -Most of the students are from Rhode Island because it is a state school, and majority of students are in state/commuters. That's just a statistic though, don't let it bother you. There are hundreds of kids from all around America, and a handful of international kids. Most just happen to come from New England area because thats where the school is located, but you can find someone from every state. -While there are certainly a lot of wealthy kids around, I don't think it would be a stereotype of the school. Money isn't waved in people's faces and you can't tell the financial backgrounds of students just by looking at them. I know that the students here range from poor to very wealthy. -Students are definitely politically aware here. There are clubs for the two main parties, and they are very active. But fear not, if you aren't about politics it won't slap you in the face. But it is certainly readily available to anyone who wishes to participate. Because it is RI, I would say generally the school swings left. -Students are very active in comparing and sharing their career dreams with one another. You can learn a lot from students who have a defined idea of what they want to do when they graduate, and how much they can/will make.

They are friendly and focused while in the classroom.

Some work hard, others slack, but you will all pass

The students at URI are a diverse and motivated group of students attending URI for the sole purpose of a great education.

Some serious, some there because mom and dad want them to be. Generally care more about social life than academic success until they are in trouble of failing or getting poor grades.

they are a good bunch of people who study and try to have fun at the same time

The students at URI are normal college kids, nothing truly out of the ordinary. There is a large group of frat and sorority people however, there are plenty of regular kids. As far as diversity goes URI is a pretty diverse place. Most of the kids are from the New England area, connecticut, Rhode Island, New York and New Jersey. There are a lot of kids just at school for the experience but it is not hard to find people who are dedicated to their work as well.

I enjoy the Providence campus because the students are more motivated and want to be at class.

I could go on for a long, long time on this subject, so I will try to only talk about things I think are worth knowing as a prospective student. There are a lot of niches and cliques to be found at URI, but that is not to say that everyone is a part of one. Walking around campus, especially early in the year, you may find yourself encountering a lot of stereotypes that I've mentioned already. There will be a lot of people in fraternity/sorority sweatshirts, no shortage of "bros," and at least one "that guy" on the quad with a guitar surrounded by people throwing Frisbee®s around. There's also a general coldness towards strangers that I think may be characteristic of the Northeast in general. Some people just want to be left alone except by people they already know, and sometimes people will react as though you have invaded their personal space after just eye contact. But people are weird in their everyday states, so don't let any of that dissuade you. URI has very strange attitudes about diversity. They encourage it to the point of having a "Diversity Week" every fall, and as a result there are many people from many backgrounds who are very open about these backgrounds and embrace people's differences. But as a result people who strongly identify with these diverse backgrounds often suffer from a kind of de facto segregation. The more difference/diversity is stressed on campus, the more I notice this. Personally, I think this is something that should make more people more upset, but URI is also notorious for an apathetic student population. It's hard to say what place a very politically active person may have at URI. Such a person may find themselves happy about how lively and dedicated other people in their niche are, and then disappointed at the lack of support from the general student population. (Faculty support, by contrast, especially on issues of race and gender, is overwhelming and one may find a large number of good starting connections for a career in such a field.)

There are a lot of "clicks" at U.R.I. However, that being said, the school itself is very accepting of view points, sexual orientation, or any other platform you associate yourself with. The idea is to find the right people. In addition, because the school is still growing, it is mostly local kids attending the university. This leads to a great diversity of financial background as you have kids from very low income to very high income areas. One thing the students all seem to have in common is weed. I will never forget the year I was living on campus and when I was walking back to my dorm approximately 40 feet from any point on the building smelled like weed. This is probably what leads to the overall "laid-back" personality of U.R.I.

There are big communities with religious and LGBT and other groups on campus, all positive experience. I don't think there is a student that doesn't find a group or program where they wouldn't fit. There is something for everyone. Students wear casual clothing. Students interact outside of groups. The students really mix, background, location, financial status, or interests don't really matter.

I have many friends from a multitude of varying religions, races, socio-economic statuses and personalities. The only experiences I had with LGBT were pleasant but not personal. They came and spoke at the Psychology Club meeting about their issues and asked for help. They were all very nice and thankfully their demands were met shortly. There is not a high percentage of African Americans and other ethnicities because it is a mainly caucasian campus. It is not discriminatory by any means and everyone is accepted everywhere. Most students in my friend group are of middle class (some come from really wealthy families) and we all like to travel and talk and meet new people. A new student who was a homosexual may have felt uneasy a couple years ago when hate crimes were on the rise against them but now they would feel safe and accepted. I feel like URI does a good job at accepting many different people and no one would really feel out of place. Most people wear jeans or sweats to class and t-shirt. In the winter, many girls wear UGGs, jeans, and a north face while boys wear Timberlands, sweats, and a hooded sweatshirt. URI is not too big on fashion. Different types of students interact all of the time due to classes, organizations, and clubs. I see many different types of people in one group. People from the sports team interact with people who study all the time who also interact with people who party a lot. Just because they have different interest doesn't mean they don't interact. There are no table or group distinctions in the dining hall. It is one big mess of color, interests, and personality. The only table that I have seen together multiple times would be the track team and I presume they come after practice so they all want to sit and eat together. THey use a big table in the back of the main dining hall. Most of the students are from the New England area. About 90{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of students come from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, or Rhode Island. Most students come from a wealthy financial background and with the rising rate of tuitions, I would say you have to at this point. Rhode Island rose a couple thousand over my four years of being here. Many students are not politically aware or active but if I had to chose I would base it off of my freshman year when a herd of students were chanting "Obama!" over and over again when he won the election. Students do talk about how much they aspire to earn one day but I don't think anyone boasts or brags at this point with the economy in its current state.

For the most part, my experience with racial, religious, and GLBT groups on campus has been pretty positive. There is a great deal of diversity throughout most of campus and almost any type of student would enjoy it. Depending on the season, boy usually wear jean pants or sweatpants with either a t-shirt or sweatshirt. For the most part, this school has a stereotype for girl clothing, which usually is a pair of UGG boots, leggings, and a North Face jacket. Regardless of peoples' style, clothing race, or ethnicity, student blend in pretty well together. Financially, you will come across a entire variety of students, some of those who are driving a Mercedes-Benz or Lexus vehicle to school and others biking because they cannot afford the cost of car insurance. I'm not too sure about the student body's political awareness or stance. Most students inspire to attain a good job that is well paying.

I haven't found any social group on campus that I personally feel comfortable with, but I do know many people that have. There is a lot of Greek life on campus, and its a really great was to socialize. I'm personally am not involved with Greek life, but I have friends that are, and even through that I socialize via the Greek life on campus. There is every type of person you could ever think of at URI, and there is no possible way that you won't be able to find some group of people to fit into. URI has students with a wide range of financial backgrounds. People wear everything from sweatpants and a sweatshirt, to jeans and a tee, to dresses and blouses and you'll even see some people walking around in suits who are attending a career event that day. I feel like there is a place for everyone at URI, it is a very diverse campus.

Very laid back, there are a lot of pot smoking hippies and some snobby groups. Others are genuinely nice and fun

The classmates at my school are highly intelligent but grounded, friendly people as well.

The classes here, at least freshman year are very much like walking into a high school classroom.

My classmates are very diverse, well rounded, and they all teach eachother things so it is not just the teachers teaching the classes, the students also help teach.

My classmates are extremely culturally diverse and each bring a new world of ideas to the table in order to broden the perceptions of each other.

My classmates can be described as determined and focused.

My classmates at the University of Rhode Island are intelectual students that aspire to do great things in life and in turn motivate my acedemic excellence .

a mixed group of people of all backgrounds

My classmates at the University of Rhode Island are, for the most part, very kind and helpful.

They know how to work hard and they know how to party, so if you're looking for a good mix of the two this is a good place to start. I always felt safe on campus; people are overall pretty friendly, outgoing and supportive- no real complaints about the student body

kinda nerdy

Most of my classmates are friendly and outgoing, but some are more focused on their schoolwork than others. Most students move off-campus after their freshman year because the school is near the beach and the area is perfect for nine-month student rentals. Off-campus houses are a great way to establish responsibility, but also a great place for parties. There aren't many cliques at the school, but most people definitely follow trends (2/3 of the student population sport Ugg boots and Northface jackets once the cooler months come around).

The only place that's mixes a laid back atmosphere with a great academic curriculum.

Everyone is very helpfull and friendly, you always have someone to talk with or someone to help you.

My classmates are motivated and they have the same goals that I do. We all want to do well, and still make time for fun. College isn't just about going to class, but it is about interacting with your peers and making life long relationships.

My classmates being in a science field are driven and very smart.

Everyone is friendly, liberal. and interesting.

My classmates are fun loving, exciting, eager students.

Your classmates will vary depending on each class. Large introductory classes will be filled with jocks, emo kids, and hot sorority girls; in short it will be just like high school. As your classes become more specalized for each major, you'll see the same people from semester to semester, eventually forgetting which of those categories you put them in during the introductory classes freshman year.

My classmates a great people and we help each other succeed in the classroom

usually cool, helpful, lotsa hotties.

My classmates are friendly and outgoing.

Very smart and friendly. Always willing to help each other out and to help each person understand each topic.

Friendly once you get to know them...and very helpful

My classmates are eager to learn and be successful.

My classmates are fun, outgoing people who know when to have fun and when to do work.

My classmates range from hard working to barely showing up for class. It's different each time. When we do group projects that's when you learn your classmates the best and know who wants to succeed and who doesn't care. You want team members who don't mind studying extra hours.

I do not feel that there are certain clicks and popular groups. I felt that the URI campus was very sociable and gave the students a warm welcome feeling.

Do not join a Frat. (unless you are from New Jersey, then you will fit right in)

The kids here can be a little clicky sometimes and you really have to find your own niche. People tend to stay with the same kids that they knew in highschool and don't really make too much of an effort to meet new people, so if your from out of state it might be harder to make friends. If you find a club or activity that interests you though, you'll find its much easier to meet people.

I was out of the mainstream in college, I wasn't part of greek life, and i didn't really follow any of the trends or dress like most of the other people on there way to class. Leggings and Uggs just weren't for me, but I wasn't the only one.

I wasn't too involved with many student activities. All i did extra was joined the catholic center. That was really good to meet people like me. We also took a trip to new orleans to help rebuild which was a great experience!