Rutgers University-New Brunswick Top Questions

The most popular sport is football! Ever since Rutgers' football team reached the Big 10, it has been all the craze with Rutgers.

There are student activities for everybody. Greek life is pretty big, but doesn't dominate the campus. Football and basketball games are fun to go with groups, as tailgating is a pretty big thing. Both sexes are open to dating and relationships. If you put yourself out there, you will most likely have someone who you can relate with or find attractive and date. People mainly party on the weekends (which start Thursday night) but if you're not looking to go out every night, there are many who stay in and watch movies or just relax without drinking.

Some of the most popular student groups are, of course, fraternities and sororities. As I am not part of one, I've no license to speak on their behalf. Other popular groups include debate, the newspaper, Rutgers radio, intermural sports, singing, theater, etc. The list is almost endless. The most popular event on campus is typically the football games in the fall. The campus essentially shuts down for the games. Other events are not as popular but still enjoy a good crowd, such as speakers (Bill Clinton spoke 2 years ago) or theater. One group with which I am involved is the Rutgers Association of International Relations, the traveling debate team. We go to other universities, such as Georgetown and UPenn, and debate international issues. Rutgers has placed in the top 10 schools in the nation in Model UN, thanks in part to a new e-board with ambitious goals. Students in dorms typically leave their doors open, though it really depends on the people and whether or not they are friendly. That is actually how I met my closest friends at college, because their door was open freshman year. I've no clue about the dating scene at Rutgers, mainly since I meet women the old-fashioned way: talking to them in class. People party very often, though it depends on the people. Some go out every night, but they'll probably find a precipitous drop in their GPA. Most people party on Thursdays and Fridays. To be honest, I've never been awake at 2AM on a Tuesday (in my recollection), so I have no idea. One tradition that has been canceled is Rutgersfest, a free concert for students. It was canceled last year after several shootings occurred, none of which involved any Rutgers students. Obviously, this is outrageous. Another tradition at Rutgers is AG Field Day, which occurs on Douglass campus and includes many activities, such as music, a petting zoo, and games. Both Rutgersfest and AG Field Day happen late in the Spring semester. As I am on Winter break, I watched the Giants win at my friend's house in my home town last weekend. On a Saturday night, there is much to do that doesn't involve alcohol. There are typically events all around campus; one simply has to look.

The most popular groups/organizations/clubs/teams i think are the football team, the RUPA, Seeing Eye Puppy Raising club and CSMA etc. I was involved with the Seeing eye puppy raising club where we would train puppies to grow up and guide the blind and be their companion. I am also part of the CSMA (Career Services Marketing Ambassadors). It is a volunteer student group developed to increase student input in all our communications and marketing initiatives and improve our student outreach efforts. Students usually dorm with their doors open because everyone knows and trusts each on the floor. Athletic events, especially football are very popular and is a Rutgers favorite. We have plenty of guest speakers that visit and share their experiences, research and give seminars on crucial topics. The dating scene is pretty great. Everyone knows each other so relationships arise almost fluidly. Most of my closes friends are either from high school or are the ones who are majoring in the same field as me. I am usually working on a paper or watching a movie at 2am on a Tuesday. Rutgers Day is a huge event that happens each year. Many famous musicians and bands show up to give a performance and there a lot of fun activities and games to enjoy. People party almost every Thursday night. Fraternities and sororities are a big part of the Rutgers experience. There are frat and sorority houses at each campus, and many show their pride with their colors and greek alphabets. Last weekend, i went on a date with my girlfriend in New York. The train station near Rutgers makes it easy to commute. You can always go New York which is less than an hour away or walk around town and treat yourself to frozen yogurt, grease trucks or the many restaurants around town. There are also recreational rooms and gymnasiums to keep oneself entertained. I usually go to the mall or go to NY when i am off campus

The most popular activity is attending the football games in the fall. They are so much fun and its amazing to see so many people wearing red and cheering. All over campus are pre-games and tailgates, everyone gets really into the games. I think they are the best part of the fall semester. But, of course there are activities for everyone! There is an involvement fair at the beginning of each semester with hundreds of clubs and activities to get involved with. Fraternities and sororities are big on campus, but not necessary to join to make friends and have fun. There are many parties and bars that make the weekends really fun. A big Rutgers tradition is going to the "grease trucks" after a night of drinking for delicious but awful-for-you food with so many other students. If you're not into drinking there are lots of other options too. There are art and theater groups that always host events on the weekends too.

At some schools, greek life might be the up and coming scene but at RU, that's only true on weekends. Yes, Rutgers students can really party and usually, the biggest and wildest parties are at the sorority/fraternity houses. However, during the week, they are invisible; the members turn into students just like everyone else. I met most of my college friends rushing for a sorority my freshman year. Although we all decided not to go through with it, we bonded through the experience. I also met a lot of my college friends from my dorm freshman year. I lived in Voorhees on Cook (I know, you've probably heard that this campus is in the middle of nowhere) and it was a coed dorm. We obviously had a few people who were shy and stuck to themselves, but most of us were friendly and had our doors open. In fact, my birthday that year happened to land on the first week of school and I ended up going to dinner at Houlihan's with about half my floor, if not more. Needless to say, we had a blast and we had only known each other a few days. The other day, I ran into one of my floormates from freshman year whom I haven't spoken to in years but we still greeted each other with a warm hug and decided to catch up a bit. Dorming is definitely a great experience and a great opportunity to meet new people/friends. Some of the biggest events at Rutgers are the football games, homecoming, the Big Chill, Rutgers Fest (which has been permanently cancelled), Rutgers Day (which is an awesome day for families and friends), and definitely graduation (there are some pretty cool speakers at graduation). I am probably not the best person to ask about extracurricular activities because I spend nearly all the time I have at school or at work or doing homework (you can't blame me, I'm a senior) but I know there are tons of things for students to do around campus or off. Not every activity involves alcohol and RU students can get pretty creative!

There's so much to do at Rutgers is mind-boggling. One of the biggest unifying social events are of course the football games! It's such a unique experience to get together with thousands of your schoolmates and cheer on your team. Another huge part of Rutgers are basement shows. Kids give their basements nicknames and then invite local bands to come play. Students usually hear about these shows through word of mouth, or now with the advent of facebook, through event pages. A lot of huge bands got their start in New Brunswick basements, like Thursday, Midtown, The Bouncing Souls and Lifetime. There are also plenty of sororities and fraternities if greek life is your thing. They have a very strong presence at Rutgers. As with every college, there are also parties! Some in dorms, but mostly in off campus apartments. Frats and Sororities also host parties in their houses as well. When your in the dorms, it's a very social environment. People often leave their doors open and kids are always in and out of each others dorms. We also get a lot of guest speakers, especially authors and poets. Rutgers also brings a lot of great musical acts, especially during (the now tentatively defunct) Rutgersfest. And every year a comedian puts on a show during homecoming. If you're awake at 2 am on a Tuesday, you're probably hanging out with other kids in your dorm. The biggest tradition at Rutgers was Rutgersfest, which was always right before finals and after spring break. Rutgers always brought in a couple of big name musical acts, and the concert was free. However, it was cancelled after last year due to security concerns, but hopefully Rutgers decides to put on something similar, because it was the highlight of everyone's school year.

Plenty of organizations, both international, national, regional, and within Rutgers. Joining many and participating actively is not a problem. Intramurals are offered on all campuses. There are "club sports" which are somewhere inbetween intramurals and the actual Rutgers team. They organize on their own and often compete with other club sports at other schools. Meeting and interacting in the dorms is common if not inevitable in the Doubles dorms, but can be isolated in the suites and apartments depending on yourself and your neighbors. Freshman are pretty much always in doubles so it is an excellent way to met people. I lived with the same people from my freshman dorm all 4 years. Football games are by far the most popular event for the student body. Even non-football/sport fans get into the fun. Student tickets are still free through a lottery to football games, and first-come-first-serve to all other Olympic sports (basketball, soccer, swimming, etc). I highly suggest taking advantage of the free tickets as a lot of Division 1A schools charge students. Traditions include RutgersFest: a carnival of sorts with live bands, food and games at the end of the spring semester. A new tradition is Rutgers Day, which opens the campus to the public for showcasing all that is happening in Rutgers. It's more or less an Open House with food, games, shows, demonstrations and whatnot. Last year's inaugural event was a success and along with this years, takes place in April. College Ave is the destination for bars and clubs and will often be filled with students mainly from Thursday to Sunday. Partying/drinking in dorms can be common as well, though perhaps against policy..... However, drinking is not the only way to have fun, it is not beerfest every weekend if you don't want it to be. The train in New Brunswick is great and an easy way to get to NYC. There are 1 or 2 student weeks a year where students ride the train free. The actual city of New Brunswick does not offer much of anything to students. Greek life is available to those who are interested. I was not one of them. Since most people are from NJ, there will be some who go home often, if not every weekend. But the campus does not become desolate.

There's at least 100 clubs and sports organizations on campus so be involved in at least one or two. Outside of class it's the best way to meet people who share common interests. The football team was huge but is doing very poorly this year so people aren't paying as much attention this year and they can't give away tickets. New Brunswick has enough to do but if you're under 21 or a regular broke college student it's a real bummer. Plenty of dorm/apartment/house parties on Thursday, Friday and Saturdays to go to. Actually, check that. There's not much to do except study, party and sleep with your class mates. The cops hate on loitering and skating around here. Weekends are a little dead. Basement shows are fun and sometimes have a decent band or two. Fortunately we're a short train ride from NYC.

No matter what you're in to, Rutgers has it in spades. There is a huge sports culture and Greek culture at Rutgers, and the entire town loses it's collective mind during football season, but there's also a huge and thriving alternative and arts culture. Because of Mason Gross (the arts school), Douglas College (the women's college) and Cook College (The environmental school), the geeky counter culture scene is as big as the rah-rah preppy scene. People party a lot, both on campus and off. Also, the proximity to NYC (40 mins by train) means that you're never stuck; if nothing's going on in town, you can just go to New York! And there is never nothing going on. You're biggest challange socially is not finding something to do, but deciding between several options. As with other aspects of Rutgers, it's really hard to generalize about the culture because it's so big and so broad. I was really in to the music scene at Rutgers, and lived in a lot of houses that held shows for touring and local bands. There were a dozens of music collectives and show houses. I also worked for the campus paper, the Targum, which was a comfy little pocket of English major geeks.