University of Chicago Top Questions

Yeah, there’s fun stuff to do on campus. Apartment parties and frat parties. Dorm life is pretty active. Nightly screening of awesome movies at the school movie theater (old stuff, new stuff, main-stream stuff, independent stuff). Every year there is a big crazy scavenger hunt that involves wild stunts and road trips and other tomfoolery. There is also the annual Latke Vs. Hamentashen debate where prominent academics debate the merits of these two food items. While I was there I had did comics for one of the school papers – it was super easy to get into and fun. There are a couple of cool dive bars in the neighborhood. No real sports bars that I can remember, though that may have changed now that pretty much every bar I go to nowadays has 4 or 5 plasma TVs on the walls (there was one campus bar that you needed school ID to get into that was pretty nice). There are a couple of places on campus to play pool and foosball. I think maybe they built a bowling alley, but I’m not sure about that. The athletic facilities are pretty good and there is a healthy IM sports program. There are also some nice museums, restaurants and bookstores on campus. Sports isn't a huge part of campus life, but U of C does have a baseball, basketball, and football team (among others) There is a greek life and they have pretty nice houses, but it's not that big of a deal. There are sororities, but they are not allowed to have houses (at least that's what I was told). There were always pretty good guest speakers (I sat outside with Kurt Vonnegut while he smoked a cigarrette when he stopped in to give a talk). I did not drink at all in college and I managed to have a good time.

The social life, much-maligned, is far more decent than people make it out to be. If hitting a keg and dancing until 3 to blasting music is your thing, the frats provide that nearly every weekend. At the same time, you might very well end up in the library on a Saturday night because of work; if that's a problem, grow up.

I dont know, Euphony is an on campus literary publication, sometimes, not popular, I don't know much about the dating scene, from my house, getting WASTED!!!, the treasure hunt thing, 2 times a week, not very, I laid down some verses with some friends, study?, eat

Yeah, well, people ask me if we even have a football team, so it's a bit up in the air with sports here. I like to tailgate, so I go. I think the Polar Bear Run is the most well known tradition. It's an interesting premise, but sometimes you want to tear your eyes out. Last weekend I went to the Art Institute, dinner, and a movie, and rode the Navy Pier ferris wheel until my head was spinning. And not a drink in any of the ten of us. There's always stuff to do - from the opera and ballet to concerts to shopping to eating out to the zoo/aquarium - if you look you will find something. There are always parties on campus as well. As long as you're not an utter recluse you'll have something to do. Or - gasp - some of us take a night and just catch up on sleep....

Last Friday after class I went to the Art Institute of Chicago and then spent some time with my best friend at the Descartex Cafe. We drank oatmeal lattes and then met up with some other friends in Lakeview because someone wanted to try out a restaurant called The Chicago Diner. It was a vegetarian/vegan joint that there was an hour long wait for. Every ingredient that would otherwise have been made of meat was in quotation marks. For example, the gyros contained "lamb" strips, the BLT had "bakon" and the stir fry had "chikkin" chunks. Then we went back to campus and found some boys in the dorm freestyle rapping on homeade beats...typical Friday night!

Dating here sucks, I'm not gonna lie. The same people seem to always be in a relationship, and make it look easy, while those who can't seem to get laid to save their soul look on jealously. One advantage I've noticed, though, is that the hookup culture seems to be less prevalent here than at other universities, and confined mainly to the after-frat-party crowd. GLBT dating is probably the most successful on campus, don't ask me why. Probably something about being less inhibited. Honestly, if the people here got out of their own way, there would be a lot more happy couples.

Guest speakers are fun to see, but its hard to schedule ones you want to see. The girls at this school are hideous. All types of hideous. Grab bag, plain looking, nerdy girls.

I feel like you can pretty much go anywhere in our House in Max Central and find someone that's up for going to Bart Mart, talking, or hanging out. There's always someone to study with and always somebody to have fun with. We have a ton of special events from cultural shows to guest speakers to musical performances and celebrations. It's amazing programming. I'm involved with UCDems who hold about 2-3 nicely sized events every quarter and one amazingly huge progressive Gala with fabulous speakers and collaboration with other RSOs on campus. If I'm awake at 2am on a Tuesday, I'm either studying or watching Arrested Development with the boys from down the hall in the Lounge. This weekend, a bunch of friends and I went to a really nice restaurant called "Wave" downtown and then went up to Belmont to smoke hookah with one of the guy's friends from Turkey. It was a really fun night on the town with a lot of cross-cultural awareness (it was 2 Americans, an Indian girl and boy, a Puerto Rican girl, a Turkish guy and all of his friends!). It was really fun.

Most Popular Groups: Fraternities/Sororities, Model United Nations, South Asian Students Association. Students leave their dorm doors open in Max Palevsky and Pierce mainly. Athletic events are NOT popular...its sad. Theatre and guest speakers get huge support though. I can't say much on the dating scene. I only dated a little my first year, then went into a long term relationship, long distance. The guys here always have some weird quirk, so I gave up. 2AM Tuesday: Leaving the Pub or finishing homework. Traditions: Senior Pub Night, Senior Week, Bag Pipe procession for graduation, Midnight Breakfasts, Major Spring Concert and festival. I party anywhere from 5 times a week to 1 time a month depending on how busy I am. I think fraternities and sororities keep the campus alive and helps keep people social. Saturday Night Options: Dinner, Movie, a play. Off Capus: Movies, Enchanted Castle, food, museums, shop.

Model UN is great. Theater is great. Open people. Very friendly. Nice place overall.