University of Iowa Top Questions

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.