University of Missouri-Columbia Top Questions

The Greek system and intramural sports are big time organizations, however you don't have to be involved in these organizations/teams to have a good rewarding time at Mizzou. I am a member of Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity. For me the Greek system was a very rewarding experience. I got to hold leadership positions and befriend those of similar interests. There are many organizations, 200+ in fact. There will be opportunities to meet people of similar interests if you join one of these clubs. Dorms have changed since I was a freshman. There is no such thing as a crappy dorm anymore. They are all renovated or new. So nice. However, "the leave your door open thing" that you see in movies is not as prevalent as it was 3 years ago. Though according to some underclassman it does exist. Who cares, meet your neighbors, knock. Its easy. Mizzou athletics is awesome. Our basketball team is only getting better and our football team has always been decent. We joined the SEC, so things are looking up. Other sports are not very popular among students. Mizzou's greatest tradition: Our homecoming. We invented homecoming. This is true, we do it more extravagant than any other college. If you are Greek Homecoming Fling is the most fun and unique experiences. No other college does it like we do. For the guys, Yes the women at Mizzou are very good looking, hot, fine, whatever you want to call them. If you live in the dorms, they are coed. Awesome. If you are in a Fraternity, meeting girls is even easier. Lets say you don't drink much and don't really want to. Go see a movie on a saturday night??!! Wrong decision. Go out. Party. Drinking is not a requirement. Socialize without alcohol. Some of my fraternity brothers don't drink; they are having the time of their lives.

Greek life is HUGE. You think you'll be able to do without it, but everyone I know who has doubted the system ends up rushing anyways. Greek life has a very strong tradition, and most activities- even those non-Greek- are predominately supported and attended by Greeks. Greek life hosts philanthropies, seminars and school pride events open to all students. I've enjoyed my time in Greek life immensely. I've been able to volunteer and donate to charities as well as make friends and enjoy the social aspect sororities and fraternities have to offer. I have heard from some of my male friends that the social life of a non-Greek male is often lacking compared to their Greek counterpart. Mizzou is predominantly a bar school with an underage nightlife scene comprising of fraternity parties making it difficult for underclassmen non-Greeks to engage socially.

It is very difficult to say what the most popular student activities are, because there are just so many. Mizzou has over 500 student organizations, with new ones being formed every semester. While this sounds exaggerated, it is very true. Being involved is a huge part of being a college student and Mizzou offers thousands of opportunities for involvement. Athletic events are the most frequented. Tiger pride is hard to suppress. Not one game will be void of black and gold banners and a black and gold-clad crowd. Student sports, such as intramural soccer and basketball are also popular. Of course, there is much more to do than just watch sports. There are productions at the Rhyn, a local theater, that play very often. Free movies play every weekend and several nights a week. The hundreds of student organizations always have something interesting going on. Luckily there is a handy website available to all students that actually lists all the activities on a given night at Mizzou. From concerts at the Blue Note, to sales at Dreamcatcher, to Chipotle coupons, student government makes sure students are aware of possible involvement opportunities. Volunteering is also a popular choice among Tigers. I volunteer at a local therapeutic riding center for children with special needs, along with re-stacking books at Ellis Library. For those interested in Greek life, Mizzou is perfect. There are dozens of fraternities and sororities that each have a different purpose and goal. Greek life is a major component of Mizzou life, but no one should feel obligated to join. Frats and sororities are for some people and not for others. My roommate and the rest of the guys on my floor are in the same frat; I spend much of time with them, including partying at their frat, however I'm not in it. So even if all of your friends are Greek, you don't have to be. It's the same way for partying. Partying is very big at Mizzou. The majority of students party and love to party. I love to party. Nevertheless, everything should be taken in moderation. My friends and I party a few times a week, not every night like many people assume. College life isn't as stereotypical as it seems, and Mizzou isn't a typical large university. There are many alternatives to partying. There are late night movies, shows and plays always happening. The rec center is open until 11. That nifty website generally provides 3 or 4 alternatives to partying every night. If nothing too intriguing is on though, Downtown Columbia is only minutes away. It's a short walk from campus and is full of shops, stores, boutiques, restaurants, bars, or if you're like me, tattoo parlors. There are 4 tattoo parlors in downtown, and each one is stocked with talented artists. One of those artists planted a beautiful mermaid on my inner arm. Looking for quality tattoos? Mizzou's the right place for you. Besides downtown, there's always the natural beauty of Columbia. I spend many weekends running, mountain biking, skateboarding, trail running, hiking, swimming, and fishing. It's the middle of Missouri, the middle of the country; it's stunning.

On Mizzou's campus, Greek life is pretty popular. But there are tons of people for non-Greek students too! The main thing that really brings us all together is sports--mainly football and basketball.

The most popular groups are Greek fraternities and fraternities for departments like the business frat or engineering frat. I am in a Greek frat. Its a great way to make a lot of friends and establish some diverse connections in many geographic and demographic regions. Students in dorms do leave their doors open. Athletic events are very popular at my school. Barack Obama was also a huge attraction at my school. Theater, not so much. The dating scene at my school is largely occupied by the bar scene. Dating meaning who you meet up with and go home from the bar with. I met my closest friends from my fraternity If I am awake at 2am on a Tuesday I'm probably high, watching tv, and eating pizza. Homecoming is the biggest tradition at my school and was invented at my school. We have a humongous parade and blood drive. The whole community gets involved. People party a lot a my school. I would say the average person goes out 2-4 times a week. Fraternities and Sororities are important at my school. A large portion of the student body belong to them and they do a lot for the community. Last weekend I worked and went to the bar one night. On a Saturday night you could go workout, go see a movie, or go bowling. Off campus I work and shop.

I don't know that I could say one group or activity is the most popular! So many people have so many different interests that activities are really spread out! I am involved in a business fraternity and I love it. It was a great way to meet people with my same major and get involved with the community. There are all sorts of professional fraternities for all majors! And of course there are organizations that aren't based on academics- Mizzou has a recreational wake-boarding team! Lots of people at Mizzou party, if you want to go out there is always something going on. But if you don't want to go to a party or bar, there are plenty of other things to do, too! I believe that 25{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of students are involved in greek life! I am not in a sorority, but I am still friends with several girls who are. It's really not as "segregated" as movies and TV make it out to be!

With the opening of the new student center, a lot more organizations have a home base, and so more activities are going on all the time. There are events like Mizzou After Dark that offer alternatives to “typical college fun” with free food, music, and making things. There are school sponsored concerts and talks featuring popular artists every semester. My favorite so far was hip-hop artist Common and hilarious author David Sedaris. These are great for going to with friends to break up the stress of school, and it gives you the chance to meet people with similar extracurricular interests. I participated in several groups, including French club, Russian club, Photo club, Student and Auxiliary services, Alternative Spring Break, and a few others. My favorite by far was Sustain Mizzou, which promotes sustainable practices on campus. They planned outdoor excursions in addition to more traditional “table sitting” as a way to promote their goals. They were very inclusive and friendly, not at all exclusive like some fraternity organizations can be. There were both extremely motivated activists who would dumpster dive in the name of sustainability and people who are just mindful to recycle and turn off the lights. There are tons of groups like this that are small enough to make friends through but large enough to make an impact on campus. For example, Sustain Mizzou’s recycling initiatives was able to put recycling bins at many locations on campus.

There are over 500 student organizations on campus. If there is anything at all you're interested in, you can definitely find it here. Mizzou is what you make it, so definitely look at what we offer and what you can potentially get involved in before you come! I'm involved in Greek Life, Natural Resources Mentor Program, The Craft Studio, Greeks Going Green/Sustain Mizzou and a lot more! There is literally always something you can do on any given day.

Like it or not, Greek life is alive and loud on campus. However, it's easy to avoid if you want to. And there are certainly plenty of alternatives. There are lots of campus organized activities - notable speakers (Kathy Griffin to Maya Angelou), comedy shows, live bands, free/ $1 movies, spa nights, international festivals etc. Most events are free or very affordable to students. Student newspaper is huge and there seem to be 600 christian groups (in all varieties)...though that's just a rough estimate. Personally, I tried out probably 15 clubs freshman year before I landed where I belonged. It required a little perseverance because the clubs are poorly advertised - though we do have a semi-annual activities mart. I met my closest friends from my freshman dorm and the dance clubs I belong to. Social clubs like these are wonderful because you meet students, but they also organize events in the community and in surrounding cities. Not to mention...clubs are the main source of meeting people, hearing about parties, and (quite frankly) hooking up and/or falling in love.

The Mizzou Greek system is one of the largest sources of charity I have ever seen. We have one of the largest blood drives in the country, organize countless food drives and other service events, and support countless individual philanthropies. Anyone that believes all Greeks party all day and don't care about their classes should stop watching "Animal House" and take a look at how much money, awareness and service hours Mizzou Greek students have raised in the past year alone. At the same time, I am in a sorority and many of my close friends are non-Greeks. While being Greek is a very enriching part of my life and a large population on Mizzou's campus, it is not essential. Another amazing experience at Mizzou is the numerous football games. We have one of the most amazing fan bases I have ever been involved in. People sit in the rain and snow to cheer on the Tigers every Fall semester. This past October we had our 100th Homecoming and Columbia was bursting at the seams. Families came from all over the country to witness the historical event and I was so glad I'm a student this year. No matter what the teams' record, current and past Tigers hold that team close our hearts and will always root for a Tiger win.