University of Wisconsin-Madison Top Questions

Since there are so many diverse students on campus, it's hard to pinpoint exactly what a "typical" student" is like. There are some commonalities though. Many students are involved in some organizations. One of the most popular is the Hoofers, which invites students interested in all sorts of outdoor activities to get together. They scuba dive, sail, ski, snowboard, horseback ride, hike, kayak... basically any activity outdoors, you name it, they do it! Another uniting aspect of UW-Madison is the sports and leisure activities. The culture surrounding football in particular it is as much a part of the football season as the games themselves. When basketball season rolls around people go nuts and host parties around the games (they provide a great respite from studying too!). Union South has a great, contemporary theater that screens current movies every weekend--for free! There are many options such as the theater if you're not into drinking, as many clubs host activities during the weekend that don't involve alcohol consumption. If, however, you are fine with drinking, you'll find no shortage of ways to have fun doing so. Seeing as Wisconsin and beer go hand in hand, students here enjoy having a few brews while hanging out with friends and partying. Though sometimes it becomes excessive--think the Mifflin Street Block Party--people usually have a good handle on their drinking and don't act stupidly. Other traditions like Mifflin include the All Campus Party (which doesn't involve alcohol) and Go Big Read, which is a school-sponsored event where a renowned author comes and speaks.

Sports are very popular here but there are many other activities to participate in. There are plenty of political groups, religious groups, human rights clubs, and hobby meetings. Also, sororities and fraternities are popular. Nearly every weekend there seems to be a party, even some that do not include drinking. Dancing lessons (example: Salsa) are available and popular for a fun activity. Many residence halls hold gaming nights, either for video games or board games. There are plenty of options for everyone.

Partying is definitely a large part of the social scene on campus. Contrary to popular belief, however, it is not the only scene. There are many opportunities for students to get involved with other students and the community. The Associated Students of Madison is the popular student government group, committed to getting the student voices heard on campus. Another popular student group is the Wisconsin Alumni Student Board, run by the Alumni Association. WASB sponsors many of the larger campus activities and events, such as Homecoming week, welcome week activities, and the All-Campus party. During finals week, sometimes they even hand out breakfast on Bascom Hill! There are also many restaurants and theaters around town designed for every college student's budget. Theaters include the Orpheum and the Majestic, which house concerts and often movie screening parties. In a different cultural aspect, The Overture Center for the Arts on State Street is the main place to see musicals, some of the campus singing groups and orchestras, plays, and ballets. No matter your interests, there is something for everyone in the city and on campus, and you'll never be bored if you don't want to be.

Since the University is so big, there are a ton of groups to get involved with. I'm on the UW Cycling Team, which is the biggest club sport on campus. It's a very well organized and supportive club, and from what I've seen of other clubs, they seem to be the same way. Lots of emails get sent out from different clubs, and chances are you'll have an interest in one of them. Athletic events are very, very popular. Game days during the football season are a sight to behold, with the streets flood with red and white. Camp Randall has an incredible atmosphere, and the legendary student section always makes sure that they remain legendary by taking part in the strong traditions of the section. There are of course the two biggest party nights of the academic year, which are Halloween and Mifflin. Halloween/Freakfest isn't quite what it used to be in terms of intensity, but it has gotten much safer and calm over the past few years. The Mifflin Street Block Party is the big finals week kick off, and students are generally uncompromising with its taking place. Partying is a pretty big deal at UW but it isn't absolutely necessary. The bar scene is awesome though, and there are a ton of places to choose from.

Your social life will be great if you like drinking a lot. If you are very academic or otherwise not "normal" or "cool" you will likely have a hard time unless you can seek out people you can relate to. There is almost nothing to do on weekend nights but drinking in dive bars - there are a few more options on weeknights for alternative entertainment.

There are two locations for dorms, southeast and lakeshore. Southeast is stereotyped as the party dorms and located closer to State Street whereas lakeshore is the quieter location right off of Lake Mendota. I think you can find people who party and who are quieter in both locations, but the southeast dorms are definitely louder due to them being closer to downtown Madison. It's nice to come back to the lakeshore dorms and be able to sleep in the nice peace and quiet. Most of the partying is on Thursday, Friday, Saturday nights, but you can find someone to go out with you on any night of the week and there won't be that much judgement, lol. There is always something to do on campus, but mostly I enjoy just hanging out with my friends. One thing that UW doesn't have is a movie theater, so you have to go off campus, but every student gets a city bus pass for free. However, it's hard to work out the timing and a bus ride is usually 45 minutes.

I wouldn't know.

The social life is great. We have a pretty decent sized fraternity and sorority scene but if that isn't your thing then there are so many other places to party and go out. The bar scene is also amazing and State Street comes alive at night and on the weekends. Also, football game tailgates can get pretty crazy.

Some of the most popular groups include Greek Life, Sports, and WASB. Im on the UW water Polo team and I've established many friends through there. I am also involved in a sorority where I have met all my best friends and spend most of my time with them on the weekends. I lived in Southeast Dorms, Witte and absolutely loved it (minus the fire alarms) Most people kept their rooms open and our floor was really close. Athletic events are everything here! I haven't attended many guest speaker events or theater. The dating scene, at least for freshman year is about 25{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} 75{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c}...25{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} go into long term relationships while most hook up. I met my closest friends in the dorm and through my sorority. If im awake on tuesday at 2am, I am either studying or procrastinating because Im with friends on the floor talking. Traditions includee Halloween on State street and Mifflin (the last weekend to party in spring). People party Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. I usually pick one or two nights to drink so i'm not completely exhausted to study and catch up on homework for the week. Greek life is about 10{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c}, if your in them many of your connections and associations and parties are within that community, but you can easily be in other communities such as sports or dorm friends. You can have an awesome social life without being involved, and if you are involved its your choice on how involved you want to be. Typical weekends we go out to fraternity parties or house parties with friends, then end the night with Ians pizza. Saturday nights without alcohol you can go on state street to dinner and a concert. I didnt really do much off campus, but you can take the bus to malls or downtowns.

There is always something going on on campus. Free concerts, sporting events, movies playing at the Union, political debates, charity events, and many more. And almost everything is contained on campus. Within a 20 minute walk, you can go to an art museum, attend a rock concert, find a house party, run a charity 5k, see a hockey game, and sail on Lake Mendota. A person with any hobbies or interests can find something they enjoy, and other people to enjoy it with.