Loyola University Chicago Reviews

As a current student, I can attest...

As a current student, I can attest that the University is no longer in debt and budget issues are no longer a major issue—the amount of construction that has occurred in the two years I have been at LUC has been staggering. Overall, I am happy with the education I have received at Loyola. The professors go out of their way to help you succeed, which motivates the students to put effort into their studies. Loyola's Jesuit mission places large emphasis on service learning, and this has truly enhanced my college experience. While Loyola has its negatives, particularly expensive tuition, Loyola's location in Chicago provides a :real-world" education that I believe will be invaluable in the working world.

The only drug I've ever...

The only drug I've ever encountered was marijuana. I haven't encountered it a great deal, but it's there if you want it. Adderall is another drug that is prevalent on campus (hazard of stressed out students), but other than that I haven't seen much else around on campus.

As an underclassman, the key to...

As an underclassman, the key to nightlife is to acquire a fake I.D. Loyola is a bar school. It is not much of a house party school. If you join an organization that throws a lot of parties i.e. Greek Life, there will be house parties. However, as a freshman, you won't attend many house parties. House parties are more for upperclassmen who are living in off campus apartments.

Loyola isn't exactly in the safest...

Loyola isn't exactly in the safest area, but they do a lot to make sure you stay safe. Just try to stay away from shady-looking characters and don't take the El or walk around alone at night ever, and you should be okay. There are many emergency phones and emergency buttons on campus that you can reach campus safety instantly with, so if anything does happen you can just press one of the buttons.

Aside from alcohol, drugs aren't...

Aside from alcohol, drugs aren't too prevalent. You will find the occasional pothead, but nothing else really.

Public transportation in Chicago...

Public transportation in Chicago is a godsend. As a full time student, you get a U-Pass which gives you unlimited rides on the "L" and the buses. There are "L" stops on both ends of campus, and you can catch a bus anywhere on or near campus. Just remember to check ctabustracker.com to make sure a bus is coming. You don't want to be waiting in the cold for half an hour during a Chicago winter day.

The food on campus is bad. ...

The food on campus is bad. Rambler Room is decent, but it does not accept the meal plans so it is not a great solution for freshmen. Simpson Dining and Lakeshore Dining are not great, but if you only go occasionally they aren't nearly as bad as if you eat there 3 times a day.

Of course you can bring a car, but...

Of course you can bring a car, but trying to find parking can be outrageous. It's best to use the CTA for your travel needs and leave the car at home.

They are not extremely strict...

They are not extremely strict about drinking. They will bust a party occasionally but there aren't any consequences. I believe Loyola has plans to make their policies stricter though.

It's not easy to find street...

It's not easy to find street parking at all, but sophomores, juniors, and seniors can rent a parking space in a residence hall. The parking garage is available for day parking but you can't leave your car there overnight.

Rogers Park isn't the safest, but...

Rogers Park isn't the safest, but you're going to deal with that in any city. I prefer Chicago over a small town any day.

Many people take police to be a...

Many people take police to be a joke. If you're partying somewhere off campus, your bigger concern would be the Chicago Police, who are supposedly cracking down on underage drinking. A lot of people drink in the rooms frequently and never get busted, so it's not a huge risk to drink in the dorms. The campus police tend to focus on keeping students safe from outside people/forces and let drinking and drug use within the student population slide.

Nightlife downtown is mostly for...

Nightlife downtown is mostly for people 21 and up. Loyola doesn't seem to have a whole lot of parties every weekend around campus, but there are a few constants every weekend. The parties charge about $5, but frequently get busted, so you never know how long you'll be there. There are two main bars close to campus that students can get into with a fake I.D. if they're underage. These are Hamilton's and P. Co's and many people just go there every weekend.

There are two dining halls, Lake...

There are two dining halls, Lake Shore Dining and Simpson Dining, on the Lake Shore Campus where meal plans can be used. Both of them have salad bars, daily hot food selections, cold sandwich meats, soups, and dessert selections. Simpson generally has better everything, but it is located on the "South side" of campus which is about a 8-10-minute walk for people who live in Mertz Hall, which is where Lake Shore Dining is located. Also on campus is the Rambler Room, where food can be purchased a la carte using flex dollars, rambler bucks, or the declining balance meal plan that upperclassmen have. Rambler Room is open until 1 a.m. six nights a week and has an American grill with chicken fingers, hamburgers, fries, etc., a sandwich bar, a coffee bar, and an international section.

I think there are a lot of people...

I think there are a lot of people at Loyola who do drugs. It is obvious that a lot of people smoke cigarettes, because they can be found outside any building around campus. There is even a round cement structure in front of CFSU that the students call "The Ashtray" because in the warm weather students sit on it and smoke. Besides cigarettes, I think a lot of pot is also used around campus. I smell it coming from rooms on my floor, and the elevators in Mertz almost always smell like it.

Hands down, the best part of...

Hands down, the best part of Loyola is the people. I met my best friends here and learned more from them about life then I did in any classroom. I wish I was at school elsewhere, but only because I finally know what I want to do with my life, and Loyola doesn’t offer a program in that. Otherwise, I’m a Rambler and darn proud of it.

I really enjoy Loyola. The school...

I really enjoy Loyola. The school is just the right size, and having the city around is really great. Sometimes I do wish that I had gone somewhere with college football or a bigger party scene, but no matter where you go, there will always be something you are missing. Given everything that I gained by going to Loyola, I would never do it differently.

Loyola still has a lot of issues...

Loyola still has a lot of issues to sort out, including the administration’s seeming witch hunt for anything at all that could be wrong with student life, as well as some budget problems, but with ever-increasing class sizes, the financial problems should be a thing of the past.

Hamilton’s is the most popular bar...

Hamilton’s is the most popular bar and tends to be very crowded on Thursday nights (Loyola’s number one going-out night), with the front bar being more bar-like, and the back bar being more club-like, complete with a soggy dance floor and insane drum-machine music.

The girls, frankly, stink. There...

The girls, frankly, stink. There are no knock-outs, but most of them act like they are. A lot of the girls have crabby, selfish personalities and drink way too much, way too often. Most of them are teases. I’m one of them.

The dorms are pretty good, with...

The dorms are pretty good, with some structured like typical dorms (one to two communal bathrooms per floor of residents), and some more modern and private (rooms divided into suites wherein four to six students share one, semi-private bath). Naturally, I will plug Simpson Living and Learning Center, as I chose to live there over Mertz, and really liked the set-up of suites and non-massively-communal bathrooms.

Both Simpson and Mertz, the two...

Both Simpson and Mertz, the two main dormitories on campus, allow for you to never leave the building (except to go to class), as they have computer labs, dining halls, study lounges, and recreation areas all under one roof (Mertz, being connected to the student union, has much more going on its building), which is a really good thing during the winter.

Having spent my freshman year in...

Having spent my freshman year in Simpson, I’m partial to it, but I also like the added measure of privacy you have there; the rooms are set up as suites, with two or three two-person rooms sharing a bathroom. If you have a good relationship with the suitemates, it’s a great way to live.

There are lots of hotties on...

There are lots of hotties on campus; check out Hamilton’s on a Thursday night, and you’ll see what I mean.

The dorm rooms are extremely nice,...

The dorm rooms are extremely nice, which was one of the major draws to Loyola. Simpson Living and Learning Center has the newest rooms. The biggest rooms on campus can be located here, as well as the smallest dorm rooms. If you want mice for company, then Mertz is the place to go. If you’re lucky enough to get a corner room, you’ll have an awesome view of Lake Michigan. The downside is that females and males are separated by floor, whereas Simpson allows both genders to run rampant on the same floor.