University of Arizona Reviews

Geez, Greek life is gigantic here....

Geez, Greek life is gigantic here. I am not a part of it, nor have I desired to be a part of it, but those who are seem to have a blast doing what they do best---partying, playing sports versus other frats or sororities on a Tuesday afternoon during midterm week, date-dashing at one of our sushi restaurants on University Boulevard---but it is the right cup of tea for some just not me. Maybe they are considered the "cool kids," but I thought high school was over?

Our campus, given the state that...

Our campus, given the state that we live in, is pretty darn diverse. There is such a range of kids of all orientations and protests for everything to anti-abortion to GLBT rights. We've got every religion, every race, every political and sexual orientation you could imagine. That's one thing I love about Arizona.

I am allergic to gluten, so this...

I am allergic to gluten, so this was really hard for me. I would eat at our many salad bars; Core and Cactus Grill have a nice selection. But after freshman year, you get really sick of the food and the smell of the food, so just get a job where you can afford to buy food at the store or go out to eat.

We have our own police force, so...

We have our own police force, so don't mess with them. They are good about finding kids smoking weed and driving drunk, as seen in the Police Beat in our Wildcat newspaper. Don't bring guns or a bottle of Jack to class and you should be alright.

Parties on campus don't really...

Parties on campus don't really exist if you are not in a sorority or fraternity. Off campus is probably a better shot for a good party or bar. My favorite bar is Plush. It's a retro-lounge that has suede and tacky carpet and comfy couches with live music and strong drinks. Also, Vaudeville is fun on certain nights if you want to dance or listen to DJs.

I don't really notice much of a...

I don't really notice much of a drug scene, unless you count cigarettes, then those are used here and there by students. Alcohol is the only other real drug noticed by me, and of course no one brings it on campus. Well, maybe they try to sneak it into football games.

Drugs at U of A are a part of...

Drugs at U of A are a part of campus life. You read it daily in the Wildcat in the police beat section, but I haven't been forced to do anything, and peer pressure just isn't there. Alcohol is really the only "drug" that is obviously abused at our campus.

Some dorms are good, and some...

Some dorms are good, and some suck. The good ones are La Paz, Posada de San Pedro, and most of the new ones on Highland. Arizona/Sonora is nice; it is huge like Coronado, another mediocre dorm. The supposedly haunted one is Hopi because someone was killed there. Kaibab is the one I lived in, and it looks like a priso,n but with the right decorating it is kind of cozy. There are many other dorms, but I haven't seen them all.

Greek life is gigantic here;...

Greek life is gigantic here; everywhere you look, someone is wearing their Greek shirt or backpack. I guess it is in a sector of its own in the social scene because they all have their own parties and events and other people do the same thing. If you want to rush, you have plenty of options, and if you don't, there are many other social scenes to get involved in.

Arizona has a lot of options, but...

Arizona has a lot of options, but on your meal plan you still get sick of the food. I like this new place called Core where you build your own salads, also Oy Vey Café is delicious. Our dining halls aren't very typical; there are tables everywhere inside and out, and there is always something going on. The Student Union seems to have your generic foods like Burger King, Chick-Fil-A and Panda Express. If you wander around, you will find some of the hidden treasures of campus like Oy Vey.

I bring my laptop to campus...

I bring my laptop to campus everyday. U of A has a huge public Wi-Fi network that stretches to cover all of the buildings on campus. The ILC (Integrated Learning Center) has so many computers, but for some reason they are always full. So if you need to print a project, get there early in anticipation of waiting for one to open up.

The campus is so diverse, maybe...

The campus is so diverse, maybe not as much as others, but we do have people from everywhere all mushed into one little university. There are so many different belief systems and political and sexual ideologies, but everyone just gets along (unless there is some crazy protest on campus). You can't really tell who believes in what, so we just become friends, and it works here in Tucson.

Tucson's public transportation, or...

Tucson's public transportation, or lack there of, is probably one of the worst. I moved here for school from the East Coast, and seeing how poorly planned the city and the transportation routes are makes me miss that about the East Coast. But once you get the hang of Safe Ride and biking everywhere, you can get around yourself.

In Tucson, the campus police are...

In Tucson, the campus police are very strict. I have seen multiple kids in my dorm from freshman year get caught with drugs and expelled from school. My advice is just be smart about using drugs and drinking. Don't do it in the dorm or in a public area---it just isn't worth it.

What I like about off-campus...

What I like about off-campus housing is you have plenty of options. You can be close to campus in an apartment with other college students or in a house and be a little more secluded. Or you can drive 20 minutes up the road and live by the Catalina Mountains and get away from college life for a while. All housing is so easy to find and almost the same as if you were living in the dorms.

The weather is perfect. Who...

The weather is perfect. Who doesn't love more than 300 days of sun? Even when it rains here the weather's great.

Parking sucks!

The police here live to dole out...

The police here live to dole out MIPs to students, but if you have common sense, partying Thursday through Saturday without getting in trouble is more than easy.

Tucson seems on par with the rest...

Tucson seems on par with the rest of my life when it comes to diversity. Having all major religions, political dogmas, and social classes represented on campus provides an excellent variety when it comes to meeting new people.

Most of the dorms are nice....

Most of the dorms are nice. Babcock Inn and the other apartment dorms are shady, though.

Parking is tough if you don't live...

Parking is tough if you don't live on campus. Get there early.

Freshman year is the only year I...

Freshman year is the only year I have had a meal plan, and that is plenty. There is a hugely diverse selection of food, but how many times can you eat Panda Express or bagels for breakfast? There are good hidden treasures like Oy Vey Café (vegetarian and kosher), Reddington Café, and the Cellar if you are craving greasy food.

Off-campus housing is the easiest...

Off-campus housing is the easiest thing to encounter after freshman year. I have found three beautiful Tucson charms in the past three years and loved all of them. In the student union there is actually a housing guide desk with all the information on off-campus apartments. To find houses, just hop in the car or look in the classifieds. There are tons.

The Suntran is our public...

The Suntran is our public transportation for the city of Tucson, but I would not trust it. I rode it once, and it was 15 minutes late picking me up and a half an hour late dropping me off. But, on campus there is the Catran which seems a bit more reliable. The cabs off campus are punctual, and Safe Ride is there for you if you call.

U of A has a ton of diversity for...

U of A has a ton of diversity for Arizona. I mean, we have a huge influx of foreign exchange students because our programs are so diverse. We are also a campus that will accommodate any religion, any ideology, and any political or sexual orientation. The nice thing is that we can all interact in a classroom, and the differences aren't even a factor.