University of Florida Reviews

I feel very safe at UF. There were...

I feel very safe at UF. There were numerous nights when I walked on campus by myself at midnight (and I'm a girl) to the Reitz to get food and then back to my room. But, I still made sure to stick to the main well-lit roads.

You'll constantly see UFPD cars...

You'll constantly see UFPD cars cruising through campus, and they ticket hard on cars that go over the 20 mph campus-wide speed-limit. This sucks if there's heavy traffic during the day, and you need to get off campus. They are pretty lax with drinking—a highlight of my time at UF is when the Later Gator bus, which runs from the clubs to apartments and campus until 3 a.m., is packed with drunk people. You'll see what I mean if you ever spend a night here.

I'm not gonna lie, UF is a...

I'm not gonna lie, UF is a challenging school academically compared to other public universities. UF was named a "Public Ivy" by U.S. News, so that just shows how competitive UF is. In the end, it's definitely worth all the hard work to get a degree from here.

The atmosphere here is what...

The atmosphere here is what college dreams are made of. There are tons of clubs and bars to go to, college kids everywhere, lots of bookstores, and on football days, there is an electricity that is palpable.

I feel very safe here. The...

I feel very safe here. The University has its own police force that responds to calls. In the residence halls there are also nighttime security assistants who patrol the area.

Food on campus ranges from decent...

Food on campus ranges from decent to really good. There are several dining halls which are the best bang for your buck on campus, but they do get really old if you eat every meal there for more than two semesters. They usually have ‘themed’ stations and you can eat all you want while you’re there—and more if you can stash it in a bookbag.

As far as I’m concerned, our...

As far as I’m concerned, our campus food is satisfactory. One thing UF students never have to worry about is available options. Everything you could ever want—within reason—is available somewhere on or off campus.

There are labs to use, and you can...

There are labs to use, and you can use them, but the biggest college investment you make (besides tuition) should be an up-to-date computer. Honestly, that is my biggest recommendation! We have Gatorlink, which sllows you to use all online resources from the library from home using a proxy server. It saves so much time and is an amazing resource for class!

My favorite dining hall is at...

My favorite dining hall is at Broward. The food is more expensive if you don’t have a meal plan, but I love eating there occasionally. Gator Dining near the O’Dome is okay, but not my first choice. The Arredondo Room isn’t bad either. I like making my own salads there.

The dorms are all very different....

The dorms are all very different. If you like communal living (much more social, but you share hall bathrooms) the Tolbert area is fun; it’s also close to classes. Springs, Keys, Lakeside, and Hume are newer, more expensive, and a little less social. Your chances for fewer roommates and a bathroom shared with only a few people increase in these halls. East and Springs were my favorite places to live.

Dorms are a lot of fun. You meet...

Dorms are a lot of fun. You meet so many people and have a great time. You can check online; some don’t have air-conditioning. Avoid those. Some are suites, like apartments, and others are normal dorms, depending on preference. Dorms are an experience that I’m glad I tried.

I lived in Jennings and Broward,...

I lived in Jennings and Broward, two typical freshman dorms, I think. They were both okay—pretty representative of the others. The rooms are small, and sharing a bathroom with 50 other people sucks, but that’s dorm life. There are awesome dorms for honors program kids, so I would take advantage of that if that applies to you. I have heard mixed complaints and praise. Overall, I’d say the dorms are no better or worse than at other big universities.

The dorms aren’t bad at all, and...

The dorms aren’t bad at all, and they’re getting better all the time. I lived in Broward for all four years of school, and it was conveniently close to a lot of classes, very social, and neither too small nor large. The new dorms, like Springs and Lakeside, are supposed to be pretty nice, but you’ll pay a lot to live there.

One awesome thing is the cable. If...

One awesome thing is the cable. If you live on campus, you get great channels, and in addition, there is a movie channel that shows Pay-Per-View-type movies all month. It’s great because you get to watch newer movies all the time. I think it’s great to live on campus at least one year.

If you are only looking at cost,...

If you are only looking at cost, then living on campus is best. However, we have bus service to campus from almost all apartments in Gainesville. Most of these bus frequencies are between 10 and 20 minutes. Most importantly, the bus fare is free.

I didn’t live off campus until...

I didn’t live off campus until graduate school. If you choose an apartment complex or house close to campus that offers the amenities that you are interested in, it is worth it. But for the first year or two, living on campus can be a good experience. If you have trouble finding compatible roommates, you want to have dogs or cats, or you are a very private person, then you may want to live off campus.

Truthfully, most people live on...

Truthfully, most people live on campus for one year or none at all. There are a million places to live off campus and almost all of them (if not all of them) have buses directly to campus. Many of them are walking distance, too. There is a wide range, from really upscale and expensive to the less expensive.

The convenience of off-campus...

The convenience of off-campus housing varies by the complex. There are some apartments close to campus, but you’ll pay a pretty penny to live within walking distance. If you get an apartment, pick one off at least one bus line. Then you shouldn’t have too much problem if you plan your time right.

Very conveniently, most apartment...

Very conveniently, most apartment complexes have a bus system that takes you right to campus. A lot of the apartments are also fully furnished (if you want) so moving is a lot simpler and cheaper! They have every size, with every amenity available. Check out www.go-rts.com for a bus schedule, click on apartments and you can see the system. There are a lot of apartment links, too. If you’re looking for off-campus housing your first year, I don’t suggest it.

The people on campus are pretty...

The people on campus are pretty nice. They are also really smart. Sometimes I feel intimidated by people’s intelligence—however, at the same time, there are the ditzes who tend to make you feel better about yourself.

UF, I would say, is filled with...

UF, I would say, is filled with your ‘beautiful people.’ Like the real world you have a wide variety of people based on personality, smarts, and looks. However, when thinking of society’s picture of beauty, you will not have to look too hard to find it here at UF.

I don’t know much about the drug...

I don’t know much about the drug scene. However, the University caters to more than 40 thousand students. You are going to have everyone from your habitual users to your party indulgers. I believe this is what you would find anywhere.

There is definitely a lot of...

There is definitely a lot of drinking and marijuana use going on at UF. A lot of students also get into other drugs, but you won’t have trouble finding friends who consider drinking to be the extent of their drug use.

I know that a number of students...

I know that a number of students do use drugs, but the drug scene is something that is easily avoided.

Well, UF has a lot of clubs and a...

Well, UF has a lot of clubs and a lot of bars. Some people go to both clubs and bars, but most people are one-or-the-other types. CJ’s is a popular bar, as well as Gator City. I would say those are the two most popular. 8 Seconds is a fun club for the country scene, which everyone here seems to like at one point or another.