callen92

Decent Health & Counseling

The University of Denver's Ritchie Center also houses the Health & Counseling center on campus, which is a pretty great resource if you're feeling ill, either physically or emotionally.

The Health center is decent, and you can usually get an appointment for the same day if you give them a call early enough. The nurses/doctors seem professional enough, although they usually just seem to give you ibuprofen and soup for a wide range of symptoms.

The Counseling center is an even better resource. You usually talk to graduate students in Psychology, and you can schedule something like 7 or 8 weekly appointments every quarter for only about $5 or $10 a piece.

Luckily, I've never been sick enough to test the limits of the Health center, but as an on-campus resource, it works well.

Decent Computers in Library, Great Printing System

This is a bit odd to talk about, as currently our library is undergoing a huge renovation, but our current makeshift library in the student center actually has a good amount of computers in a pretty small space. These computers have got some huge monitors and seem to work pretty quickly. I could see how it could get a bit difficult to snag a space during finals or midterms, but I've never really had much of a problem with it.

Now, the printing system is fantastic on campus. Once you log into the network, you can print to any printer on campus wirelessly. There's usually one or more in every building, so no matter where you are, you'll be able to print an assignment from your laptop and retrieve it quickly. This is especially useful if you're running late, or if you forget to bring an assignment - you can print practically on your way to class, if need be!

Best if you go downtown, but great!

With downtown Denver so close and easily accessible, there is always something to do on a Friday or Saturday night. Clubs abound. Bars aplenty. Restaurants a many. Some fantastic concert venues accessible by public transportation (though it's best if you have a friend with a car) that bring big acts regularly. In terms of areas, my personal recommendation is Larimer Square, which is right next to the center for performing arts. Great vibes overall.

In terms of nightlife around campus, your options are a little more limited, aside from the few bars/late night restaurants and the occasional house party. While these can be fun since they're made up primarily of students, I'd definitely recommend going downtown or out to a show if you're looking for a night out.

A perfect fit? Not really. A great experience? Absolutely!

Part of the reason I chose DU was due to my personal needs - I didn't want to be at a school that was too far from home (mine's in Boulder, CO), and thus, DU was a pretty solid choice for me. As a result, I had to sacrifice a couple interests for my overall personal needs. For example, I'm not much of a skiier, and as a result, it was a bit tough to find people to really gel with initially. As well, I'm not involved in any way with the business school, and it can feel a bit alienating when the business schoool is so prominent on campus.

HOWEVER, those little drawbacks aside, my time at DU has been really quite positive. Professors are approachable, classes have gotten reasonably challenging now that I'm in my second year, and the people on campus and in class are very friendly. There are always some pretty interesting speakers or panels on campus, and now that DU's been chosen to host the first 2012 presidential debate, the student community has gotten more involved in political affairs (which is great to see, as an International Studies/Political Science major).

Overall, I've made some great friends, learned a lot, and have had many doors opened to me during my time at DU... and I'm not even half done. Perhaps I could have found a better school somewhere (maybe a more liberal arts education would have done me well), but I don't think I went wrong, and I can't imagine anyone really going wrong at DU.

Unless you hate snow. :-)