mkeith

Good Variety – Campus dining is decent at SLU, and is improving. In the BSC you have The Bean (a coffee shop), ABP (like a Panera's), Salsaritas, and Grand Market, which has an A&W, Sushi Bar, Pizza, Subs, etc. The cafeterias of Gries and Reinart are OK. Gries has really good Sunday brunch! Terra Ve is a really good Vegetarian option. There is also Ameren Cafe in the business school, Fusz (has fast food options mostly), and Subway.

The only thing about dining on campus is the meal plans are really expensive and there is mega inflation. Most argue you don't get what you pay for, but I like the food on campus just fine. I just try not to think about the cost.

I would advise everyone to get the meal plan with the most flex!

St.Louis weather is unpredictable, but decent. The summers are humid, winters are cold, and the in-between varies from day to day.

SLU's rules are definitely enforced,but the consequences aren't all that severe. Underage drinking is not condoned, but Anheuser Busch has given tons of money to the school. You can break the rules, but have to realize that if you aren't careful you will be caught.

Not Too Shabby – Living on campus isn't bad at SLU. Air conditioning is standard. Especially your freshman year it helps make you feel part of the campus. Freshman and Sophomores are required to live on campus. After that most choose to move off campus because living on campus is more expensive than living in an apartments off campus... plus less rules. Griesdeck/Walsh/Clemons Hall- Where most of the Freshmen live. Centrally located and tons of fun. Walsh is all girls, Clemons is all boys, and Griesdeck is co-ed by floor. There are two to a room. I loved living in Gries! Reinart Hall- Where the other Freshmen live. It is OK. Three to a room. The main problem is that it is slightly off campus and you have to walk by the 'shady Shell' to get anywhere. People who live there tend to like it depending on how well they bond with their floor mates. DeMatt- The Greek dorms. Many Sophomores in the Greek community choose to live here. Plenty of fun to be had living in DeMatt! Fusz- Upperclassmen dorms... not so great. Marguerite- Sophomores and Micahs Grand Forest Apartments- Atheletes Marchetti Towers- Sophomores and Upperclassmen. They are apartment dorms basically. The Village Apartments- Usually reserved for the Upperclassmen still living on campus. They are very nice and the RA's are lax.

Many Options – The area around SLU is full of good restaurants and coffee shops to try. Most students choose to stay on campus to eat because there are plenty of options and you don't have to have money, but if you want to get off campus there are plenty of options. Cafe Ventana is a great little Bistro by the Vandy Apartments that has an interesting atmosphere and famous Beignets (French Doughnuts). During the week they have live music and trivia nights for when you need a study break. Vitos is a pizza/italian place just up Lindel. On The Hill you can find the famous Italian community full of world class Italian Food. In the Central West End or at The Loop you can find many restaurants. The Landing has the bars. I could go on and on... just check it out for yourself.

Wonderful Experience – I could not imagine being anywhere else! The moment I moved in I was addicted to the wonderful atmosphere and people I was meeting. Though we are located in the middle of the city, SLU is its own little community of young people. The people at SLU are friendly and there is never a dull moment. Students tend to work hard during the week and party hard on the weekends. The only complaint you will hear around campus is the price of tuition... which isn't cheap, but over 90% of students at SLU get some sort of scholarship.

Easy as a Metro Ride – Getting around St. Louis is as easy as a metro ride. The metro is very affordable and can get you about anywhere you want to go. The metro can be a bit sketchy, but it beats taking a bus. Just be sure you have a friend with you!

It's Expensive – Parking on campus is rather expensive like most things about SLU, but having a car on campus is certainly not necessary. If you don't have a car there are many options when it comes to getting around. SLU offers a shuttle every weekend that goes to various shopping centers including the Galleria. Then there is the metro which I tend to prefer that will get you pretty much anywhere including Busch Stadium, the Galleria, the Airport, Forest Park, etc. A round trip ticket is only $4.50. If all else fails at least one of your friends will have a car and could give you a ride.

Love It – SLU tries to make Greek Life out to be minute and unimportant, but if you are actually in a Fraternity or Sorority it is as big as you want it to be. The administration dislikes Greeks, though we do more community service than non-Greeks and have a higher average GPA than the average GPA of the non-Greek community. The best part about Greek life at SlU is it won't dominate your social life unless you want it to. Sororities in particular intermingle and the girls have many friends in other sororities or outside of the Greek community. There are no houses, but D Matt is the all/mostly Greek Dorms where many Greek Sophomores choose to live. Whether or not you choose to be Greek is a personal choice and it will not affect your social life; however, I would urge you to go through rush and try it out. Going Greek is a great way to get involved around campus and allows for many social, service, and leadership opportunities.

No Football Team – If you hadn't heard, we have no football team. We make up for this with our really good Soccer team and Basketball stadium. Notice I didn't say the Basketball team is good. It isn't bad, but it could be better considering how expensive the new (but amazing) Chaifetz Arena was and the cost of season tickets. Basically, our Basketball is up and coming.