Universicyte

Food Is Tolerable but Overpriced

The campus food is generally okay, with the best food being in Schroeder (which specializes in Italian food) and Cobeen. The variety is generally pretty poor, especially if you're vegetarian or looking for healthy food, but there will generally be something you'll like in at least one of the dining halls. There are also plenty of places to eat in the AMU, but using your meal plan blocks there limits the choices of food you can eat. Luckily, you also get dining dollars with your meal plan, and if you don't get the unlimited plan, you'll have plenty of those. My main complaint is how expensive the meal plans are—not only are you paying more than $10 per meal for mediocre food, but you're paying more than you would have to pay if you just paid cash at the register! Meals range from about $4 for breakfast to $7 for dinner if you pay with cash or dining dollars, which is a bit overpriced for the food you get but is still more reasonable than the meal plans. Since you're required to buy a meal plan as long as you live in the dorms, my advice is to get the smallest plan so you get more dining dollars to buy food at the AMU.

Dorms Are Okay, Other Than the Strict Rules

I've lived in Cobeen and Carpenter so far, and both of them are okay. Cobeen definitely has the largest rooms on campus and is home to the best cafeteria, and it's all girls, which is a definite plus for those of us who want some peace and quiet. Carpenter is co-ed and has smaller rooms, but that's mostly because it has personal bathrooms instead of communal ones. Its elevators also break down a lot, which is a royal pain for anyone living above floor 6. As for the other halls: Straz has convenient access to the Rec Plex and a decent cafeteria. Schroeder is centrally located next to the AMU and across the street from most of the class buildings, and it has a great cafeteria if you're into Italian food. McCormick has a decent location but small rooms. McGabe Hall opened recently and is very nice—it used to be an apartment, and it has AC, private bathrooms, kitchen areas (but they took out all the stoves and fridges. Sorry!), etc.—but it's nearly impossible to get into. The rules for each dorm are fairly strict: no late-night visitation for people of the opposite gender (though people find ways around that, obviously), and you have to check people in each time you enter.

Not Much Drug Usage

Aside from alcohol, drug usage at Marquette is rare and usually kept secret. The hardest drug you're likely to hear about is weed, and even then, you mostly hear about it in DPS reports of students possessing a "green leafy substance".

Strict in Some Areas

The dorm policies are definitely strict—no overnight visitation for guys on girl's floors (and vice versa), and you have to check people in every time you enter the dorm. The RAs generally won't get you in trouble unless you're very blatantly breaking the rules. Public Safety is generally lenient as well, though they're strict enough to keep order on campus.

It's Wisconsin alright

I've lived in Wisconsin all my life, so the cold and dreary winters in Milwaukee are nothing new to me. The worst part of the winters here is the wind—there are several places on campus where there's a constant strong wind, which makes it feel even colder than it is. The warmer parts of the year are actually very pleasant, with temperatures rarely getting high enough to be uncomfortable and with the city winds turning into pleasant breezes.

Buses work just fine

Buses are a great way to get around downtown Milwaukee. Stops are frequent, and you get a semester-long bus pass with tuition that you might as well use. Taking buses out of downtown is more of a hassle since you'll be waiting longer for a bus, the ride takes longer, and the stops are scarcer. For going around on campus, walking usually works, but LIMOs are always an option if you don't mind waiting a while for the LIMO to come to you, and then another while for 10 other people to reach their stops, then another while to reach your stop. Several students have cars, but parking is so expensive and hard to find on campus and around downtown that I wouldn't recommend bringing one.