Academics
Located in the heart of the “Gator Nation,” Gainesville, Florida, the University of Florida offers “a hell of a deal” on “one of the best educations in the nation.” Students are proud that UF is “the best state school in Florida” and “one of the top public universities in the nation”; they also love that it’s “a great school with a large alumni network,” that there’s plenty of “intellectual stimulation” to be found there, and that UF’s “research opportunities are abundant.” Though the school has “strong academic standards” across the board, programs in Business and Journalism are particularly “highly ranked.” “Access to alumni” pays off when students seek “opportunities for networking and research,” and they find that “as a large school, [UF] has a lot of funding and a large number of opportunities for student involvement.” Students say that the university’s size doesn’t sacrifice individuals’ ability to focus on their course of study: “Classes for your major are hard, but they prepare you for more than easier classes would. They better prepare you for your career.” Moreover, “as a research university with nearly every graduate program imaginable, the opportunities are endless.” Students praise the “truly incredible faculty and staff” and appreciate that “one of the greatest strengths of UF is the fact there is always someone to turn to for help.” Class structure is still impacted by the school’s size in that “lectures are 80–90 percent of class activities,” but conversely, students love “having experts in my field teaching all of my classes for my major.” If “breadth of opportunities” for a value price is a priority for you, “The Gator Nation is one where anyone can build a future for themselves.”
Student Body
While “everyone is different,” “fraternity and sorority participation…dominates the student culture.” Students are “hard working and interested in getting ahead,” and “even though UF is considered a party school, it is full of people who put their future careers first.” “Students fit in by taking part in and participating in the various things our campus offers” and are often “busy and focused usually on one subject matter or area of interest to be involved in through extracurricular activities.” Even though it’s a large campus, one student remarks on the sense of community: “We’re students? I thought we were all part of one big family!” They find each other “mostly accepting and friendly,” but as a whole “hard to define. Gators are religious and non-religious, Greek and non-Greek, obsessed with athletics and some couldn’t care less.” Overall, the typical UF student “knows how to balance their school work and still have a good time.”
Campus Life
In terms of town-gown relations, “Gainesville revolves around UF, most everything is catered to the students and student life.” “Bars are the big scene,” and students “love going out with friends on the weekends to Midtown. It is a UF staple to party at Grog, Balls, and Salty Dog once you turn twenty-one.” “Tons of school spirit” ranks high on the list of things students love about UF, as “A lot of UF culture is based around sports.” “Greek life…is a big deal in both the social and extracurricular scene,” and “when you are in the Greek community, there are many things to do.” For other students, “I find myself working or studying in a computer lab most of the time,” and “there is a really intense nightlife, but when it comes to exams, papers and finals week, it is pretty quiet everywhere.” Extracurricular life can also be as forwardlooking as you want it to be: “In addition to classes, I research in a lab with the College of Medicine and volunteer at the hospital located on campus.” Students “play sports,” and “For fun, there are several places to go such as Paynes Prairie, Devil’s Millhopper, or other outdoor activities.” If you want to get involved, join one of the many clubs: “There is literally a club for everyone at UF,” and “you make it what you want. You can party every day or you can study every day. I keep it pretty balanced.”
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