Alaska!

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Unfortunately there isn't a separate forum dedicated to any Universities of Alaska, and I've done a search, but not much talk has been initiated about the schools there. Can anyone tell me anything about the colleges there? I know they aren't incredibly prestigious but I think you would gain good experience from being there. (Maybe I just think that because I live in hot, hot, 114 degree Arizona and it would be weird to be somewhere where the sun isn't always shining.) And as far as college life-- what is there to do?</p>

<p>Any input about anything on the schools would be great. Thanks!</p>

2

<p>If I remember right there is a poster who is from Alaska who would probably be able to give you some good information about the schools there.</p>

3

<p>Thank you. Any other information?</p>

4

<p>I would image its pretty cold there. Although during certain times of the year the sun probably is always shining, just not very strongly. I know in the north pole the sun never sets during the summer, so I would imagine that as far north as Alaska they have very long days during summer.</p>

5

<p>I know this is a few months late, but I am an undergraduate student at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and would be happy to answer any questions you might have.</p>

<p>After completing my associate's degree in journalism at a Northern California community college, I transferred up here in the spring, seeking - as you may be - a new adventure.</p>

<p>No, UAF is not Harvard. But to say it's not "prestigious" is definitely mistaken. Thanks to its location - the farthest north university in North America - UAF is on the cutting edge of research into our changing climate, energy conservation and generation and other important scientific issues. Not for nothing is it called America's Arctic University. We are among the top 75 universities in the nation for federal research spending.</p>

<p>At UAF, you won't get lost in the crowd - I think there's only three lecture halls on campus even capable of seating 100+ students. I'm taking six classes this semester, and not one has more than 15 students in it. You will get to know your classmates and your professors on an intimate basis - heck, I ran into my advisor shopping at the supermarket yesterday! Essentially, once you get past the freshman core, you will get as personalized an experience as can be found anywhere in higher education.</p>

<p>UAF may not have a glitzy, nationally-ranked football team or its name splashed all over USNWR rankings, but if you want a quality, personal education at a very reasonable price (particularly for WUE students) and don't mind an isolated, relatively-small-town environment with snow on the ground all winter and occasional dips to 40-below, I'd highly recommend taking a look at Alaska's flagship university.</p>

6

<p>As far as what there is to do...</p>

<p>There's the bar scene, of course - including a couple right down the street from the university, in what passes for the "college town" section of Fairbanks. There's even an on-campus bar (beer/wine only) in the student union. There is a rip-roaring local music scene, so almost every night you'll find one band or another at one bar or another. A couple in particular ("Sweatin' Honey," "Gangly Moose") will pack the joints to the gills. We get the occasional big act, as well.</p>

<p>There's the outdoors. This is Alaska, after all. The north side of the campus is semi-wilderness, a vast forestry/ecological research reserve which trickles off into undeveloped total wilderness. The whole area is laced with bike trails, which become cross-country ski trails when the snow falls. I can bike out the back door of my on-campus apartment and feel like I'm in the middle of nowhere within five minutes. A mile away, the Chena River loops lazily through town on its way to the Tanana, offering kayaking, canoeing and other watersports opportunities.</p>

<p>A unit of the student union, called Outdoor Adventures, offers students dirt-cheap rental gear for almost any sort of outdoor adventure - kayaks, camp stoves, skis, tents, you name it. How cheap? How about XC skis/boots/poles at $8 for a day, $35 for a whole week? OA also runs a wide variety of guided outdoor trips, so you can get your feet wet under the guidance of experienced leaders.</p>

<p>The "big-time" sport here is hockey - the Alaska Nanooks play in Division I as a member of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association, against Notre Dame, Ohio State, Michigan and more. In fact, it's such a big-time sport that games are played off-campus at the Carlson Center, a 7,000-seat arena near downtown. It's the biggest show in Fairbanks, and games are generally quite well-attended. There's also Division II basketball and volleyball teams, along with the pride of the university, the 10-time national champion rifle team. Yep, up here we shoot better than anyone, including the U.S. Military Academy! :)</p>

<p>But sports aren't just for watching - there's plenty of intramural action to be found, hubbed around the shiny new Student Recreation Center and its attached ice arena. The most popular is "broomball" - think ice hockey, minus the pads and skates and plus a big orange ball. Run around on the ice whacking the ball and falling on your butt. It's great fun and a great way to make friends.</p>

<p>There's also all the amenities one would expect in a moderate-sized American city, including the 16-plex movie theatre about a mile east of campus. Shopping opportunities include two Safeways, two Fred Meyer's (think supermarket + general merchandise store), a Wal-Mart Supercenter, a Gottschalks, a Sears, and a new "power center" next to the Wal-Mart with a GameStop, Barnes & Noble, Old Navy, etc. There's a great local independent bookstore, Gulliver's, next to the university.</p>

7

<p>The benefits to Alaska are clear: you can see Russia from Alaska... making you instantly qualified for any foreign relations position. You can also eat mooseburgers. But watch out for hockey moms, they're like pit bulls with
lipstick. </p>

<p>The downside is Sarah Palin would be your governor....</p>

8

<p>"The downside is Sarah Palin would be your governor...."</p>

<p>Or worse, she's not your governor but your VP!</p>

9

<p>Lawdy, don't get me started on Sarah "Book Burner" Palin... :mad:</p>

<p>And yeah, the only place in Alaska you can "see" Russia from, is a couple tiny islands off the far west coast. Don't expect to come to UAF and see Russia - we're a couple hundred miles from anything resembling the ocean :p</p>

<p>Now, mooseburgers and reindeer sausage, that stuff is good.</p>