How is the campus life? That is, for surrounding area like off campus dining, shipping, entertainment, etc. Is the occasional trip to maybe like Chicago possible sometimes?
Right off campus is Green Street. It is easily found on Google maps if you’d like to see what’s there and the proximity. The city bus system is easy to navigate but can take awhile to get to your destination. Yes, it is doable to go to Chicago. There seems to be plenty of activities on campus. Like any large school, one needs to get involved, make an effort and it will be great.
There’s plenty to do in Champaign! The Art Theater downtown plays a lot of indie movies and does live stuff, I know they did Rocky Horror last October. If you’re into music, Canopy Club in Urbana gets some big names, mostly EDM though. Foellinger Auditorium (on the main quad) has concerts and performances too, the a Capella groups are great and definitely worth seeing. At Krannert there are a lot of classical music performances, plays, ballets, etc. There are festivals throughout the year off-campus, such as a sweet corn festival, Pygmalion music festival, and Ebertfest. I’m not a huge sports person, but being D1, most of our teams are quality and get a decent crowd. Football kinda sucks, but people are optimistic about the team since getting Lovie Smith. Lots of good food on campus, you have to get Maize if you’re into Mexican or Cracked food truck for breakfast. Downtown also has a lot of cute cafés and nicer restaurants/bars. Also, if you’re into the bar scene, U of I can’t be beat! The bars are probably the reason we got the #1 party school title. There are so many, all with different “personalities” and different things to experience. Red Lion, KAMS, and Cly’s are the “Greek” bars where a lot of people in fraternities and sororities go, and are generally loud and crowded. Super fun if you’re looking to dance or meet new people. Firehaus, Brothers, and White Horse are usually quieter but still fun with Karaoke or trivia nights. Murphy’s and Legends serve food and generally cater to older students. If you and your friends ever want to go on a camping trip and have a bonfire, Kickapoo state park is only like a half hour away and soooo nice. Personally I love it here and never want to leave the Champaign “bubble,” but Chicago isn’t too far. I know busses go to O’Hare and I’m pretty sure you could take a train to Chicago too.