<p>Hi There
Sadly there seems to be little conversation here...but I am going to try. My DD is a junior in HS and is considering Nebraska, along with Iowa State, and a few others.</p>
<p>Interested to hear what campus life is like? Greek Life? Dorms? </p>
<p>anyone out there who can give some real input to life at Nebraska?
Thanks so much!</p>
<p>Hi! I’m a junior at UNL majoring in mechanical engineering. I have had a wonderful experience here at Nebraska and I couldn’t really picture myself anywhere else! </p>
<p>Campus life is pretty good on the whole. I lived in the dorms my first 2 years and had a pretty good time. There are a few dorm clusters on campus and each one is different. I am in the Honors Program, so I stayed in Neihardt, the honors hall. I had a great time and made of lot of close friends. Some of the dorms are nicer than others and each dorm cluster tends to draw a different crowd.</p>
<p>I also have quite a few friends in the Greek system and they seem to get along pretty well. We don’t really seem to have a major hazing problem here, which is good. All the sororities I’ve seen have been quite nice and the girls seem pretty nice too. The frats tend to be more hit or miss, but on the whole, pretty good. People in the Greek system tend to hang out with other people in the Greek system, so in some ways, the community can be fairly insular. </p>
<p>Anyway, that is probably enough for now. But, I’d be more than happy to answer any questions you have! Just send me a personal message.</p>
<p>I have been waiting for someone to ask this question! I went to UNL as a default because I got a full tuition scholarship there (approximately 1 billion years ago). I got a great education and I have no reason to think a person couldn’t do the same today. I was young and hungry to learn, and I found classes that challenged me. </p>
<p>There were all kinds of opportunities to get involved in campus activities, and I made the most of them. Not a sorority type myself, I had friends who went Greek and never felt any Greek/independent tension on campus at all; all my friends, frankly, were too busy to be bothered with any pettiness. Though UNL was and is a big football school (duh!) I can tell you that my complete lack of interest in football never got in the way of me having a good time (seriously, I never went to a game and had plenty of friends who didn’t either–which is simply to say that the school is not dominated by sports enthusiasts and there’s room for all types). The movie theatre on campus is terrific; the same guy does the programming now as did when I went to school more than 30 years ago, and the line up is consistently innovative and diverse. </p>
<p>I can’t say much meaningful about the dorms, except that they don’t appear to be any better or worse than others I’ve seen. It turns out I lived in the complex known as the “jock” complex. I barely noticed, probably because I was too busy studying or, when not studying, partying with friends who lived in a nicer, more convenient dorm (Selleck–right in the center of campus).</p>
<p>Lincoln itself is a comfortable, if not wildly exciting college town. Just a few blocks from campus is a great coffee/tea shop in the “Haymarket” area (that’s been built up in a good way since I went to school). There’s an amazing blues bar right near campus (the Zoo), where one can see all kinds of national acts in an intimate setting. I spent a lot of time there. </p>
<p>As I think about where my own child is going to go (she’s thinking about small colleges and I tend to think she’d do better in that kind of a setting), I think about how easy my own decision was. I had dreams of going somewhere with Ivy-covered walls but didn’t have the means or anyone to guide me. So when I got a full scholarship to UNL, my choice was more or less made for me. But I never had a moment’s bitterness and think fondly about my time in Lincoln. I LOVE going back to visit.</p>
<p>Wow thank you so much for your quick responses! We are going to a Big Red Day on the 22nd of April.</p>
<p>My DD is considering the 3 + 3 program of Athletic Training and PT. Nebraska is one of the few colleges that offer this. </p>
<p>I get the impression that while it is a ‘new’ Big Ten school and sports are big, it does not dominate the campus. My DD is a big sports person, but nice to know that it’s not extreme.</p>
<p>Money will be a big part of the our decision so I understand where you are coming from absweetmarie. My other daughter is at Iowa State and while she loves the school, the decision was made for her because of the money that they offered.</p>
<p>Since the campus is in Lincoln does it still have a college campus feel? Or do you feel like you are in a city? She is looking for a more traditional feel. But we will see more when we go visit.</p>
<p>I like hearing that Greek does not dominate and that everyone mixes. she thinks she wants to do Greek, but nice to know there are options.</p>
<p>Once we go on our visit I will post our feelings. Thank you so much for your input…we are really excited to visit!</p>
<p>Iowa State and UNL are two of my top four choices, and I visited both a couple of weeks ago. So I can give you another perspective of a prospective student.</p>
<p>I think the main housing complexes at UNL were very nice. I wasn’t impressed by the physical facilities of Neihardt but the community there is supposed to be great. I’m sure Snarflax could give more details.</p>
<p>The campus does have a somewhat urban feel, but there are lots of grassy, college-like areas too. In general, UNL can’t offer quite the same traditional campus environment as somewhere like ISU but I think the various activities available in Lincoln more than make up for this. And Lincoln isn’t exactly NYC or even Omaha either.</p>
<p>IMO Lincoln is one of the most underrated small cities in the US. I did not have high expectations when we visited but I was very impressed by the area. I wish I had had a few more days to explore the city.</p>
<p>I’ve been lazy and haven’t posted any visit reports from my most recent trip yet. I’ll try to do that by the end of this weekend. Maybe it will be helpful.</p>
<p>IMO, noimagination is on the money about Lincoln being “one of the most underrated small cities in the US.” It’s much more culturally vibrant than one might imagine, in part because of an influx of refugees over the last couple of decades. I can’t speak to the effects on the community other than to say that it for sure has increased the availability of good ethnic food (food, to my way of thinking, is as good a way as any to facilitate cultural awareness). My little hub of friends (all of whom came to Lincoln for school and stayed) are among the most interesting people I know in any city–they’re special, of course (they’re MY friends, after all) but I don’t think they’re outliers. There are a lot of cool, funky, smart people in Lincoln who stay there because of the quality of life.</p>
<p>Lincoln is a great town, and campus feels like “campus” in that even though it’s right next to downtown…it doesn’t feel like a city campus. My eldest will likely attend USC. but she picked up my love of all things NU, and went to numerous games/events there. She said the USC campus made her feel like NU was plopped down in the middle of LA. High praise indeed. She loved the “quad” type of area behind the student union at NU facing Selleck Quad dorms, and the library. It’s a place where kids can congregate between classes. Many campuses don’t have that feel. Strong healthy greek system. Mostly Nebraska kids. But when I was there, the kids from out of state were kind of like royalty. “have you met so and so…she’s from Kansas City. or thus and such, he’s from Washington D.C.” so it’s very cool to attend from out of state. It’s been an easy school to stay in touch with profs. It’ll be one of the smallest big 10 schools. (a good thing). And, NU is a member of the AAU the best research universities in the country. All of the big 10 schools are members. Not all of the B12 schools are. No offense to your other choices…and i’m admittedly biased. But i think it’s NU by a mile.</p>