ISU was one of my top choices until I realized how small and dull looking the city was. I don’t wanna rule it out just yet though because I think that I will still apply there. So I want to know how is the city of Ames? Are there entertaining activities like concerts? Are there big malls? shoes and clothing shops? Cinemas? Are there parks/attraction parks? Is there sport entertainment? How’s the nightlife? etc…Is there a big city close to the campus? like 30 mins away or something.
So basically, tell me everything you know about Ames. Thanks
Well what you think of the city might depend on where you are coming from. It is a college town and things tend to revolve around the university. That said, Iowa State does have entertainment throughout the year and football and basketball games are popular with the students. The nightlife is going to be your typical college bar/party scene along with other activities that most cities have like movies, restaurants, etc. There is shopping in Ames although the choices of stores will not compare with what you would find in a big city. Des Moines is about 35 miles south of Ames and there you can find a larger selection of shopping, restaurants, and entertainment but in the 4 years I spent at Iowa State, I never really felt the need to head to Des Moines and Ames has a lot more to offer now than it did back in my day. The university and city really do a great job of meeting the needs and wants of the students. If you search best college towns, you’ll find it at or near the top of several lists.
Maybe I didn’t read your post correctly but are you asking if the college that you want to attend so you can further your education and prepare yourself for your career has a lot of malls, shoes and clothing stores, cinemas, concerts, sports and nightlife? Is that what you’re asking?
Agree with @cyclonehome During my 4 years at ISU, I never had the itch to go anywhere outside of Ames. The town had all I needed. If you want to talk about concerts, I will tell you I saw Billy Joel, Elton John, the Commodores, and James Taylor during my time. They get good concerts due to Hilton Coliseum and because of the smaller theatres on the campus. I will also say that when I was there they had Viesha week (not sure if still do) and they put on a great Broadway musical every year.
There is more than enough entertainment and if you are going for engineering, you will not have a lot of time for entertainment anyway. Especially Sophomore and Junior year!!