<p>I just got in to Madison, I'm seriously considering going, and I have some questions for people that go there. So if any student wants to answer some questions for me, could you please either message me, or comment on this post and I'll send/post the questions. </p>
<p>Thanks A lot</p>
<p>SC, I am an alum, I will try to answer, My son is still waiting on a decision, from Tesoro. I have lots of friends kids who are there now. fire away.</p>
<p>These are questions I’ve been asking. some of the biggest things on my mind. I haven’t visited yet, I’m planning on it in early April though. If you happen to have been a poli sci major, or know someone that is, I’d be very interested to talk to that person. Anyways thank you so much.</p>
<p>What is Madison like?</p>
<p>What are your professors and classes like?</p>
<p>What do you do on any given Friday/Saturday night?</p>
<p>What is there to do in the city?</p>
<p>Whats the social scene like?</p>
<p>How are Badger Football / Basketball games?</p>
<p>What do you guys do when it’s too cold to go out?</p>
<p>Will my slightly artsy, very political, very witty and physically awkward, slightly nerdy, but still liking to watch a good game of football, and go to a party if I have the chance, EXTREMELY extroverted personality fit in at Madison?</p>
<p>Are there places to run? Basketball Courts (indoor or outdoor)?</p>
<p>How popular is the school paper, and do you know how hard it is to write for it?</p>
<p>What are some unexpected little things about UW and Madison that you found, or that might interest me?</p>
<p>and what are you favorite and least favorite things about going (or having gone) to Wisconsin?</p>
<p>PS: I’m also from Orange County</p>
<p>Madison is the capital and the school, that’s it. Poli. sci. profs are tops. Lectures are 300, ta groups are small. Weekends are party, party, and sports events. there really isn’t a city, it’s the school and the capital. The football/bb/ and hockey games are awesome. Youtube badger jump around or the band. I took my kids to the rose bowl this year and still get choked up singing “varsity” and “On wisconsin”. Madison is very liberal. Two school newspapers, conservative and liberal. the onion started there.(Onion tv) Lots of indoor tracks, the outdoor campus is just stunning, surrouded by two lakes. lots of indoor activities. The people are super friendly, not like the O.C. Babcock ice cream, and the food is off the hook. The weather is a challenge from jan. thru march. Be ready to see partying like you never thought would or could happen. Super smart campus but they will always have a great time.</p>
<p>Thank you so much, and sorry if this is a lot of questions, but its a big choice, and I don’t want to get it wrong.</p>
<p>In Madison are there like places to eat, art galleries, a music scene, Coffee Shops ect, I mean is there a down town, or is it fairly suburban? </p>
<p>And also, I’m not a crazy partier. I mean I like a good party as much as the next guy, but I’m not planning on doing it four days a week in College. Maybe one or two haha. Do you think I’ll be OK, or do you think its easy to get caught up in?</p>
<p>Campus IS essentially downtown. Where the campus ends downtown (State Street) starts up to the Capitol Square. Probably 20 coffee shops around campus. UW is finishing a great expanded art gallery–will be one of the largest U galleries in the US. Very nice with free light classical concerts every Sunday.</p>
<p>[Chazen</a> Museum of Art](<a href=“http://www.chazen.wisc.edu/home.htm]Chazen”>Page not found - Chazen Museum of ArtChazen Museum of Art)</p>
<p>Downtown has a major new performing arts center with a small art museum.</p>
<p>Go to Google earth and look around. Unfortunately they don’t go up State because it’s a pedestrian mall–no cars allowed.</p>
<p>State st. is downtown. Good music, java, kinds grungie, green feel. You can stay out of the party crowd. The dorms and school buildings are 1800’s design. Chad was and still is the dorm for wanna be study nuns. This isn’t an urban campu like NYU, ect. Poli. Sci. is huge in Madison. Very safe place but big city culture is lacking. 500,000 people max. Great big ten school and campus. Michigan has the same feel. Northwestern is a commuter school. Minnesota has both the campus and big city and the best oos tuition in the country. 24k/year for everything. That’s my son’s fallback school. Only 4 current O.C. undergrads in madison. One from M.v. h.s… Ohio state is similar. Ill. Indie, purdue and Iowa are boring. 15,000 UW alum in the O.c.</p>
<p>I’m also a student so I can try to answer, hopefully it will be helpful.</p>
<p>Honestly in my opinion, Madison is the best place in the world. I love the spirit of the town and the energy. UW is very integrated into Madison, which I love. The town really supports the school and there is such a youthful vibe that is so great. </p>
<p>My profs and classes are good. I feel like I’m being challenged for the most part. I think it’s really important to really look around for good/interesting classes, you can get all sorts of cool things that fulfill your requirements other than your basic average freshman intro classes. It can be tough to get into the classes you want, but I’ve never had a serious problem. If you hate big classes you might not love some of the things you will have to take, but they really allow you to be independent. Most of the profs I’ve had seem really knowledgeable and great.</p>
<p>I personally go out pretty much every Friday and Saturday night. The party scene is alive and well and I’ve never had trouble finding anything to do. It does get a little repetitive, one weekend is usually pretty similar to the next, but I still like it and I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else. There are lots of people who don’t go out, though, and I’m sure you could find sober activities if you were so inclined.</p>
<p>Like I said before Madison and UW are kind of inseparable. State Street is right next to campus and has endless bars, shops, and restaurants. You definitely won’t be bored. UW is like right next to/part of downtown Madison, so it has a cityish feel, but you could live over by Lakeshore and have a more scenic, less cityish feel if you want. There’s definitely a lot to do. So many coffee shops, greattt music scene (though I can only speak about the electronic/dubstep scene) and the best concerts you’ll ever go to.</p>
<p>Social scene really varies from person to person, I think. I think pretty much everyone finds their niche. I feel like I’ve met so many different kinds of people, which is great. Since the school is so big, you can bounce between different social circles, which is cool. Don’t worry a lot about sconnie-coastie problems, if you know what those are. It’s mostly a joke - stereotypical sconnies and coasties do exist but if you’re one of them you will find others just like you and any flack you get will be pretty much a joke.</p>
<p>Football games are unreal. The entire town is wearing red and white and most houses have parties before the game. Everyone gets completely wasted and then we all walk to Camp Randall which is super cool. There’s so much school spirit, I don’t think many other schools can match it. Everyone is basically partying all day (especially if we win, which happened a lot this year, obviously lol) and it’s just an amazing time, so inspiring and fun.
Basketball games aren’t as big of a thing, I usually watch them on TV with friends, but I think a lot of people go and they have a lot of fun.</p>
<p>When it’s too cold to go out we just get extra drunk and go out anyways lol. For us there is no such thing as “too cold to go out” when you have your liquor jacket on! Just make sure to wear a coat you don’t care that much about (if you wear one at all) because nice coats will get jacked if you go to parties.</p>
<p>I am sure you will find like-minded people here. If you get involved you will meet so many people. There are a lot of political clubs here so that’s probably a really good place to start.</p>
<p>I see lots of people running just like on the streets of Madison. There’s also the Lakeshore path, which is really scenic, or the gyms have tracks you can run on. Both gyms, the SERF and the Nat, have basketball courts.</p>
<p>There are two school papers, the Badger Herald and the Daily Cardinal. The Herald is more popular, pretty much everyone reads it. There’s a section called the Shout Outs that almost EVERYONE reads. I don’t know how hard it is to write for but they always seem to be wanting people to work there.</p>
<p>I don’t know about anything unexpected, per se, but it’s just a completely amazing place. I don’t know of anywhere better to spend your college years. Most people don’t party four nights a week, three is a better estimate, I think. But one or two is also perfectly fine. There’s no pressure. I think you can get caught up in the partying, but that can happen anywhere. It’s a little more intense in the fall when everyone’s new and it calms down slightly (very slightly, lol).</p>
<p>I think the only downside of UW is the weather. It can definitely get pretty cold and miserable (though that doesn’t stop anyone from having fun). Other than that I’m just so ecstatically happy here, I think it is the best place in the world and I would recommend it to absolutely everyone.</p>
<p>Do you know about the Honors Program? I’m worried that it’ll be too strenuous, and I really want to have an awesome freshman year. I don’t want it to take over my life!</p>
<p>I think you can take just one honors class per semester to start. Not that bad really.</p>
<p>Information about good ethnic restaurant such as Italian, Polish, German, Japanese, Chinese, Mexican, Indian, Middle Eastern, etc…?</p>
<p>You don’t find Polish restaurants anywhere, even where there is a large Polish background. Likewise with German restaurants, however German foods, especially bratwurst, are readily available. Walking distance to campus you will find many good restaurants including Turkish, Afghan and Indian. Mexican, Italian and Chinese are ubuquitous in most cities.</p>
<p>Running is huge in Madison. There is club sport cross country and track through the Wis Track Club and a running club.</p>
<p>Some of your questions are best answered by current students. Here is my take on the ones I feel qualified to answer.</p>
<p>What is Madison like?
Topographically unique in that it is centered on an isthmus between two lakes (Mendota and Monona) and completely surrounds one (Wingra), the geography feels as if it focuses all important activity into the one mile strip between the Capital Square and the (University) Library Mall, with State Street as the spine.
[Madison</a>, WI Images](<a href=“http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&sugexp=ldymls&pq=madison&xhr=t&q=madison+wi&cp=8&client=firefox-a&hs=Qlr&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&biw=967&bih=786]Madison”>http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&sugexp=ldymls&pq=madison&xhr=t&q=madison+wi&cp=8&client=firefox-a&hs=Qlr&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&biw=967&bih=786)</p>
<p>Wikipedia also has a good summary.
[Madison</a>, Wisconsin](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madison,_Wisconsin]Madison”>Madison, Wisconsin - Wikipedia)</p>
<p>Isthmus, the local weekly, can give you the current flavor of the city.
[Madison</a>, Wisconsin’s source for events, news, movies, music, restaurants and more: Isthmus](<a href=“http://www.thedailypage.com/]Madison”>http://www.thedailypage.com/)</p>
<p>How are Badger Football / Basketball games?
Major social events. IMO, they are a perfect balance of student energy and alumni tradition. And the football games, at least, have been that way for a lot longer than the team has been an established winner. </p>
<p>What do you guys do when it’s too cold to go out?
It’s never too cold to go out. :)</p>
<p>Will my slightly artsy, very political, very witty and physically awkward, slightly nerdy, but still liking to watch a good game of football, and go to a party if I have the chance, EXTREMELY extroverted personality fit in at Madison?
The place is made for you.</p>
<p>–There is good support for the arts relative to a city its size (about 200k). Besides the UW associated art activity the city itself has regionally significant museums and a community in theater and studio arts. If you’re around in July there is this:
[Art</a> Fair on the Square](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_Fair_on_the_Square_(Madison)]Art”>Art Fair on the Square (Madison) - Wikipedia)</p>
<p>–If you’ve followed the news at all recently you’ll know the place is saturated with politics.</p>
<p>–Did some one say party?
[State</a> Street Halloween Party](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_Street_Halloween_Party]State”>State Street Halloween Party - Wikipedia)</p>
<p>–Extroverts abound, but intraverts would also be comfortable. Lots of niches to fit your many selves.
**
Are there places to run? Basketball Courts (indoor or outdoor)?**
Lots, but this is particularly popular: [Lakeshore</a> Path - Lakeshore Nature Preserve](<a href=“http://www.lakeshorepreserve.wisc.edu/visit/lakeshorepath.htm]Lakeshore”>The Lakeshore Path – Lakeshore Nature Preserve – UW–Madison)</p>
<p>What are some unexpected little things about UW and Madison that you found, or that might interest me?
IMO opinion Madison’s most significant contribution to the arts is its examples of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture.
[Frank</a> Lloyd Wright Buildings in Wisconsin](<a href=“http://www.madisonpubliclibrary.org/history/flwarch.html]Frank”>http://www.madisonpubliclibrary.org/history/flwarch.html)
[First</a> Unitarian Society](<a href=“http://www.fusmadison.org/facility]First”>http://www.fusmadison.org/facility)</p>
<p>One of the largest open air farmers’ markets in the country in the warm weather months.
[Dane</a> County Farmers’ Market](<a href=“http://www.dcfm.org/]Dane”>http://www.dcfm.org/)</p>
<p>1200 acres of woods and prairie a short bike ride from campus
<a href=“http://uwarboretum.org/visit/[/url]”>http://uwarboretum.org/visit/</a></p>
<p>When it’s too cold to go out, you go out anyway and have a snowball fight:</p>
<p>[Slide</a> show: Snowball Fight! : Slide 1 of 9](<a href=“http://www.news.wisc.edu/slideshows/40/slides/288]Slide”>http://www.news.wisc.edu/slideshows/40/slides/288)</p>
<p>As to the two student newspapers: conservative and less conservative–not liberal. The city is more liberal than the student body.</p>
<p>The reason for the student body being less liberal is that many come from conservative parts of the state. The school has a liberalizing effect on students as I understand it. The city is extremely liberal so being less liberal doesn’t mean terribly conservative to my knowledge. Wis is a purple state- politics change. Easy to be liberal on campus from son’s experience.</p>
<p>Speaking from experience, I’ve had numerous cross-purpose ‘discussions’ with D2 about the goings-on at the Capitol lately. She was liberal before she got to Madison in fall '09, but now it’s almost off-the-charts. I told her if she continues with this thinking, she had better remain there after graduation to stay with her ilk. She said OK.</p>
<p>What about safety? Do they provide a safe/lock in the rooms to keep valuables such as laptops, wallet, etc? How big is the safe (providing that there is one). What about the dorms themselves? What happens if you accidentally lock yourself out of your room? Is there a way to get back in? How about safety on campus grounds as a whole? Is it safe to go walking at night? How late is too late to be walking around (on campus)?</p>
<p>Sorry for so many questions… thanks in advance</p>
<p>Generally safe but these days you have to use precautions as students have become a favorite target of the local thugs that exist in most cities. Students carry lots more valuable stuff than they did in my day. I’d say at night try to walk with somebody if possible and stay on the main routes where people tend to be. Don’t know about safes in the room but I think it’s a great idea and see a business opportunity right now.
Your RA will let you in the room etc.</p>