Visiting campus questions

Hi! My daughter us visiting campus on Friday. She’s scheduled for a campus tour, honors college visit, and Engineering school visit. We are OOS. Any suggestions on things she needs to see while there? On campus or off. Any insight would be helpful. It’s decision time so we really want her to get a feel for the school.
Thanks in advance.

As in tomorrow? Are you staying until Saturday? If so, go downtown from 9am-1 and check out the Soda City farmers market. Lots of good food trucks and stands. Depending on the week you can get something from waffle truck, crepery, plus more lunch time stuff if later. Main street has really picked up and one the huge off campus housing centers is there. If around Friday night, find a supper place with TVs and watch the women’s basketball team play UNC at 7 pm. Likely to meet a lot of fans.

Pick up copy of Daily Gamecock newspaper to see what else is going on. What are some of D’s interests? For instance, if interested in religious life look up where those centers are located and drop by. Check out Cool Beans coffee house which is kind of across from Wardlaw at top of horseshoe or just hang out on horseshoe. If it’s a nice day you’ll see lots of students about. If you like to be outdoors, go down to riverwalk - several places have access - great walking trails and places to put in for rafting, etc.

Check out shopping areas. Vista has more food than fashion but is a fun area. Five Points has great stores. Note that one of big steeplechase races is this weekend in Camden and store are maxing out the preppy wear for the Cup.

Drop by the Office of Fellowships and scholarships in Legare (pronounced le-gree) on the horseshoe. They are available to all USC students but are heavily involved with honors students and help a lot in making the kids aware of fellowship opportunities.

Sorry that weather for tomorrow is much cooler and rainy - today is 82! Have a great time.
PS - don’t know if you get to pick your guide or if they tell anything about themselves but I know that several of them are honors students who could really give you good information.

Make sure and see the honors dorm…That situation along with the fact freshmen seem to be able to get a spot make it an attractive option…at least to my family.

We checked out five points ( just seconds from campus) nice kind of college spot. We went early in the evening and ate and that also made a favorable impression…I am guessing parents would not love it past 10PM…LOL.

Bring your walking shoes…probably the most interesting thing about Columbia…SC is such a flat state…Columbia is not…very hilly

We were pleasantly surprised by the varying noise and activity levels in different parts of the campus. On the west side is Assembly Street where the Business and Music Schools are. It is bustling with traffic and you know you’re in a city. Suggest you stop in at the fitness center (you don’t need a formal tour, just tell the desk person that you’re a prospective student and spend 10 minutes walking around).

The Honors dorm is only about 2 blocks from the fitness center. That was the dorm that was included in our tour as representative of a typical room (although note there are classrooms and dining facilities that not every dorm has). You will likely pass it on your way to the Engineering tour so if they show you a different dorm on the tour, just stop in. The southern part of campus near Engineering seemed pretty quiet.

When you are near the Horseshoe and the central part of campus, the street noise recedes. Keep walking east toward Capstone (the big tower dorm) and you will reach 5 Points. Agree with previous poster that this is a pleasant area (at least until the students hit the bars). This side of campus seemed like a small neighborhood compared with Assembly Street.

In addition to the on-campus bookstore, we found a bookstore that’s not part of the university located (I think) at Maine and Greene Streets. It was in the process of closing when we were there (about one month ago) so all their stuff was 50% off. If your D decides on Carolina while you’re there, you may want to stop in.

Thank you guys so much. Very good information. Much appreciated.

Hey - just a follow-up to above. We have visited campus on multiple occasions as well and D really loves school, campus, Honors College, etc. D is totally sold on attending this August. Agree with everything everyone has posted however, I think its important all prospective students and parents know all of the facts about local area. Noticed some compliments here about Five Points. While Five Points definitely looks like a great college neighborhood during the day, from media and local news reports, that same calm neighborhood becomes particularly dangerous at night. Not from the partying USC students who frequent bars and clubs in Five Points, but rather from a fairly significant criminal or gang element that makes Five Points their favorite hang out spot as well, right along side the USC students.

Unfortunately, per news reports gun fire is not an exceedingly rare event in Five Points during the late night hours. After expressing frustration with Columbia PD, USC President publically declared Five Points unsafe after midnight. Tragically as some may know already, a USC freshman student was victim of stray bullet there just two years ago. Even in light of this tragedy, USC President’s condemning remarks, and the responding increased police presence, these type of issues still persist at night in Five Points. As a parent, would hope USC students look to avoid area but the bar scene is going to continue to draw students in.

As a parent of D electing to attend USC, I just want to be sure she is fully aware of the problems that exist over there. Only posting this comment so that other parents and prospective students gain same general awareness.

Yep, if your student is into music or dancing, there are good places to go in Vista. My D and friends do not frequent 5 Points at night. They are working on problem but still I’d say 5 Points is charming and good shopping/eating during the day and early evening. Late at night, not so much. And as I’ve told mine multiple times, nothing good happens after midnight!

This Saturday is the Carolina Cup Steeplechase in Camden. It’s huge event and has a large “college town” area where groups go to set up tables etc. for a tailgate. The slogan goes “Went to Cup. Never saw a horse.” Alot students will be leaving in the morning for the event. So if you see the girls wearing colorful dresses and boys with bow ties walking around campus, they are probably headed to Camden.