Will I fit into party schools like University of Illinois Urbana?

Colleges & Universities University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
1

I am a not nerdy but I am not the “popular” type of kid.

I am not a huge fan of playing videogames, making them on the other hand is compelling. Still I am fine hanging out with people that do because nerdy people are fun. However I prefer hanging out with people who like to discuss things.

I am NOT a partier. Not into having a new girlfriend every x days, or drinking, or loud music, or dancing to modern music, or modern music in general (however I can enjoy it when with friends).

I would definitely not fit into a fraternity unless it was one of the SUPER nerdy/honors ones… and even then.

I like the program University of Illinois has for Computer Science. However its ranking as top party school scares me.

Do schools like this have issues with noisy dorm rooms late at night? Do they have quiet places to study that are not the library?

2

Nothing wrong with having a personality type, but embracing change is part of growing up yo. Yes, there are going to be places for you to hideaway if that’s what you really want (everybody does this sometimes), but try and challenge yourself to do something new.

It can be thrilling. Life can be exciting man.

3

Illinois Urbana is not a party school. It’s an academic school with many “party” students.

4

UIUC is a school with tens of thousands of students. It’s also the flagship public university of Illinois. There are all sorts of students there because of the sheer size and the public mission of the university, including very intelligent and intellectual students.

Another note is that it is possible to be both quiet/nerdy and to enjoy social gatherings and parties. There’s much ado about the stereotype of loud, drunken parties in college - and those do happen, for sure. But many college students like to hang out in their res hall rooms or on campus and chill and chat or play tabletop games or whatever. Even many students who like to party some Saturday nights enjoy doing that. People are complex. Some people like drinking and partying AND discussing things and being intellectual. I’ve met so many intelligent, nerdy, really ambitious fraternity members. (Think about it…a lot of past presidents and other leaders have been members of fraternities. You don’t suddenly become an ambitious buttoned-up individual when you turn 21 and graduate.)

(Also, as a side note, it’s hard to make video games if you don’t like to play them. It’s kind of like how it’s hard to be a good writer if you don’t like to read.)

5

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Was scrolling down to say the same thing… I’ve met many of these writers and they’re usually 1) insufferably arrogant and 2) not great at their craft.

6

UIUC is a big enough school that you should be able to find people you fit in with. And I would think the CS program would have very serious students.

7

This is a concern for many, and I’ve heard hundreds of schools being referred to as “party schools.” No matter where you go, there will be that element. The school you are considering is so large that you should easily find others students like you. And see you’re UIUC is #11 here: https://colleges.niche.com/rankings/top-party-schools/ OR #50 here: http://www.universityprimetime.com/top-100-party-schools-2016-2017/6/
I guess it just depends on what students respond to the surveys!

8

Any public school is gonna have some element of “partying” to it, even the top ranked ones. I’m not gonna sit here and tell you that the atmosphere at schools like this is identical to a small liberal arts college. But I’m also not saying that you shouldn’t go. The best thing for you to do is visit, get the vibe of the school (it sounds corny, but it is a real thing), and see if the atmosphere is good for you. See if it’s a place you can see yourself going to. That’s really the best way to see if you’re a fit, much better than taking advice from people on the internet.