What’s Life Like At Other Colleges?

Choosing a college is different for everyone, and many factors play into making that lifelong decision. When a school is chosen, the experience of going to another school is lost. Unless students visit or hear about another college from a friend, they truly don’t know what different schools are like. HerCampus has chosen four schools from the different regions in the U.S. so you can get a feel for what certain schools are like, and how they compare to Mizzou.

So, what every college student focuses on when they come to school, besides for academics of course, is nightlife. For the most part, most college students find common ground in that they enjoy going out and spending time with friends, but there are different nightlife scenes for every single school.

So, is Mizzou up to date with other universities, or do we have a lot of catching up to do?

Demeanor:

Midwest- University of Wisconsin-Madison: Like Mizzou, Madison has the luxury of experiencing the Midwest mentality. Because Madison is argued to have some of the top school spirit in the nation, the second you step foot on this campus, you feel the party atmosphere and the pride of all Madison residents.

West-University of Colorado-Boulder: Boulder attracts many students from across the U.S. but mainly from California and other parts of the West Coast. Because of this, Boulder has a very “west coast” mentality. Known for their love of marijuana, hence the recent election in which it was legalized for recreational purposes, many people at the university are more relaxed than most college kids. Many people there are also very active and since they have mountains in their backyard, it’s not hard to stay healthy and in tip-top shape.

East- Boston College: The East Coast has a mentality similar to the West Coast. The people there are very kept to themselves, and you may be less likely to find the Midwest kindness we are so lucky to encounter here at Mizzou. People may not smile, or wave, or even hold the door open for you if you’re a stranger. Not to say that stereotype can be applied to everyone, but Boston College is known for the people that are very introverted.

South- University of Georgia: When most think of the South, UGA is the first school that comes to their mind. The traditional campus, the Georgia “peaches” and the boys in bowties are stereotypical of this school. Everyone at Georgia is known for their southern roots and being overall really nice people. 

Nightlife:

Midwest- University of Wisconsin-Madison: Madison has been ranked among the top 10 party schools for over a decade. Located in Southwest Wisconsin, these guys know how to party. But compared to Mizzou where Greek Life is over 22% of the student population, Wisconsin’s is much less. Luckily in Wisconsin, there are enough house parties and bars in a 5-mile radius that connects both Greek and non-Greek students. Madison is known for their infamous “Mifflin Block Party” on Mifflin Street each may, that has been in the process of getting banned over the past few years. Over 5,000 people attended the block party, and there were over 300 arrests and 400 citations as of 7 p.m. that evening. As you can tell, this Midwest school knows how to party.

West- University of Colorado-Boulder: Another top party school, Boulder is known for their infamous 4/20 celebrations and their love of marijuana. Although that’s not to say for everyone, Boulder, located at the foot of the Flatiron Mountains has been reputed over the last few years as the top drinking school as well. Unless students are juniors or seniors, the bar scene isn’t as popular as it is at other schools, so many students go to house parties and Greek life parties, all located off campus on “the hill.” The hill contains Greek houses, apartments, other student housing, bars and restaurants. All nightlife is contained in one relative area. Because of the extreme alcohol strictness at bars, students gather at house parties on the hill to soak up all the nightlife.

South- University of Georgia: As the newest SEC addition, we have briefly graced the presence of southern schools that like to drink… a lot. This kind of drinking we may not be used to. Especially drinking in sundresses and bowties. The southern schools, like UGA, have an extremely popular bar scene and Greek life scene. But Greek or not, this southern school has more to be proud of then their national sports titles. UGA has also been in the top 20 party schools the past few years. One thing is for sure, Mizzou is entering into completely new territory with being in the SEC.

Climate:

Midwest- University of Wisconsin-Madison: Although Wisconsin is located in the Midwest, it is considerably farther north than we’re used to here at Mizzou. Contrary to popular belief, it is not winter all year round there. While it is consistently about 10 degrees colder year round, Madison is known for their icy snowy winters and beautiful, green summers. Fall begins end of August and spring begins in April, give or take a week depending on the year. Unless you love the cold, Wisconsin is fairly difficult to travel in during the winter and temperatures are known for hitting below zero.

West- University of Colorado-Boulder: The West Coast, especially Boulder, is notorious for extreme temperature changes. This region consists mostly of desert-like climate, and due to the mountains, the weather during the night can drop almost 30 degrees from the day. It is usually always sunny here, but once the sun drops, it gets freezing. Heavy snow begins end of October, but may be melted the next day. There could be a spring day of 60 degrees in January, but there could be a blizzard the next week. Temperature in Boulder is fairly unpredictable, unless you’re used to that region of the U.S. Regardless, there are plenty of activities that make the weather bearable, such as hiking, fishing or camping along the mountains.  

South- University of Georgia: The reason the South is appealing to so many people is the warm temperatures. Imagine living in a climate where there is virtually no snow, no sub 30 temperatures and no ICE. Although this means no snow days, or snowmen making on the quad, Georgia is known for its climate of sunny weather and spring-like days year round. No wonder people love living in the South!

East- Boston College: Boston has a similar climate to Mizzou. Summer usually averages about 85/90 degrees, while winter is around 30 degrees. Although this is on the East Coast does NOT mean temperatures compare to that of North Carolina or Maryland. It is significantly colder, and may feel as though you were farther inland. Unlike schools on the West Coast, Boston throws no surprises when it comes to weather.

Athletics:

Midwest- University of Wisconsin-Madison: UW is part of the Big 10 sports conference, and has played in the Rose Bowl for the past two years. The Big 10 is known for their extremely competitive sports teams, and UW is one of the top teams in that conference.

West- University of Colorado-Boulder: In the past year, CU joined the PAC 12 with schools such as: ASU, UCLA, Berkeley, Oregon and Stanford. Before we joined the SEC, CU and Mizzou played each other in the Big 12. Now that both our team and theirs transferred, the level of competition has dramatically increased. Needless to say, when it comes to football, both Mizzou and CU got their butt kicks last year. It may take a few years to achieve the same level of competition as our new conferences match-ups.

South- University of Georgia: Georgia is known for their intense SEC sports. They’ve won the SEC championship numerous times. Georgia fans are known to be some of the most crazed, college fans, as Mizzou found out last football season during our first SEC game at home with them. Georgia fans have extreme pride due to their success in almost all their sports, and hold athletics close to their heart.

East- Boston College: The Boston College Eagles are part of the Atlantic Coast Conference, competing against teams such as: Clemson, Duke, FSU, Miami and North Carolina-Chapel Hill in football. Although Boston College isn’t as strong for football, they have a variety of sports, just like any other college. Boston College is primarily known for their academics, and their strong research programs.

Towns:

Midwest- University of Wisconsin-Madison: Unlike Mizzou, Madison is located in more of a city-like environment. The streets are busy, and campus buildings are scattered throughout the city. Since Madison is the capital of Wisconsin, the capital building is located almost in the center of campus. There is a lot going on in this town, especially around election time, which makes Madison constantly busy.

West- University of Colorado-Boulder: Once you venture outside Denver into Boulder, it morphs into your stereotypical mountain town. The campus is separated from the town, which includes a multitude of restaurants, workout and yoga studios, student housing, bars and retail shops. Mountains loom over the bustling part of Boulder as people munch on healthy or unique food from boutique restaurants. Boulder is probably one of the most interesting college towns, and if you’re visiting its hard to get enough of it!

South- University of Georgia: The sunny town of Athens is the second main attraction to this campus after the historic buildings and beautiful layout of the school. The town of Athens is loaded with bars and boutiques. It is the epitome of any Southern town. Of course, the weather is always nice, girls are always in sundresses and guys are always in shorts. The town surrounding this school is classy, busy and as much fun as any town you’d get in the South.

East- Boston College: Boston is a town full of history, and the campus reflects just that. Hidden among tall trees, brick buildings, museums and a fairly busy city, Boston College is your typical “collegiate” town. The community is affluent, and there are plenty of restaurants, retails stores, museums, and landmarks available here. 

Disclaimer: In no way is this meant to criticize on any other school, but is just my opinion on how Mizzou compares to other U.S. universities. 

Mizzou may not be the top party school, or have a backyard full of mountains, but one thing for sure is that we’re prideful to be here! Each student has chosen this school for their own personal reasons, which makes each student happy to be here. Our school pride, Greek life, academics and kind people from all over the country cannot compare to most other state universities. We have the Midwest kindness, our own unique nightlife here in Columbia, and the small town atmosphere that makes Mizzou special.

Photo Credits

Parentrelations.missouri.edu – osep.uga.com – Colorado.edu – sportschatplace.com – news.wisc.edu – gradschool.missouri.edu