The University of Idaho

Date: Jul 26 2010
Major: Journalism (This Major's Salary over time)
I loved the University of Idaho and don't regret attending. I went to high school in SE Idaho and I was only a handful from my graduating class went to UI.

If you are an incoming freshman, live on campus. Period. Dorm or greek house. It doesn't matter. Living on campus, you will meet so many people from around the state and the region. After your first year, I recommend moving off campus. It is cheaper. I didn't have a car, so I lived in apartments by Winco. I walked to the grocery store and to campus. If the weather was bad, I took the free bus to campus.

Social life off campus is pretty fun. There's lots of off campus parties and the bars are fun. The bars are now non-smoking which is pretty awesome. Downtown Moscow is nice. It's your typical town - lots of coffee shops to choose from and some great places to eat. It's your typical small town, don't expect much. If you want a real shopping experience, drive up to Spokane which is an hour and a half away. Or take the five hour trip to Seattle.

Moscow and UI is pretty laid back. You will get strange looks if you dress up for class on the first day or ever. Hooded Sweatshirts and sweatpants are a staple in the fall and winter.

As for academics, It was pretty good once I got into my major. Classes were small and the professors were helpful. General requirement classes were large and I wasn't very fond of them. I didn't go into journalism, but the skills I learned in college helped me in the workforce.

I was involved in a few different activities and it was a great way to meet people and gain some experience. Go to the football games. The football team is on the rise and the games are a ton of fun. Only complaint is the weird rules about tailgating. The cops regulate the lot during gameday so be careful with alcohol.

My biggest advice to incoming freshman is to become involved in campus life and get an internship early on. A few years of internship experience doesn't hurt at all.

When you move to Moscow, it may be a bit of a culture shock if you are from SE Idaho or from the bigger city.