A New Student's Guide to the University of Kentucky

Located in Lexington, Kentucky, a little over an hour from either Louisville or Cincinnati, the University of Kentucky is a major consideration for most high school students in Kentucky and surrounding states. Students come from out of state for the medical programs, as well as the newly redesigned and ever-growing equine department. But choosing whether to spend the next four years at one institution or another can be daunting. Looking at the brochures and even taking a campus tour can leave a prospective student with what seems like no more information than they started with.

There is a valuable source of information about any school or university: its students. As a fourth year student at the University of Kentucky, I can provide a lot of inside information about this university in specific, and the college process in general. The University is huge, with almost 30,000 students, including the Graduate and Medical programs. This can make feeling like a statistic a common situation. However, it also means that there is something for almost everyone.

HOUSING

One of the most important things (other than a major) that a new student has to consider is where they will live when they get to UK. There are a variety of dorms on campus, which are split roughly into three groups. These are South, Central, and North Campus.

South Campus is the headquarters of the social scene at the University. Most of the sorority and fraternity students not living in Greek housing live in this section of campus. It is composed mostly of two high-rise dorms, Kirwan and Blanding, and the surrounding low-rise buildings, of which there are eight. There are also three newer buildings on South Campus: Ingels, Smith, and Baldwin; which largely house international students and those students who are interested in living in an international setting.