If at first you don't succeed, party, party again.
The University of Florida has rated second, third and fourth over the years when it comes to the Princeton Review's list of top party schools. But no more.
This year, UF tops the chart.
The annual college ranking book, which comes out tomorrow, finally has deemed UF "Top Party School." Other top ratings included Most Conservative Students - Texas A&M, Best Classroom Experience - Stanford, and Great College Town - DePaul (Chicago).
The Princeton Review takes a look at 368 schools and rather than giving them a rank order, it tries to describe them based on what students attending them have to say.
"We believe college applicants need to know far more about schools than an academic ranking to identify which colleges may be best for them," author Robert Franek said in a news release. "It's all about the fit."
Get inside the world of Florida education with St. Petersburg Times staff writer Jeffrey S. Solochek and the rest of the Times education reporting team. We'll bring you up-to-date information about the latest education trends, fads and news and dig deep into Tampa Bay area school issues.
We sure party hard. But we work harder!
Being the top party school doesn't mean we have to lose out on academics. And surely we don't!
Its easy to blame everything around you if you do not succeed, but take a break and look at yourself for once.
Gators rule!
Posted by: Go Gators | January 12, 2009 at 04:16 PM
Go Noles:
It's "graduate school" not "grauduate school". Just thought you should know.
I wouldn't waste my time sitting in on a class at UF. My time is well spent attending graduate school at University College Dublin -- a real institution of higher learning. No infantile mascots, no beer pong tournaments, no Greek life.
But don't be silly. Certainly having a beer at the bar isn't what I'd consider debaucherous partying -- precisely the kind UF prides itself in. The problem is, to the contemporary college kid, binge drinking and drug use is the primary focus of college. Studying is peripheral.
And the prospect of a UF alumnus being the president? That's what scares me.
Posted by: Kevin | July 30, 2008 at 03:26 AM
To Kevin: It is "a shame" not "ashame" just to let you know. Also, I have yet to encounter anyone in my days at UF who did crack. Some of us define partying as just going to a bar and having a few drinks. Correct me if I am wrong, but there is at least one bar in most cities in this country. You want to talk about a drug epidemic: that's America. There are kids, teens, college students, business professionals, and government officials who use drugs. That is a shame. Furthermore, not all of us at UF live off of mommy and daddy's trust funds. I worked full time during all 4 years of undergrad because my parents saved nothing for my college education. I come from a low-income background and was the first to go to college, the first to get my Bachelor's, and the first to go to grauduate school. I think if anyone who criticized UF were to just sit in on a class at UF, their opinion might change. We have professors who have done more in their lifetimes than you could possibly imagine...achievements beyond belief. Maybe that's why we're the best in Florida! Furthermore, not everyone is in a fraternity/sorority. Personally, I am not a big fan of the Greek system. However, it's just like high school in that the Greeks only comprise a certain percentage of UF students - just a clique. One of us UF alums could be the doctor that saves your life, the lawyer who gets you out of jail, or the President running our country. There are, obviously, a few bad eggs in any group of people, but I think we have plenty of accomplished individuals to override that handful: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_University_of_Florida_alumni.
Posted by: Jess | July 29, 2008 at 11:06 AM
TO:GRAMMAR POLICE
Party all you want but who's the one "Wasting your life away with negative hate-filled energy."
You can go to school, get drunk, and stay there until you are 40.
I'll go to school for what it is there for, get an education and eventually your girlfriend will leave you for a real man like myself after she realizes that your loser axx cant finish a "hospitality management" associates degree. I'll be the one helping you feed your kids and pay your bills when you are on welfare. Or was that you that took my bags when I checked into the Vinoy last weekend? You were the bellhop, right?
Posted by: Jimmy J | July 29, 2008 at 11:04 AM
UF No#1 Party school?.... O.K. The Princeton Review is not part of Princeton University and the analysis is done by measuring responses from 120000 students...
Every guidance counsellor in Florida knows that the chances of being accepted into UF are VERY difficult...please look at the last 4 Freshmen Class academic rankings then look at UF Academic Ranking in the World...not bad..so go ahead and party hard and study hard Kudos!
Posted by: JCB | July 29, 2008 at 09:07 AM
Go Noles, Grammar Police:
I spent my college days, when not studying, working full-time and student teaching. I'm sorry it's hard for your drug-addled mind to entertain the idea that some people go to college hoping to find intelligence and walk away bitterly disappointed. Besides, I wasn't endowed with a trust fund to blow on blow and fraternity fees like your ilk.
It's ashame that in the lexicon of the United States, the words "University" and "Night Club" have become virtually interchangeable. The drug and booze atmosphere on American campuses is greatly (and sickeningly) contributing to the decline in our country's academic standards and to the overall anti-intellectual nature of our nation. The fact that UF is ranked so highly on the partying and academic charts speaks volumes about this decline.
In short, college in America is little more than a joint operation between crack houses and diploma mills.
Posted by: Kevin | July 29, 2008 at 01:57 AM
I think it's pretty amazing that people can still criticize UF despite the fact that we have one of the best public universities in the country, a top business school, a top accounting school, a top med school, a top pharmacy school, a top law school, and I am sure there are others that I am forgetting. I have lived in Gainesville for 5 years, going on 6. I received my undergrad degree from UF and am now working on my graduate degree. There is a lot of partying but not everyone does. The amazing part about UF is that despite all of the partying we still manage to make it to the top academically. Personally, I am not big on partying but there have been several nights over the years of getting home at 2:30 AM only to have to be in class at 8:00 AM. And, guess what? I still graduated with honors. The partying is not that big of a deal. We're young...we're embracing life...and we're, obviously, well-rounded students. We know how to balance work and play. I am proud that we hold so many titles, including partying, because we are the true Titletown. In conclusion, GO GATORS!
Posted by: Jess | July 28, 2008 at 11:13 PM
obviously The Princeton Review has never been to Gainesville
Posted by: Markos | July 28, 2008 at 10:07 PM
It's all bs. I went to a small liberal arts college highly rated academically and found the amount of partying and drugs to be staggering ( literally). I've taught at several state universities including USF, students are about the same all over. It is what you want to make of your classroom time. Professors all get their degrees from good schools, pay attention to them hung over or not . And please show up for class.
Posted by: Bill | July 28, 2008 at 09:29 PM
You people do realize that UF is the 15th ranked public school in the nation right?
Posted by: brian | July 28, 2008 at 08:14 PM
Calling UF a douchebag factory only validates its students and alums in some sick way. Therefore, I won't say something like "UF is the flagship of everything that is wrong with Florida's State University System."
Posted by: cg | July 28, 2008 at 08:12 PM
Jack, what is Latin for "you got crushed by Tebow"?
Posted by: Mike | July 28, 2008 at 07:13 PM
Don't tase my beer bro!
Posted by: | July 28, 2008 at 06:40 PM
To "Go Noles..."
While I hate Florida State, I can't stop laughing at your comment to Kevin. Buddy, you're dead on the money!
Go Gators....whether the kids are drunk or not.
And Jack, breaking out Latin on a Web forum hardly makes one seem cool. It makes you seem stodgy.
Posted by: Grammar Police | July 28, 2008 at 05:35 PM
To Kevin:
...said the man who was never invited to a single party in his college years. How long did you have to pause your World of Warcraft game to type up that post?
To all:
I hate UF, but love a good party. So kudos in that regard.
Go Noles! (there's always next year)
Posted by: Go Noles... | July 28, 2008 at 05:24 PM
Heck yeah Kevin! UF does have a lot of hotties though!
Posted by: Spifferson | July 28, 2008 at 04:39 PM
UF is little more than a brick warehouse of STD-ridden sorority girls and beer pong champs -- hardly an institution of higher learning.
College kids in the US are pathetic, self-indulgent, narcissistic, ever-intoxicated wastes of resources and tax dollars. Nary will you find intellect nor enlightenment on today's college campuses, only hungover zombies, faces glazed over from too much pot and aderol, pondering the source of their next fix.
Posted by: Kevin | July 28, 2008 at 04:22 PM
Nichole: I am guilty of not proofreading my comment. Mea culpa. You are guilty of mixing up a misspelled word with grammar. Instead of taking a cheap shot at me, why don't we argue the merits of the article? It is true that based on a wide variety of surveys, Florida colleges and universities lag academically far behind those of other states. When a CEO of a high-tech company looks to relocate, he or she looks at the quality of education in that state. Florida unfortunately receives failing grades both at the public school level and at the college/university level. In case you didn't know, the Latin phrase "mea culpa" roughly translates as "my fault".
Posted by: Jack | July 28, 2008 at 04:06 PM
I get a laugh at all the Gator Haters out there who love to hate us. It's ok, hate us all you want. We thrive on it. But please don't act like your school or alma mater is perfect and use poor grammar to express yourself. Jimmy J, don't end sentences in prepositions, please.
Not only could you not get into UF, you couldn't even hang with us at a party. We'll run circles around you with knowledge with drinks in hands.
Resume your hating. Waste your life away with negative hate-filled energy. It's your choice.
Go Gators!
Posted by: Grammar Police | July 28, 2008 at 04:00 PM
It's 2008, so it doesn't fit the sports streak, sorry.
In my experience as a competitive debater for USF, I've found that UPENN and Harvard kids party just as hard as my friends at USF or UF. In fact, most kids 18-22 at non-religious or military schools (Texas A&M is basically military) party pretty hard, regardless of public/private distinction or academic prestige.
Posted by: Dave W | July 28, 2008 at 03:56 PM
Wow....what a great accomplishment
"Best school to not get an education at"
Kudos Gators
Posted by: Jimmy J | July 28, 2008 at 03:40 PM
Based on your grammar, Jack, you could have benefited by attending one of Florida's colleges or universities...
Posted by: Nichole | July 28, 2008 at 03:34 PM
Florida has no noteworth colleges nor universites which is why it is so hard to recruit high-tech companies to Florida. Now as for North Carolina. . .
Posted by: Jack | July 28, 2008 at 03:16 PM
Cue angry people with no sense of humor now...
By the way, can we include this to our Basketball-Football-Basketball run?
Posted by: mlm | July 28, 2008 at 02:24 PM