A College Kid’s Guide to St. Louis
Hellooo perspective students!! My name is Julia and I’m a junior at Washington University in St. Louis. Now, I know what you’re thinking—"why would I voluntarily spend four years in Missouri?” And look, I get it. I’m sure you’re silently dismissing WashU as an option despite your parents telling you “it’s suuuch a good school, honey!!” But I know something you don’t. I know that deep within this Midwestern jumble lies a beautiful city. And no, it isn’t New Orleans, and it’s not LA, and it’s not Charleston—it’s better: it’s St. Louis.
The best part of St. Louis is obvious: WashU. When I was looking at colleges my senior year of high school, I knew I wanted a liberal arts education and I knew I didn’t want a school that was too big. I wanted to have copious amounts of fun and I wanted to meet people who not only made me feel comfortable, but people who were different from me and could teach me things to which I wouldn’t otherwise be exposed. WashU fit the bill. WashU is a super rare, and incredibly ideal size of around eight thousand undergraduates. What does this mean? It means that you are constantly meeting new people and seeing new faces in classes and around campus. It also means that you will always see someone you know. The campus is…gorgeous. It makes school feel vastly more legitimate when you’re crouching over some big book in the law library pretending to understand what it says. That’s the other thing---washU isn’t competitive. I mean yeah, getting in is tough…but once you’re in, no one cares how you got here. Everyone—your friends, your classmates, your professors—wants you to succeed. And no judges you when you don’t. Academically, WashU has every resource you can imagine—and everyone uses them. I am a frequent face at the learning center: located right on the south 40 where freshman live, the learning center is where students who get extra-time take their tests and exams.
WashU has a great reputation for school—like, school school: classes, books, campus, libraries etc. But WashU students play just as hard as they work—and we work pretty hard. An average weekend (the weekend starts on Wednesday, btw) could look like several things. The Loop, the main streets right by school, is home to countless restaurants to get food and drinks. Some of my favorites include Three King’s—a pub with fantastic fried pickles, Seoul Taco—a Korean-Mexican restaurant, and Poke Doke, a create-your-own poke bar. Freshman year is the year to wander along the loop, step inside the quirky vintage shops, and take in St. Louis for all it has to offer. If you’re 21 though… let’s talk.
Starting on Wednesday nights, “T’s” is the bar to be at. Though typically reserved for upperclassmen, T’s welcomes the brave sophomore. Thursday nights are more inclusive—and this is where many freshmen go out for the first time: Big Daddy’s. Located in the beautiful and historic downtown St. Louis, Big Daddy’s is a right of passage for all WashU students. The line can be long, but the wait is worth it. Nothing welcomes in the weekend quite like a Thursday night at Daddy’s—and if you’re there late enough, you can go to John’s Donuts, a donut shop downtown that opens at midnight. Friday’s and Saturday’s can be spent downtown by the arch, getting brunch in the central west end, going to on-campus events (fraternity parties, club fairs, sporting events), or milling around the 40 and getting mozzarella sticks. There is no wrong way to do WashU. There is something for everyone—and everyone will help you find your something. At the risk of oversimplifying—WashU has everything you need. And the people are actually really cool. You won’t find a more uplifting school environment with the same kind of social excitement and genuine zest for life as you will at WashU. Become a bear, you won’t regret it.
