Road Trip: the University of Central Florida

We toured four Florida schools and found out what it's like to attend them

August 19, 2009 RSS Feed Print

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If a misguided tourist made a wrong turn onto UCF's Orlando campus, the driver could easily mistake his or her surroundings for one of Disney World's nearby resorts. Amid its academic buildings, UCF boasts roadways lined with palm trees, residence halls that could pass as hotels, and a large, luxurious swimming pool available to students year-round. The area's average high temperature hovers above 70 no matter the season.

Part of what makes UCF's campus look so attractive is its newness. Chartered just 40 years ago, the university has grown tremendously since its beginnings with two buildings and not quite 2,000 students. UCF's 1,400-acre campus now serves more than 50,000 students, about 43,000 of whom are undergraduates, making it the fifth-largest university in the nation. Given the choice, UCF President John Hitt would not downsize. "Harvard and Stanford are important, but they serve such a small number of students," Hitt says. "If we do a good job educating 12,000 graduates each year, then we will have a positive impact on those individuals and the economy."

Though it's easy to feel lost at such a mammoth school, some of the UCF freshmen who live on campus make their big school feel small by join-ing living-and-learning communities (there's one for out-of-state students) or by getting to know other residents of their housing communities—clusters of residence halls that resemble little villages.

Others make UCF their own by studying hospitality management or engineering, two of the school's most popular majors, and taking advantage of the internship opportunities available in Orlando, a tourism mecca that is also home to the Central Florida Research Park and labs for organizations such as the Laser Institute of America and multiple branches of the U.S. military.

But with UCF's young age comes a dearth of the traditions that are the lifeblood of Florida's older public universities. The Knights have a new football stadium and a new basketball arena, but the teams' following does not compare to that of the Florida Gators or the Florida State Seminoles. Arlen and Diane Chase, two married anthropology professors who came to UCF together 25 years ago, say that when the school first opened, Orlando stores didn't even sell Knights paraphernalia. It was Gator or Seminole gear.

Luckily, students at UCF see tradition as something they have the opportunity to create, not as something that's missing. "There is not much tradition now, but in 20 years new traditions will have started," says freshman Mallory Shaw. "We all grew up wanting to be Gators and Seminoles. Our kids will grow up wanting to be Knights."

More About Central Florida

Plus factor: Campus layout is designed in concentric circles for maximum convenience; makes school feel smaller.
Undergrad enrollment, fall '08: 42,910
Est. annual cost, 2008-09: in state, $12,439; out of state, $27,919

Florida Road Trip

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I think UCF is a great school and I think its rise to the tier one rankings (along with USF) in 2011 is much deserved. Over time, I think UCF will continue to strengthen programs and attract high caliber students.
I know these are year old posts, but I just cannot understand why schools in Florida and their students feel the need to denigrate each other. Healthy competition is great, as is showing pride in one's school, but why piss on everyone else? The state of Florida itself has been panned for having "sub-par" education and I don't think such hateful internal divisions within the state are improving matters. We should band together- as much as possible- so that the quality of the state system continues to improve.
I have friends at all the major publics in Florida and I have no doubt that if you seek the right classes/professors, engage yourself in ECs, internships and other ways to enrich your experience, you'll get a great education and job prospects.
I believe our state university system would, in the long run, benefit from decreasing infighting (and more importantly- overhauls in the education system and appropriate allocation of funds, etc. obviously) and recognizing every schools have different programs of study that they are outstanding in. I think we could definitely fashion out a more solid, cohesive and respected state system, a la the University of California system, if changes were implemented.
I think all four of the "major" public institutions in Florida - UF, FSU, UCF and USF- will continue to rise in not only the rankings but in the quality of education provided and the quality of students attracted. IMO, we should simply be happy that our state (represent!) is attracting more recognition for academics overall.
The point? Let's maintain health competition. It is exciting and necessary to build team spirt. However we could go a little bit easier on another's university and celebrate the fact that our once panned state-wide academic system is getting more recognition.
And have to point out- as a gator- that while partying does occur at UF (and heck, where doesn't this occur in any Florida university or large public university in general?), it is no where near as pervasive as its detractors portray it. UF students spend a lot of time studying. Also, just want to point out that having a nationally ranked football team and tons of school pride and balancing a challenging workload are NOT mutually exclusive.
Whew, that's the end of my mini-rant. I do realize there are a-holes at UF and FSU (and everywhere!) that act like they are the bee's knees, but this a minority of the population. I also understand schools like UCF and USF, which are quite young, being on the defensive in order to point out their schools are great too. However, I just don't believe the "in-fighting" (the malicious sort) is constructive. <Rodney King> Can't we all just get a long?? </Rodney King>

TheDoctor of FL 3:25PM September 17, 2010

Public schools in Florida are strange, and UCF is maybe the strangest. This is mainly advice for Florida kids. If you’re not from FL, its not worth it. Debt is killer.
First off, its CHEAP. In-state tuition is the best bang-for-buck in the nation, and Orlando is OK priced. 3-5 friends renting a near-foreclosure house is cheap luxury.
Second, our Engineering program is excellent, we are a world leader in Optics, and if you’re into Space, its a feeder school for Cape Canaveral.
Same for hospitality/tourism, so many students work at the theme parks. Orlando is the tourism internship Mecca.
We also have the only other public uni. Film School in FL other than FSU, whose is tiny and impossible to get into (though excellent). I’m in the Film School. Ehh, its ok, its mostly what you make of it, and its the only decent one where I’m not going to leave with 80k debt.
And who cares about our teams? Florida needs to get its mind right. I love watching sports, but I’m not going to bet my future on it.
The campus is incredibly easy to get around and conveniently designed (though the architecture is UGLY, if you care). Parking, while bad, is tolerable, and you will never walk more than a mile to class, unlike UF and FSU. And oh yea, its sweltering most of the year, but that’s Central Florida.
Yes, there is almost NONE of what you would call traditional school spirit, other than the Greeks, but there are a thousand clubs, niches and cliques to get in where you fit in. And if you really care about school spirit, you’re going to go Greek anyways.
Now the really weird part… notice how we have ~43,000 undergrads and ~5,000 freshman. Yea, that’s because FL farmed out the first two years of college to a massive community college system, and UCF is where they come to finish their major. That and a love of transfers makes us the ultimate commuter school. Most of us live near campus but very few ever lived in the dorms. So a campus of 50,000 can seem more like an office park. Also, the library is noisy and mostly a place for the Greeks to hang out.
The other problem with this… LOTS of dumb students who will never graduate. You’ll meet many very smart kids(I'm 800 Verbal 780 Math, trust me) but you’ll meet a ton more cretins who will drop out with 20k debt. Make smart friends, engage your professors, and the sky’s the limit, as long as you aren’t driven insane by those classmates who still can’t write a 5-paragraph essay.
In summary: If partying is in your top 3 priorities, go to UF or FSU (if you can get in anymore, haha), and come out an alcoholic/addict/frat-rape victim. If you want a quality overall liberal arts education, go somewhere else. But if you want one of the programs UCF’s good in, and you like Orlando, and you are self-motivated, and looking to find your own path and not be pressured through the normal college kid cycle, and want to save A LOT of money, come to UCF. As far as public universities go, we’re pretty excellent in our own freaky way.

Ramblin' Man of FL 11:51PM December 27, 2009

MIT, Stanford,...., UF are established before 1900. It is like comparing a professor who works, with a student who works (universities established before 1900 and still deliver poor performance are like professors who doesn't work or have other goals apart from contributing to improving the ranking criteria). UCF, established in 1963, is already the 5th best and upcoming university in the nation. The College of Engineering and Computer Science is consistently ranked in the Top 100 in both U.S. and world rankings for such a short history. Going to UCF is exciting and it is a large school with beautiful campus.

Jose of GA 3:10PM October 23, 2009

Road Trip: the University of Central Florida

We toured four Florida schools and found out what it's like to attend them

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