[ISUKappa]

I attended Iowa State University and would consider it a more rural campus insomuch as the campus is located on the western edge of a small city, away from the city's downtown area. While students do drive to other parts of Ames to shop, eat, etc... for the most part they tend to stay in and around campus or the area they live.

I loved going there because I really felt I was "away" at college. The campus is beautiful with lots of green, open space. There is an area of shops, restaurants and bars called Campustown right across from campus which is the main social scene on nights and weekends. There is public transportation (Cyride) which does get used, but many students also have cars of their own. It's a quick 5-10 minute drive to get to the downtown or other main areas of Ames.

If a freshman came to visit, I would suggest walking around campus and Campustown, driving through Greekland and by the football stadium and then heading down Lincoln Way to Duff Ave and eat at Hickory Park before leaving. That way they get to see the main areas around campus where the students live/hang out and go down the two major roads in town where a majority of the restaurants, grocery stores (HyVee) and chain stores (Target, WalMart) are located.