hey!! I'm possibly going to Arkansas next year and the one thing I'm not sold on is campus/Fayetteville itself. I'm not sure if I like how rural Fayetteville is, it's a little scary to be to be almost in the middle of nowhere. did you have trouble with this or did you have this problem too when deciding? thanks😊
I don’t want to sound rude, but have you actually been to Fayetteville? Because that’s what I thought about UArk as well, but then I visited, and it’s not that way at all.
Northwest Arkansas is a place of its own, unlike any of the areas surrounding it. It’s a little bubble that’s got a ton of character and a lot of things to do, actually. You have to remember that the headquarters of Walmart is less than 30 miles away from Fayetteville. And however you feel about Walmart and the Walton family, what that means is that there is a ton of money flowing into and around the NW Arkansas area. It’s developing extremely quickly. I mean, just within the time I’ve been here, they’ve needed to expand the highways to accommodate for the growth.
There’s the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, which is genuinely world-class. It was designed by a famous architect, and it’s been lauded in all sorts of national papers and magazines. They have some of the most famous American art in their collection, and they have the coolest exhibits– State of the Art was my favorite art exhibit that I’ve ever seen. They also have a Frank Lloyd Wright house on-site and a ton of walking trails around the museum. There’s quite the bubble of architecture and design, especially because of the Fay Jones School of Architecture + Design (hi, that’s me!).
If you like theater and music, there’s a big venue just off of campus that is constantly showing plays and musicals that are supposed to be very good. It’s a big draw– not just for students, but for people from all over the state. There are also a lot of concerts in the area and on campus. In the past few years, campus has had Ben Rector, The Head and The Heart, John Mayer, The Foo Fighters, Kid Cudi, T.I., and some I’m sure I’m forgetting; these all had free tickets for students! There’s also the Walmart Amp about 20 minutes away, and they’re a legit concert ampitheater– Ellie Goulding and Twenty One Pilots are upcoming, and past shows have included Dave Matthews Band, Needtobreathe, Kenny Chesney, Fifth Harmony, ect.
If you like being outside, I’m not sure you could be in a better place than “The Natural State.” There are parks and rivers and lakes for hiking, rock climbing, camping, canoeing, and hammocking. The University probably also has a club for all of those things!
If you’re a foodie, you’ll find lots of amazing food. A few examples! Hammontrees: just gourmet grilled cheese that’s crazy good. Farmer’s Table: amazing breakfast and lunch made with local ingredients as much as possible. Woodstone Craft Pizza: just what it says, also known for its cocktail selection. Greenhouse Grille: organic and higher-brow takes on some standard American cuisine; they even make their own ketchup. Arsagas: the best brunch spot in Fayetteville, also apparently with delicious coffee (I highly recommend the Pommes and Pork Crepe!). There are lots of other places to go, some better than others. My point is that there are a lot of choices!
And the campus is gorgeous! It’s so beautiful! I’m a design major, I love to be surrounded by beauty, and this campus has that. If you don’t believe me (or the campus website, haha), let’s take a walk through my Instagram! Here, Here, Here, Here, Here. And those are just from this semester!
I mean, I’m from St. Louis, Missouri– I know what it’s like to have tons of things to choose from, to be really close to a metro area, ect. And is Fayetteville like that? No. I miss genuine Mexican food, and I would kill for a decent Indian place. I would love an Ikea in the area, and I wish more things were open on Sunday. But I have LOVED my time in Fayetteville, despite my initial concerns (I am not going to freaking Arkansas, Mom). It’s been an awesome place to be for four years of my life. It’s made me appreciate St. Louis more, but I also wish for things from Arkansas when I’m home. It’s good! Would I want to live in Fayetteville forever? No, but I’m not tired of it yet, and I only have 5 months until graduation.
This is long, but I hope it’s helpful. Good luck in choosing your college!















