Division of Student Affairs > Resources > Faculty & Staff > Common Student Questions > Student Life

Student Life

The college experience is about more than just classes, exams, homework and studying. The life a student lives outside the classroom can contribute to learning, college success and growth almost as much as some of those more traditional activities.

There are plenty of ways a student can be engaged on campus and enhance their DePaul experience. Students can navigate to the Student Affairs webpage, then to Student Life to find information on student organizations, community engagement opportunities, leadership opportunities and programming offered to assist students and their families in making a smooth transition into life at DePaul.

Students can meet new people just about everywhere at DePaul: in the residence halls, in class and outside of class, at programs and events on campus.

Many of DePaul's offices are dedicated to student involvement and deliver many on-campus opportunities that help students connect to and network with others. Students can visit DeHUB to learn about student clubs and organizations on campus, as well as see upcoming campus events. They can also visit the Student Affairs website to learn about a variety of ways to get involved and meet people.

Students should visit the Digital Engagement Network (DEN) and explore DeHub's events feed for opportunities to connect with other students virtually.

A wide variety of activities take place on campus over the weekend. Many of these events will be advertised in DeHub, the online student organization portal, the Student Affairs web page, or in the Student Center, residence halls or on various message boards around campus. Chicago also hosts many interesting attractions, ranging from the Lincoln Park Zoo to the Museum of Science and Industry, the Field Museum or the Shedd Aquarium.

While DePaul is Catholic by tradition, it is inclusive and accepting of all religions. Catholic Campus Ministry, the Vincentian Service and Formation Office and the Religious Diversity and Pastoral Care teams are poised to aid students in their spiritual development whether they are Catholic, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist (or others) or still seeking faith, religion or spirituality in a religiously diverse and pluralistic world. DePaul also offers prayer rooms as well as daily and weekend Masses for students.

Spirituality, service and justice are at the heart of learning at DePaul, and a number of departments do much to support students' efforts to make a difference in their world. Students can find more information on services by navigating to the Division of Mission and Ministry website.

Students looking to get involved and compete in intramural and club sports can check the Ray Meyer Fitness and Recreation Center website through Campus Recreation or head to the Ray front desk for information on signing up. Students looking for specific activities should check the availability by quarter online.

Full-time students are admitted to all DePaul athletic events free of charge. You can reserve your ticket at depaulbluedemons.com and claim it at the door with a valid student ID. Guest tickets can also be purchased for a fee.

To help students take advantage of the many things to see and do around Chicago, Student Affairs acquires discounted tickets for attractions, events and performances and then allows students to purchase them conveniently on campus. Students can find more information on the student discounts page.

My SSP is available for students who feel the need to speak with someone privately about important issues they are facing. Counselors will help a student set goals for working through an issue or make referrals for a student to receive the help they need. University Counseling Services (UCS) in Lincoln Park is also available for initial consultation, triage, brief crisis management and resources and referrals. Call UCS at (773) 325-7779.

For information on the wide range of support services offered, students can visit go.depaul.edu/studentservices.

The CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) is the main form of public transportation in Chicago. With the Fullerton "L" stop in the center of the Lincoln Park Campus, the Jackson subway stop near the Loop Campus and bus stops throughout the city, there are any number of routes available for students, faculty and staff to use to travel nearly anywhere in Chicago. Route maps and the CTA website can be helpful when navigating public transportation.

The CTA U-Pass is a transit pass that eligible students can use for unlimited rides anywhere on the CTA system. Eligible students include full-time undergraduate students and some full-time graduate students. Eligible students will be charged a nominal fee which will appear on each quarter's tuition statement.