University of Illinois SystemStudent Guide

Academic dates, campus language, housing, and student-life references for University of Illinois System. Free for students.

University in Urbana, IL. Operating on a semester system.

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Total Enrollment

University

Institution Type

27

Housing Buildings

Student guide · Fall 2026 First 8 Weeks (POT A)

The semester, explained for University of Illinois System

Dates from the active academic calendar, plus the campus language and local details students actually need. Every entry comes from DormWay's approved campus reference library.

Relevant term
Fall 2026 First 8 Weeks (POT A)
Campus terms
22
Local details
16

Academic calendar

Fall 2026 First 8 Weeks (POT A) runs Aug 24, 2026 – Oct 16, 2026. Calendar aliases that share a date range are grouped together, with every source term still shown.

20 entries
  1. Summer Term 2026
  2. Summer Session 2 (S2) 2026
  3. Summer Session B (Weeks 7-12) 2026
  4. Summer Session 2B (Weeks 9-12) 2026
  5. Fall 2026 First 8 Weeks (POT A)Relevant now
  6. Fall Semester 2026
  7. Fall 2026 Second 8 Weeks (POT B)
  8. Winter Session 2026-2027
  9. Spring 2027 First 8 Weeks (POT A)
  10. Spring Semester 2027
  11. Spring 2027 Second 8 Weeks (POT B)
  12. Summer Session 1 2027
  13. Summer Session 2 2027
  14. Summer Session 2 Second 4-Weeks 2027
  15. Fall Semester 2027
  16. Winter Session 2027-2028
  17. Spring Semester 2028
  18. Summer Session 1 2028
  19. Summer Session 2 2028
  20. Summer Session 2 Second 4-Weeks 2028

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Campus language

Search the full glossary. Nothing is sampled or hidden when the search field is empty.

22 terms

A

ARC
Activities and Recreation Center, the largest gym on the UIUC campus.

B

Blue 41
A popular dining option/cafe located within the Turner Student Center at UIS.

C

CRCE
Campus Recreation Center East, a secondary gym located near the UIUC Quad.

F

FAR
Florida Avenue Residence halls, located on the southeast edge of the UIUC campus.

G

Green Street
The main commercial strip in UIUC's Campustown featuring restaurants and bars.

I

Ike
The dining center located within the Ikenberry Commons.
ISR
Illinois Street Residence halls, located near the engineering quad.
ISR Dining
The newly renovated, high-capacity dining hall located in the Illinois Street Residences.
ISS
Illinois Student Government, the representative body for UIUC students.

J

JST
James Stukel Towers, a prominent residence hall at UIC.

L

LAR
Lincoln Avenue Residence halls, known for housing the Honors LLC.
Late Night
Late-night dining hours offered at specific locations like PAR or the Ike.

P

PAR
Pennsylvania Avenue Residence halls, located across from FAR.

R

RSO
Registered Student Organization; the official term for student clubs.

S

SAB
Student Activities Board, the primary event-planning body at UIC.
SCE
Student Center East, the primary dining and hub location at UIC.
Six Pack
The Ikenberry Commons residence halls, named for their original layout of six buildings.

T

Taft-Van
Taft-Van Doren, a specific pair of residence halls within the Ikenberry Commons.
The Alma
The Alma Mater statue, a central landmark and popular photo spot.
The Quad
The Main Quad, the central grassy hub of the UIUC campus.
The Union
The Illini Union, the central student activity building at UIUC.

U

Unofficial
Unofficial St. Patrick's Day, a major annual student-run celebration at UIUC.

Places and practicalities

Buildings, logistics, and other local references drawn from the approved campus snapshot.

16 details
Altgeld
Altgeld Hall, famous for its castle-like appearance and the Altgeld Chimes.
BIF
The Business Instructional Facility, the main hub for Gies College of Business students.
BSB
The Behavioral Sciences Building at UIC, notorious for its confusing, maze-like architecture.
Compass
The Canvas-based learning management system used for course materials and grades.
Foellinger
Foellinger Auditorium, a large domed building used for lectures and performances.
Grainger
The Grainger Engineering Library, the primary study spot for engineering students.
i-card
The official University of Illinois identification card used for building access and payments.
ikenberry_dining_center
Ikenberry Dining Center
Illini Cash
A debit-like account on the i-card used for laundry and campus dining.
isr_dining_center
ISR Dining Center
lincoln_avenue_dining_hall_lar
Lincoln Avenue Dining Hall (LAR)
MTD
Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District; the bus system used by UIUC students.
NetID
The unique username used to log into all university digital services and email.
pennsylvania_avenue_dining_hall_par
Pennsylvania Avenue Dining Hall (PAR)
SES
Science and Engineering South, a major classroom building at UIC.
U-Pass
The transit pass provided to UIC students for unlimited CTA bus and train rides.

Quick answers

Useful facts students can verify from the guide above.

What academic term is relevant now?
Fall 2026 First 8 Weeks (POT A) runs Aug 24, 2026 – Oct 16, 2026.
How much campus context is included?
22 approved campus terms and 16 local details are included in full.
Are all approved campus terms included?
Yes. The complete approved glossary is available in the scrollable, searchable campus-language section.
Where does this guide come from?
Calendar dates, campus terms, and local details come from DormWay's approved campus reference library.

Get to know your university

Assisted

Find a few communities to try at University of Illinois System

These are things we discovered from public campus sources. We are constantly looking for more.

Tell us what we missed
Interest filters
  • Major-aligned clubs, pre-professional groups, and research communities.
  • Performing arts, visual arts, student publications, film, and music.
  • Cultural orgs, identity communities, and faith-based groups.
  • Volunteer groups, civic engagement, mutual aid, and student government.
  • Outdoor clubs, intramural sports, club sports, and rec center programs.
  • Entrepreneurship, hackathon teams, makerspaces, and engineering project teams.
  • Casual hangouts, interest groups, and open events without applications.

DormWay is still mapping student communities at this campus.

We only show recommendations once we have enough public sources for University of Illinois System.

These are things we discovered. We are constantly looking for more.

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Recommendations are based on public campus sources. We do not endorse student organizations.

Using DormWay at University of Illinois System

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Life in Urbana for University of Illinois System Students

Everything you need to know about living and studying in Urbana.

Timezone

Central Time (CT)

Median Rent

$783

Cost of Living Index

96

Student Population

52,000

City Transportation

Walkability

65

Bikeability

75

Public Transit

Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District bus system

Nearest Airports

University of Illinois Willard Airport

Climate Averages

Climate

Humid continental

Avg Annual Temp

51°F

Avg Snowfall

20 in

Campus Operations Snapshot

Parking and Transit

Lot E-14

surface_lot

Located at First & St. Mary's; serves as a UI Ride shuttle stop.

North Campus Parking Deck Lot B4

garage

Located at 1201 W. University Ave; serves as a UI Ride shuttle stop.

Lot D10/D11

surface_lot

Metered spaces available at the Illini Union; enforced Mon-Sat 6am-1am.

Upcoming Events

What's happening at University of Illinois System

250 Years of Documenting Democracy Exhibit

August 6, 2026 at All Day

Main Library

Dorms & On-Campus Housing at University of Illinois System

Various dorm and housing options are available for students.

26 known dorm and housing options. The first 24 are shown below; the rest are available in the expandable list.

Academic & Residential Complex

Allen Residence Hall

Ashton Woods

Busey-Evans

Commons North

Commons South

Commons West

Courtyard

Daniels Hall

East Campus Apartments

Florida Avenue Residence Halls (FAR: Oglesby and Trelease)

Founders Residence Hall

Room types: double

Goodwin-Green

Ikenberry North Residence Halls (Hopkins, Barton/Lundgren, Weston, Nugent, Wassaja)

Ikenberry South Residence Halls (Bousfield, Scott, Snyder, Taft-Van Doren)

Illinois Street Residence Halls (ISR: Wardall and Townsend)

James Stukel Towers

Lincoln Avenue Residence Halls (LAR: Leonard and Sheldon)

Lincoln Residence Hall

Room types: double

Marie Robinson Hall

Orchard Downs

Pennsylvania Avenue Residence Halls (PAR: Babcock/Carr and Blaisdell/Saunders)

Polk Street Residence

Sherman Hall

Show the remaining 2 housing options

Single Student Residence

Thomas Beckham Hall

Campus Details

Academic System

Semester

Email Domain

@illinoissystem.edu

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