Every guy you’ll meet at UA

Breaking down the male population one category at a time

The University of Arizona is a fairly large school, especially with the amount of diversity that exists amongst the students. College is a time when people have the opportunity to network with a whole new population of peers, whether it be for potential future careers, friendships or relationships. Relationships in college can sometimes be difficult to maintain. Ladies, here is a guide most guys at U of A can be categorized into.

The frat star

Photo courtesy of Sam Cooper. Delta Tau Delta fraternity at the University of Arizona.

Greek life is a huge part of the campus culture at U of A, so a large portion of the male population are groomed into stereotypical “frat guys.” Many of them are portrayed as insensitive party animals who just want to hook up with girls and drink until the sun rises. Sure, this is true for some of these types, but don’t assume this as a generalization for all guys in fraternities. Many of them do rush frats in order to build connections for the future and have a lot more respect, not only for women, but themselves and their moral beliefs. Just because he’s in a frat, doesn’t make him “undateable,” as the girls in John Tucker Must Die would describe.

The GDI/ “Geed”

On the opposite end of social groups lies the GDI, or “geed.” These are students who are not enrolled in a Greek life organization, and are oftentimes looked down upon at a campus where Greek life is so significant – both girls and guys. Girls have it a bit easier as geeds than guys, as they can still attend nearly any party or event they desire. On the other hand, guys not involved with Greek life sometimes find it hard to have a social life, especially freshman year, because they aren’t necessarily allowed into frat parties, or they have to pay a cover to get into a house party.

Despite this aspect of the life of a male geed, there are other characteristics they will generally sport. Some of them can be socially awkward, while others seem to be very content with their college social and academic life without Greek life. Making friends in classes and clubs and in the dorms/ their apartment complex is very convenient and is generally enough to satisfy them. They don’t have very many distinguishing characteristics on a superficial level, but you can usually tell by the way they talk (because they won’t mention their frat or brothers in every conversation) that they are not involved with Greek life.

The Jock/ Athlete/ Gym Rat

Austin Paciora (left) and Sam Cooper (right) exhibit guys who work out and stay in shape, but maintain a fun and positive personality.

Athletes around campus are idolized by many of the students. Since they receive so much publicity, it really is like having celebrities walking around, so it is sometimes difficult not to be star struck. On the other hand, there are guys who walk around acting as if they are part of an Arizona sports team, or think they are better than team players. These are more likely to be high school jocks who have already peaked, or the gym rats who have huge arms and lift two or three times per day. Personally, I like a guy who is in shape, but some of the guys I see around campus are just a little aggressive with how big they are – or how big they want to be. Similar to the frat guys around campus, these guys can sometimes play girls for an ego boost or whatever their reasoning may be. Be cautious, but do not generalize that every jock, athlete or gym rat you meet will you treat you poorly… I have met plenty of them who are some of the nicest people I know.

The Smart Guy

Smart guys are typically given the short end of the stick because they may come off as “too nerdy” for the “pretty girls.” I have found that overall the majority of these “nerds” are very respectful of people, and they’re smart… How can that ever be a bad thing? They will be very successful, which is not to say other kinds of guys won’t be. Actually, there are many guys who superficially fall into one of the other categories of guys I have established, but once you get to know them, you realize they are crazy smart as well.

The Artsy/ Creative Guy

These guys are usually pretty easy to pick out with unique hair and clothing styles, and a knack for the arts – photography, music, design, writing and film are many examples. They are generally very inquisitive and observant to details, emotions and digging deep into a subject to learn more. Thinking outside of the box is obviously a characteristic this group of guys possesses, which I think adds to their unique character. They are sensitive toward the people they are close to and, from the majority of guys in this category I have met and interacted with, care deeply about people because people are human. Generally non-judgemental, as they understand they are usually the odd-man-out in groups, they accept people for who they are and just want people to be themselves and find happiness in what they do.

Sure, there are plenty of guys who can fall into each of these three categories, and others who distinguish their own. While none of these are generalizations and I don’t mean to offend any of the guys on campus with this article, these are some major trends that many girls have experienced on campus. This is also not to say girls don’t have their own categories and behaviors that are apparent to guys. Regardless of who you are interested in casually dating or having a serious relationship with, I think as long as you yourself are honest and loyal to the other person, there’s not much else you can do to make them be the same way.

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