I have been at UCF for one year now, and there are many things about the university that I really love. However, there are certain aspects of the school that could be improved.

Here are 10 of them:

1. Greek life.
Greek life at any school will benefit anyone that decides to go Greek, and UCF is definitely not an exception. However, UCF's stern way of running Greek Life is affecting participation numbers. It's estimated that approximately 5,000 to 7,000 students currently enrolled in the university are Greek. For a school of 60,000, that's really small. On the bright side, participation is starting to grow, and hopefully the development of Greek Park 2 can be completed so more organizations can join the Greek community.

2. Losing the commuter school classification.
After 52 years of existence, UCF is still classified as a commuter school. There's nothing wrong with a "commuter school" classification, but to get a better national reputation and brand, there has to be a way to keep students on campus on the weekends. Although UCF is not a traditional university, it would be nice to not be a considered a commuter school.

3. Off-campus crime.
The influx of off-campus crime recently has people questioning their safety. UCF and Orange County Police Departments are already taking action to prevent more crime in the area, but I am really not sure how much can be done to prevent illegal activities that affect student safety.

4. More off-campus housing options.
With every other university I visit, there are a ton of options for students around the area when it comes to housing. Around the UCF area, although there are numerous housing options, it's not quite enough to fully house every student attending the university. Also, our off-campus housing is more expensive compared to most universities, but that can be attributed to living in Eastern Orlando. Yes, a house is the cheapest option for any UCF student, but not every student is ready to live in a house. We need more apartment complexes.

5. More off-campus nightlife.
We are lucky to attend a university that is super-close to some of the biggest theme parks in the world, however, outside of our campus, we need some more nightlife activities. Yes, we do have three bars, we have the theme parks 30-40 minutes away, and we have downtown Orlando, but wouldn't it be nice to have stuff near campus so people can walk to them? I'll admit, more nightlife around UCF is a bit of a stretch, but a person can dream.

6. Bringing SunRail to the UCF area.
SunRail is the commuter rail-system for the Greater-Orlando area. Although SunRail is just over a year old, it would be great to bring this excellent service to UCF. If SunRail expands to most of the Central Florida area in the near future, this could allow for automatic transportation to the new downtown Orlando campus, the Rosen College of Hospitality in the Universal-Orlando area and possibly to other popular destinations around Greater Orlando.

7. More parking options.
One of the biggest gripes a UCF student will talk about is parking. Yes, UCF did add parking recently (Libra Parking Garage), but let's be honest, that parking garage is nowhere near any classroom buildings or even the Student Union. Maybe UCF can figure out a way to build onto the current parking garages that only go four stories high?

8. More dorms.
UCF on-campus housing is a great way for students to stay connected with the university. If more dorms and on-campus apartments were created, I think that incoming students would benefit by keeping them in the loop of things. Is there even space for more dorms? Not exactly. But you never know what can happen to a university in a short number of years—and UCF is proof of that.

9. Better brand recognition.
Even in the UCF area, the black and gold apparel is severely lacking. UF and FSU gear is still being sold in our area, which is understandable since both schools have been here way longer than UCF, but, on the contrary, Orlando is the city we represent as our university, don't you think it should be a two-way street? I think this will come in time, but come on O-Town! REP YOUR COLLEGE LOUD AND PROUD.

10. More school spirit!
Although every UCF student is proud to be a Knight, we can always improve on that. I think students should go to every home game they can, because at any age, supporting your UCF Knights will always be a great time!

The UCF community is growing every day, and while there is a lot to be improved, I still think it is a great time to be a Knight. Charge on!