The University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
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The University of Michigan - Ann Arbor - Comments and Student Experiences | |||||||||||||||||||
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I didn't know anyone coming in, but I did have expectations of making good friends, if not right away, then eventually. However, in a place so big, it's hard not to feel like just a number. It seemed like everyone already knew everybody else, and in general I think the people were just not warm or friendly. Second semester I finally did meet some good people who became my friends but honestly the experience here wasn't what I expected.
It really is all about the Michigan name. Ask any student why they're here, and 90% will say to get a great job or make a lot of money. There is nothing wrong with that, but really is that the only purpose of college? I see it as more of an experience that we can take with us in life.
During the week, all you do is study. During the weekends, all you do is study and go to football games. The school markets itself in being the best, which leads to some pretty arrogant and prideful people who have no humbleness or humility. People are here in order to make a lot of money. There is more to life than just studying in order to make a lot of money later on.
There academic advisers are terrible. They gave me no advice at all. I ended up freaking out at my orientation when I didn't know what classes to take, and all they did was talk on their cell phone and tell me to hurry up. Is that the way to treat a new student?
I also had a few huge classes which didn't bother me, but the professors did. They do not know how to teach effectively. I didn't learn anything at all, but rather did rote memorization in order to pass my classes. I do commend my English 125 class though as the only good class I had, which got me interested in English. Just be warned, that at this school, you are a no one. Be aware that if you are coming from a low caliber high school, all you will do here is study. This is a very challenging school. I also felt unwelcome as a Christian. This is a very liberal school, and Christianity is not welcomed. I used to have dreams of coming to this school, and living in the city. However, it's just not what you expect. Even with a full ride to here, I am transferring out.
My perspective was not, however, always so rosy. When I got rejected from every school I wanted to go to, I didn't even know where Ann Arbor was, and I certainly had never considered living in or even visiting the flyover states. (If you can't tell, I'm one of the "asshole East Coast rich kids" that the other posters warn you about!) But with time, I've met some incredible people, had a blast going out in Ann Arbor, and learned much more about everything than if I had gone to one of the WASP havens I used to dream about.
Academically, Michigan LSA is a joke. Even 400 level math classes are easy As. Engineering is tougher: there's a lot of work, but at 300 level and above you get some pretty good grade inflation. In the 100-200s you just have to stick it out and let the pretenders fall by the wayside. And in the 500s, everyone gets an A, which looks pretty sweet for grad school apps.
If you want a high GPA, be prepared to fight for it. The UM College of Engineering is full of kids like me who are bitter because they got rejected from MIT et al and are overqualified for this school. It can get pretty ugly at the top.
If you don't want a high GPA, then your life is pretty easy. You can coast on a 3.2 and go out 5 nights a week.
For the most part, the profs are a mix. my LSA teachers were a joke, i can't believe they get paid 100k/yr. Many engineering guys can't speak english, and most suck at teaching, but honestly if you need to go understand lectures to learn, you're gonna have problems. And it's not like it's different at other top engineering schools. They're good schools because of research output, and that's what these people are here to do.
Some tests were hard as hell, most are reasonable to easy. The most difficulty I've had has been in groups where the other people don't speak English or are from Michigan (in either case, they can't write worth a damn). Most of my friends feel the same way. Whatever the case may be, I've learned to work with all kinds of people, and that's a good thing.
One final point: take french/spanish 101/102 in the basement of the MLB. you can thank me later.
Socially, UM is very easy going relative to what I experienced growing up in an NYC suburb. I guess compared to farmland, Ann Arbor is unfriendly, but these whiners just need to get thicker skin.
The biggest adjustment I had to make was realizing that you can't make fun of in-state kids (or be sarcastic around them) because they just don't get it. Also, they cannot seem to understand people being reserved and not wanting to talk to everyone they meet. And then, when they become friends with you, they are shocked that you're actually a d**k/b**ch to your friends. Chalk it up to differences in culture.
Another thing you'll notice if you're from out of state is that people here think Michigan is really as good as Harvard. It's sickening to hear them go on and on about how elite we are as students -- when they got a 1350 on the SATs and say 'granite' instead of 'granted' in conversation. This school is FULL of kids who think they're brilliant, when only a few are. Don't let it get to you.
Parties run the gamut, frats can be good, some bars are good if you have a good ID. A lot of people think they are really good at beer pong/beruit, but few are. A nice thing about Ann Arbor is that you don't pay to get into parties.
Football season is ridiculous. Get tickets whether you like sports or not. I made the mistake of not getting them freshman year because I hate football, but in the end I just had to pay out my ass to get them from scalpers (aka other students). Hockey is good too, gives you something to do before pregaming.
A lot of the reviews here talk about kids with money. I guess I come from a wealthy place, because when I arrived here the first thing I noticed is how many people don't drive German cars. There's a mix, just like there is at any expensive school. And, if you want to, it's pretty easy to fake being rich in college, considering we all live like slobs.
Truth be told, there's something for everyone. Rich kids who act like it, rich kids who don't, hipsters, etc. You'll find something you like, and you can try just about anything. In fact, if you had told me 3 years ago that I'd have the friends I do today, I'd never have believed you.
One thing that all out of state kids hate is the schedule. A 9 day Christmas break is insulting, and not getting off the Wednesday before Thanksgiving is pretty lame. BUT, you do get done the last week of April, which is kinda cool.And be prepared for it to be COLD. I live in the Northeast, but it is nothing like Michigan. The wind is brutal, it can really kill the nightlife sometimes.
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