University of Maryland-College Park Top Questions

Frat kids and stoners

A common stereotype of students at my school is that most students are in fraternities or sororities and only care about partying. While Greek life is a huge part of the College Park community, it is not the only thing that students care about. There are many students not involved in Greek life that are involved in other great clubs or organizations, both professional and academic.

The University of Maryland is known to be a party school with a great variety of fraternities and sororities. Maryland students are known to study hard during times of final exams (long hours in McKeldin library) but they sure do know how to party once Friday night arrives. Route 1 is the central destination for night life in College Park. With the plethora of restaurants and a few bars along with the many frat houses and off-campus apartments (i.e. "Knox Boxes"), UMD students find themselves studying hard and partying harder! From personal experience, I believe these stereotypes are true.

At the University of Maryland, College Park, most students are stereotyped as nerds. I would say that the stereotype fits for the most part. However, who says that being a nerd is a bad thing? Here at the University of Maryland, we have a wide variety of nerds. First, we have the frat and sorority nerds. These nerds are one of a kind nerds. You will tend to find these nerds wearing "jersey clothing"; big watches and yoga pants are all the rage. Second, we have the nerd jocks. These nerds know how to keep up on the court and in the classroom. You will tend to spot these individuals walking around campus sporting a backpack with their number on it, because they want you to know who they are. Lastly, we have the true nerds. These nerds are one of a kind. They stay in the library like it's their job. From morning till nighttime, you will find these nerds amongst other fellow nerds drawing out math equations on dry erase boards.

As a big state school wither over 30,000 students, there's really no stereotypical UMD students. There's a big mix of everything, but some stereotypes you'll find most common are the Fratstar, the Sorostitute, and the Druggie.

A stereotype is basically a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image/idea of a particular type of person. Here at Maryland (UMD) there are over 24,000 undergraduate students! You may be wondering, "Is it even possible to stereotype over 24k people?!" Well, IT IS! First and foremost, as a student at UMD every single individual falls under the same stereotype: a terp! From the time that a student receives their letter of acceptance to UMD they are considered to be a terp, and they automatically become a part of something bigger than themselves. With this in mind, there are certain stereotypes amongst the College Park population. -Greek life is HUGE at UMD; when walking around campus on a typical weekday you will see both guys and girls repping their sorority or fraternity's greek letters on sweatshirts, bags, hats, etc. These organizations have, in many ways, formed their own social circle where the different groups plan events and party together. If you're a part of greek life you're immediately stereotyped as a "sorority girl" or "frat boy" (frat star). Those who are not involved often have a negative view of these students, but in reality they're a lot of fun and just the same as non-greek members! (This negative stereotype isn't true!) -Athletes are grouped together as the second most common stereotype. They all wear Maryland swag provided to them by their teams, the majority attend UMD on sports scholarships, and they seem to be their own "elite" social group. (You will find that this stereotype is totally accurate.) -Maryland students are also stereotyped as being extremely school-spirited, but having terrible sportsmanship (and this is totally true, as one would see in the Student seating section at any home football game!!). -Other common stereotypes include nerds, super-smart Asians/Indians, and pot smokers/serious drug users. In general, I believe these stereotypes are very representative of the UMD student population but remember, stereotypes are simply that...just stereotypes!

A stereotype is basically a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image/idea of a particular type of person. Here at Maryland (UMD) there are over 24,000 undergraduate students! You may be wondering, "Is it even possible to stereotype over 24k people?!" Well, IT IS! First and foremost, as a student at UMD every single individual falls under the same stereotype: a terp! From the time that a student receives their letter of acceptance to UMD they are considered to be a terp, and they automatically become a part of something bigger than themselves. With this in mind, there are certain stereotypes amongst the College Park population. -Greek life is HUGE at UMD; when walking around campus on a typical weekday you will see both guys and girls repping their sorority or fraternity's greek letters on sweatshirts, bags, hats, etc. These organizations have, in many ways, formed their own social circle where the different groups plan events and party together. If you're a part of greek life you're immediately stereotyped as a "sorority girl" or "frat boy" (frat star). Those who are not involved often have a negative view of these students, but in reality they're a lot of fun and just the same as non-greek members! (This negative stereotype isn't true!) -Athletes are grouped together as the second most common stereotype. They all wear Maryland swag provided to them by their teams, the majority attend UMD on sports scholarships, and they seem to be their own "elite" social group. (You will find that this stereotype is totally accurate.) -Maryland students are also stereotyped as being extremely school-spirited, but having terrible sportsmanship (and this is totally true, as one would see in the Student seating section at any home football game!!). -Other common stereotypes include nerds, super-smart Asians/Indians, and pot smokers/serious drug users. In general, I believe these stereotypes are very representative of the UMD student population but remember, stereotypes are simply that...just stereotypes!

Before I started my first semester at UMCP, I'd often hear it be described as a "Party School". This brought to my mind images of wild college students. However, I have found UMCP students to be well balanced. Students are seen working hard during the week, and partying during the weekend. They party hard, study hard.

There is a stereotype that University of Maryland is a big party school and that everyone is really involved in Greek life. I've found that the school is big enough that you truly can create your own lifestyle. Some weekends, I'll go out to parties with friends, but on other weekends, I'll go into DC or have movie nights with friends. Not everyone goes to parties every night, and not everyone is involved in Greek life. In fact, only 13{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of students on our campus of about 27,000 undergraduates participate in Greek life. What I love about University of Maryland is that there is something -- if you want to party, you'll find plenty of opportunities, but if you're not into that kind of scene, there's plenty of other options to pursue as well.

What makes the University of Maryland-College Park such an incredible school is the diversity among the staff and students. I can't say that any stereotype can accurately describe our student body. We have it all. Geeks, Jocks, Frat stars, potheads, heavy drinkers, community service junkies, intellectuals, smooth-talkers, and many more. Attracted by the University's soaring rankings, interactive living-and-learning programs, and the low cost of attendance, the University of Maryland - CP student body has created over 275 student groups - based on a vast array of interests (sports, community service, religion/spirituality, military, pre-professional societies. There's even a cooking club!). With about 12{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of our student body involved in fraternities/sororities, there is a very active Greek life here. The diversity of our body ensures that you will find your niche while also gaining exposure to a plethora of new viewpoints.