University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Top Questions

It's difficult to complete the university required classes, pre-med/mcat required classes, my major requirements and my minor requirements all in 4 years.

Off campus housing in Ann Arbor can be very expensive.

A frustrating part about school here is when you end up with a professor who is not interested in teaching his undergrad class, but is required to do so anyway so he can stay here to do research. These classes are frustrating because the proffessor does not do a good job of teaching because he is not interested, meaning it is difficult to do well in the class, and also I do not learn all of the things I should from it, making future courses difficult as well.

It's very hard to meet people because most people join Greek life, hang out with their high school friends, or hang out with people they know through family connections (for example, a lot of the Jewish students only hang out with other Jewish students). It's also difficult to get a research job in the sciences because everyone wants one.

One of the most frustrating things about the University of Michigan is the way certain classes are graded. To account for the many students attending the university, there are Graduate Student Instructors (GSIs) that teach some classes that are in high demand. Often, different GSIs have different ways of teaching and grading their students. Although the faculty tries to equalize this, sometimes it feels as if your performance in the class is wholly dependent on how the GSI thinks you understood the material.

The school is so big and research focused many professors don't put a lot of time into their intro classes. The advising was good but I wish someone had helped me plan out all my required courses for my major my first year (I knew my major going into college). I ended up taking a bunch of hard classes early on and having no requirements senior year. I also wish they kept a list of class recommendations handy for freshman orientation with reviews of more unique classes.

The most frustrating thing about Michigan is that I live on North Campus and have to take the bus to class every day. However, even though the bus serves as an inconvenience to me in the morning, North Campus is great. A large majority of the people living on North are freshmen, so it is not intimidating at all to meet new friends. I was told by many people that North Campus is the worst place to live, but, if I could start over, I think I would choose to live on North Campus.

The most frustrating thing about U of M is that there is no near by movie theater where students can relax and watch a film. Some nights I would love to enjoy a good movie with my friends instead of staying in or going to a party.

The most frustrating thing about the University of Michigan in trying to fit everything you want into your schedule. There are so many options in classes and majors it is hard to decide on which one will benefit you most in the long-run.

The school is very large, so it's difficult to find the people you need when you need help.

The most frustrating thing about the University of Michigan is that it prides itself on diversity but it tries to rid itself of everything that may be considered "American". Christianity for one is almost thought of as being horrible. We weren't allowed to decorate our doors for Christmas. I myself am very liberal and love the idea of diversity. But all religions and nationalities should be recognized.

There is a lot of work, which can be time consuming.

I live on North campus which is about a 45 minute walk from campus. Our bus system is not wonderful so it is frustrating trying to get to class. It also takes an extra 15 minutes at least each day to reach central campus. My school is in Michigan so it can get pretty cold at the bus stop. I wish there was either a more central living option for freshmen or a better bus system (actual times the buses are arriving, bus station areas, etc.)

There is very little support from the academic staff. It is very much a sink or swim type of place that many people do not do well in. It's also a huge place that is terrifying and nobody catches your mistakes for you!

Not having enough money to pay for everything that you need/want to do.

As many people say at our school, a student is not really considered a student at our school. We do not get recognized by our names but by our number, also known as UMID number. This is really frustrating for me mainly because since the school is so big, the attention is really minimized. And getting to know your professors and classmates can sometimes be incredibly difficult.

The most frustrating thing about my school was quite simply the cost. Although I feel I recieved a superior education it was difficult for me to make ends meet even while working numerous part time jobs.

As an English major also majoring in Screen Arts & Cultures (film), I'm frustrated that my deparment does not have a more well-developed media production program. The studies courses are typically fantastic, and I'm gaining an excellent liberal arts education through my history, theory, and topics courses. I think the department could give students better career preparation for working in Hollywood or independently. Classes on visual effects and video game design would also improve students' media literacy. These changes would be easier to make if my department were its own school, like USC's.

I really feel like the general advising for the College of Literatur and Arts is not as strong as it should be. I had a lot of trouble figuring out what I wanted to do. Make sure you find an advisor that you like, and visit them often if you are not sure about exactly what you want to do when you get here. I went through too many bad advisors and took too long to do that for myself.

I'm not too pleased about the split campuses. There's Central, North and the Hill. All of my friends live on either North or Central so I feel like it interferes with socializing. Also, having to take a bus every time to get to Northa campus is just a hassel. It's a 10 minute bus ride that is often packed and it puts a damper on my day.