University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Top Questions

Freshman year at the University of Michigan was overwhelming, to say the least. Not only was I worried about keeping my grades up, but it seemed as though I was even more concerned that I would never find my place here. With such a large student body it would seem that making friends would be the easiest part of going to a large university, however, it is only possible to make friends if you branch out, which I did not catch onto for months. I wish I would have branched out and spent more time getting involved from the start.

Take all kinds of different classes . Work hard and play hard.

I wish I had known more about all the opportunities there are for students. In th U of Michigan you can start preparing for your career right from the beginning of your studies. Career related communities, research opportunities and many others are available for students, of any academic year.

I wish I wouldv'e known how to manage my time better.

I wish I had known to really research the professors prior to taking a class and to make a bigger effor to attend office hours and get to know my professors.

How disorganized the RN studies program was.

I was well informed before coming to the school. I quickly made friends and found organizations to get involved in.

I wish I had known to bring a fan and a humidifier! While both of these seem like unnecessary items, they could have come in handy multiple times. During the fall, it was so hot; my room never got a breeze. Now that it's winter, my roommate and I have no problem with heat, but the air is so dry that we have to practically bathe in lotion. It all sounds petty, but I can guarantee next year I'll be bringing both of these items to school with me.

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I wish I had known more about the lack of African Americans. Being an African American myself, I feel like it's hard to find and socialize with others that are similar to me. However, a bonus to this is that it pushes me to branch out and step outside of my comfort zone and befriend people of other races different from my own.

I wish I had known about all of the different opportunites that U of M has to offer. There are so many different clubs and organizations that I did not learn about until it was too late to join. I wish I had become more involved when I first started school. I was so worried about the college courseload that I did not take advantage of the extra-curriculars.

I wish I had known not to dive into my first semester of school with the maximum number of credits, take almost all honors courses, work 8 hours a week, be involved in student organizations, and expect a 4.0, unless I planned to have no social life and very little sleep (not to mention loss of sanity).

I wish I had known that college is so different from high school. There is so much more work and so much pressure to do well. I also wish that I had known exactly how important football is here and how much fun the games are. I would have bought season tickets my freshman year!

I wish I had known that Greek life is so predominant. At times, not being in a sorority can be overwhelming because there are always hosting so many social events. Being out of state and not in a sorority has been a bit of a challenge.

I wish I had known a little more about how the classes were run, and what kinds of professors or GSI's i would have. My first year I had a difficult time in some classes because I couldn't understand what the professor was saying, due to a heavy accent. I also didn't realize that many of the exams are made to be so difficult that one must rely on the curve to get a good grade in the course.

The tuitions are raised and I have to pay more than what is told in I-20!!

I wish I had known how important it was to establish a relationship with your professors as classes were over 100 students and it was hard to feel connected to the coursework.

I wish I would have known that not everyone that attends this University is rich and stuck-up like the rumors I had heard before I began. I wish I would have known the statistics for the amount of students that are taking out loans to pay for college (and I still would like to know this information). I wish that I would have been able to speak to a student that recently graduated with a similar major as mine so they could inform me personally about the course requirments and experience.

I wish I had known more about the severity of the climate, information about particular majors, feasibility in switching majors.

I wish I would have known that I am the captain of the ship, so to speak. This is my life, and my choices. It took me a year to discover my niche. I am not a big partier, and had to finally accept that I would not be able to please all my friends all the time. I found a regular Yoga class that I love and started focusing more on my spiritual and mindful path. New students should know that just because the pressure is there to party and drink, does not mean you have to.