Andrea

In my opinion, the best thing about WMU is the fact that it is a liberal school. Most of the students are easy going and get a long well with others. Fellow students generally don't look down upon one another based on their areas of studies or financial status.

The one thing that I would change about WMU is the number of people who are on campus handing bibles and other religious literature. Its not that they shouldn't be there, it is that they should respect fellow students who do not believe in the same things that they do. The students (or elders) who pass out the informational literature can be quite pushy from time-to-time.

WMU is just right in size. It is not too big or too small, which really shows in the classroom. Often times, you have a class of 30 or so students which really allows you to interact with your classmates and professor, to get the most out of the class. The only classes that consist of about 300 students are general education classes which are required by all students in order to graduate.

I have never had a negative reaction when I tell people that I attend WMU.

I spend most of my time on campus either in the arts & sciences buildings (Sangren, Sprau, Moore, Dunbar, and Brown [when it opens back up from construction]), but I also spend a large part of my time in Waldo Library and Bernhard Center, which is where the 24 hour computer lab is and the area where and the on-campus bookstore.

Kalamazoo is definitely a college town. Kalamazoo College (which is a private university) is also in town, so there are lots of bars and other activities to participate in. We have lots of cultural and arts festivals throughout the summer and a very large art community. Also, there is a area known in town by campus called the student ghetto, which is where most students who live off campus reside. In that area there are houses and apartments to rent in abundance, most within walking distance to campus.

From my experience, WMU's administration is adequate. The financial aid department is a little rough to deal with sometimes, because of all the issues they are always having with getting loans disbursed on time, other than that, everything is okay.

The last controversy I can recall on campus was when WMU's President Judith I. Bailey was fired, I believe it was the fall of 2006, maybe 2007.

I believe that there is a decent amount of school pride. Many students attend football games and wear WMU clothing around campus, it just depends on whether or not they show it.

All of my professors know me by name, mostly because I am done with gen. ed. classes and now have small, tight-knit classes. I don't have a favorite teacher per se but I have had many favorable teachers. The ones that have pushed me to do my best and really take the time to get to know me and my work are my favorite. My least favorite teacher would be one of the graduate student teachers I had for a critical reasoning class who didn't show up to class often, and completely skipped out of coming to class the last 3 class periods before the final exam.

Most of my friends study a lot (so do I) but I think it depends on the person's work schedule and class load (or subject matter). For my classes, class participation is key. Most of my classes are lecture and discussion based classes, as well as writing classes in which we must interact with peers to perfect our pieces.

The people that I interact with all have intellectual conversations outside of class; however, I have heard some pretty ridiculous conversations in passing.

I think that there is a general laziness by many students on campus who don't really care where they end up in life, but on the other side of things, many do care and are competitive in a sense that they want to achieve as much as possible and get the most out of their education.

The most unique class that I have taken was a Dark Comedy and Satire english class last semester. I love the subject matter, even before I took the class, and was surprised to see it as a offered course. The professor was incredible as well.

My major is English with emphasis on Practical Writing. My goal, as of right now, is to get into publishing. The english department has a very eclectic group of professors who are very successful and intellectual. I have yet to have a bad professor. The best professors are the ones that really push you to think outside the box and promote a conducive environment for learning. Very laid back and liberal as well.

I generally don't spend physical time outside of class with my professors but I do keep in constant contact with them via email.

The academic requirement is adequate for my department and is very focused on the area you are studying. The getting a job/learning for its own sake depends on the area of study I suppose. The english department is very focused on developing your skills to be successful in your career but also focuses on the actual learning of the subject as a whole.

I have had positive experiences with all of the groups on campus except for the religious and political (mostly the student republicans group) on campus. Those two groups often take things to the extreme but don't take into account other peoples beliefs or the fact that they are at a liberal arts college. I can't think of anyone who would feel out of place at WMU, it is a very diverse school.

Most students dress weather appropriate to class. Since we are in Michigan, boots and heavy duty jackets are standard in winter and other clothes depending on the season.

Different types of students do often interact with each other, whether it be in class or socially.

I never lived in the dorms, so I don't know much about the dining halls.

There are a lot of WMU students from all across Michigan as well as out of state. We also have a large number of foreign students as well. The financial backgrounds are not important in the realm of the student body. I wouldn't say there are prevalent ones because WMU makes it possible for almost anyone to afford tuition and expenses.

As I have said before, WMU is a liberal arts college and many students are politically aware and active. I would say the majority of students are left wing liberals, but there are other groups as well.

Generally, students do not talk about how much they'll earn one day, from my experience. It's not that they don't know, it's that they are happy with what they are doing and most only care about that.

The major groups of students are either: Jocks, Hippies/musically inclined people, art and theater students, and brand-focuses people (i.e. the sorority and fraternity students as well as ones who never really left the high school mentality that looks and clothes make the person).

I never lived in the dorms, as I mentioned above, so I have no knowledge of dorm life.

Tailgating is a large part of the athletic events popularity, but many students do enjoy the sports events in general.

We have a very good theater program and Miller Auditorium brings in many touring Broadway plays as well as musical acts. Students get discount tickets, which enables them to be able to afford going to these shows. We also have a lot of guest speakers.

I actually know my closest friend from back home, but I have met many wonderful people down here.

At 2 am on a Tuesday, you could either go to one of the many 24 hour restaurants, or go shopping at Meijer or something. The bars close at 2 am, so that is out. The Bernhard Center on campus is open 24 hours, so you could go to the computer lab or grab some coffee at a local 24 hour coffee shop. Waldo Library is open until 4 am so that is an option as well.

Each year, there are a number of annual festivals such as Island fest and Irish fest. Also, every month, local businesses downtown open up their doors after hours and participate in something called the "Art-Hop". The local business will host a local artist to display their artwork and they will also usually provide wine and cheese as well.

People party pretty much Thursday-Sunday or any big game/event night as well. We also have a large bar scene.

There are a lot of fraternities and sororities on campus and they are fairly popular.

Last weekend I wrote 4 papers and read about 600 pages worth of stuff for my classes, hah.

On a Saturday night, you could go to the movies, coffee shops, museums and art galleries, go out to dinner and a number of the local restaurants downtown, etc. I do any of these things off campus as well.

One of the very strong stereotypes about WMU is that it is a party school. It is assumed that everyone who attends WMU only cares about partying and getting drunk. Yet another stereotype is that there is a large population of "easy" girls or "sluts" on campus and that they will also be involved with the partying scene. Last but not least, WMU is known for having the largest population of students with STD's in Michigan, which reflects upon the partying scene at WMU as well.

I don't feel that the stereotypes are 100% accurate; however, there are some truths to them. There is a large number of students who do party a lot at WMU, but that does not include everyone. There is also a large number of students who DO NOT spend all of their free time partying and truly care about their school work and educational future. As for the "easy" girls stereotype, I feel as though that is not true and is just built up by years of disrespect and assumptions. On to the STD rate, I have looked into this for a class and WMU does have a high rate of students with STD's but I am unclear as to the reason for this, therefor I will not speculate.