University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Top Questions

What's the one thing you wish someone had told you about freshman year?

Sydney

Going to a school so far away from home, many people worried for my parents, wondering how they would handle their "baby girl" being so far away. However, I do not think that I was personally prepared to miss my home. I could not wait to leave my high school and my home and create a new identity for myself in a far-off state. I wish I had known that the first week away from home would be horrible, no matter how ready I felt. After the first week was over, I would be perfectly happy in Michigan.

Hannah

I wish I would have known how intense, scary, and crazy this school can be. It's all what you make of it, it can be great or it can be a truly horrible experience. Get and stay involved. Don't live in the dorms after freshman year.

Ethan

Extra information on what housing options are preferable. There are multiple choices for on-campus living, and some extra information would have been very helpful.

Karl

Getting involved in research early on as an undergraduate and making connections with professors will be key to future success.

Anita

Being a top-notch university in a state where academic institutions define its greatest value/offering, Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan has a wealth of resources and talents to tap into- culturally as well as academically. There are so many different departments within each college that hold amazing lectures, shows, brown bags, and discussions that most students don't come across. Many invite guest speakers that are globally renown. Seek those out to find your true specialized interests and enrich your college experience. Also, there tends to be good free food at these events.

Carolyn

I would have liked to know how competitive the students at the school were. I did not know that the University of Michigan had so many distinguished students and faculty. I was shocked to learn that everyone worked so diligently, but I was glad to see that my peers put forth so much effort in their studies, and it inspired me to try even harder! Even though the curriculum here is challenging, there are so many resources and helpful students, graduate students, and professors willing to elucidate any issue imaginable.

Katelyn

I wish I'd known that I can RELAX! I don't have to fret everyday about the rest of my life. I don't have to worry about living up to everybody else's expectations. I fulfill my own expectations. I can afford to breathe, trusting myself that I'm at a world-class institution for a very good reason. There is room for fun. There is room for enjoyment. College isn't about powering through classes like an academic machine. College is about exploring everything available, to find what I'm best at and to succeed in it.

Lance

I wish that I would have know that the school would be as challenging as it was. I came form a small highschool of two hundred fifty students and it was a little overwhelming to enter a university with thrity five thousand students.

bridget

A campus this big is not very friendly on the large scale. You have to find your smaller niche to feel a part of a comunity. I didn't really find my niche until sophmore year - freshman year was very lonely.

Stephanie

I wish I had known to seek out and try different student groups - whether it was as a participant or audience member or supporter. I wish I knew to try more activities and pursue new hobbies, which would have provided a broader group of peers and friends, with more diverse knowledge bases and interests. I wish I knew to explore as much as possible.

Kari

I wish I would have known how to balance work with school. I wish I would have know that it is OK to take out loans. I wish I would have applied for more scholarships before/during school so that I would not have had to work so much. I also wish I would have tried harder to become familiar with campus resources my first year so that I could have fully appreciated all that the University has to offer.

Nicole

Though college is the place to explore new ideas and opportunities, I wish I would have known myself a little better before moving to Ann Arbor. There are countless groups to be a part of and also a huge list of academic concentrations to select from. Had I known more about myself prior to my first year of college, I feel it might have been easier for me to discover what I wanted to be a part of and what I wanted to pursue.

Gabriel

That was so expensive that i cant affort it

Akosua

I wish that I had been more informed about scholarships available to students.

Christina

I wish I had known how many opportunities there were to get involved early on. I came from a small high school and was very shy so I did not start getting involved in clubs and such on campus till later and I missed out on a lot of awesome opportunities. I also wish I had known about more resources on the campus and taken advantage of them as well earlier on in my college career.

Oliver

How big the school and classrooms were. I really wish I had attended a smaller school. I also wish I would have learned about the career paths earlier and been able to pick one, it seems very rushed to declare a major.

Rachel

Before attending the University of Michigan I attended a few events, including orientation, that prepared me well for the 2010-2011 school year. I suppose if anything, I could have been given more information about the dorm I would be living in. I didn't know anything about it.

Shannon

I wish I had known to apply for more scholarships before coming to school here. Many scholarships are offered exclusively to high school seniors who plan to attend or haven been accepted to an accredited college program. Certainly there are also scholarships available to college students, but high school students (especially during the summer before college) tend to have more time to complete various scholarship applications.

Kristen

I wish I was better prepared for such a large school. I come from a very small high school, and having large classes and such a large student body was disconcerting at first.

Lisa

There's no need to change yourself. You are who you are, and the real you will emerge in the end anyway.

Kendal

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.

Melanie

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

Lorena

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.

Jasmine

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

Danielle

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.

Laura

How disorganized the RN studies program was.

Josephine

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

Hillary

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.

K

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Peyton

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.

Amanda

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.

Eunice

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).

Stephanie

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!

Elyssa

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.

Elli

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.

Shaolong

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

Wei-Pei

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.

Jennifer

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.

Wesley

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

Mary

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.

Shana

How many things there are to do there.

Bria

Before I came to this school I wish I knew about specific requirements for different majors and what qualifies for each requirement. That way I would have known to research alternatives in science classes (something I'm not the most interested in), and I would have found classes that do interest me, like "AIDS and other health crisises," instead of taking basics like anthrobiol 101. In general, when you look through all of your options, you are bound to find something that you're interested in. I wish I had been told to explore my options from the start.

Anna

I wish I had known how quickly you have to sign a lease for off-campus housing, because houses start disappearing off the market as early as September.

Ann

I wish I knew more about the advantages and disadvantages of the different dorms.

Kristen

I wish I knew more options for social activities that don't include partying and how to choose what extra-cirricular activies and events to participate in so I wouldn't get overwhelmed.

Noel

I wasn't prepared for the amount of homework that college students receive. I've been told that college students do receive a lot of homework but I guess seeing is believing! I just tweaked my study habits a bit and I was adjusted to the homework load within the first month.

Lisa

What I wanted to major in, that the school had SO many students, michigan weather reached below zero.

Jarrett

People will be helpful to you if you ask for help. Everyone is in the same boat as you, and are looking for new friends and help with class.

Allison

Before I came to campus I wish I had known that there is no need to have a set major because taking a plethora of classes and figuring out what you are truly interested in will help you pursue what you truly love and care about. I also wish I had known not to worry about what others think of you, because the best thing about going to the University of Michigan is that when you are yourself you will undoubtedly find a group of people you can compeltely relate to.

Crystal

I wish I would have known that it is difficult to make friends here. In order to make friends, you have to socialize a lot and not be shy. That is why, joining many school groups or activities is a great way to make new friends. After finishing my 1st year at the University of Michigan, I feel more confident because I am no longer as shy as I used to be. Now, I am not afraid to speak to other students and share my ideas with them.