University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Top Questions

Greek life at Michigan is pretty big. It helps students to meet a wide variety of people and find their closest friends. Football season is HUGE in Ann Arbor. Students deck themselves out in Michigan apparel and tailgate all morning until the game. I met my closest friends through my sorority. If i am awake at 2am on a Tuesday I am either at Skeeps, watching a movie in someone's room, or studying for an exam. People generally party 2-4 nights a week. Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday are big bar nights in Ann Arbor.

Partying depends on each individual. You will see people out on Thursday, Friday, Saturday nights walking to bars and clubs and parties. They will be loud and possibly drunk. Lots of other people like to stay in on weekends and watch movies with friends, or go grab some food at someplace casual. When I first got here I went out every weekend to a party. As it got towards the end of fall semester I started staying in more and just hanging out with my friends. Honestly, I'm usually not awake at 2am on a Tuesday. I know I need at least 7 hours of sleep, so I try to go to bed arounf 12 or 1. But if I was up more than likely I would be studying. If you don't want to drink on a Saturday night there is still tons of stuff you can do. You can still go to parties, being sober and watching drunk people make asses of themselves can be very entertaining. You can have a movie night in your room. You could go to the movies. Go to the Blind Pig or the Ark and see a band. Go to the Arb and look at the stars. Go to Umix on Fridays, free food! As for dorm life, well sometimes the people you live near suck. I'm sorry but it happens. Every hall is different. In my building some halls are quiet with the doors shut. But my hall is one big party all the time. We are constantly in each others room eating each other's food, or watching a movie or working on homework. We spend a lot of time in the hallway just talking or playing frisbee.

There is something at Michigan for everyone, even if you like to sit in your room and play videogames all day, you can meet people who enjoy that as well.

There is no end to the activities that go on at Michigan. From attending student performances in the school of theater, to attending Hash Bash, to Relay for Life, this campus was abuzz all weekend long. There are activities, student groups, and events for every walk of life. The student body is so diverse that nobody should feel left out. Sporting events are another large aspect to Michigan, in which large gatherings of the student body can be found. From Football in the fall, to Hockey and Mens Basketball in the winter, to Baseball and Softball in the spring, there is always something going on.

ALWAYS something to do on campus. A party to go to, a concert to attend, movies to see and great restaurants to hang out at.

For the most part the people you meet here are very friendly. My closest friends here live both in and out of my dorm. I met the people in my dorm during Welcome Week because it seems that during Welcome Week people are always walking around trying to meet people. Also, I made friends in all of my classes because classmates are your best resources. When you can't enlist the help of a professor or GSI, you need your classmates to support you. In all honesty, your relationships are what you make of them. If you want to make friends, don't be afraid to reach out and introduce yourself. You never know if the stranger sitting next to you could be your new best friend or relationship.

Dorm life is very social and because of the huge dorms, there is always someone to meet or talk to. In the fall social life revolves around Football and bars are the place to be. Because such a large percentage of students are underage and in the greek system, fraternity parties also predominate.

there is always something to do. Beer is free at parties and drugs run vampant in the underworl of shadesters. It is easy to find anything you need to party as hardy as you would like. Frats are a hectic and intense option, your best bet is a relaxed house party with friends. A free keg on the porch and probs some chicken wings too. boo yah.

I feel that there are many organizations that are popular for different people on campus. I am personally involved with fraternities and sororities on this campus. Students in dorms leave their doors open. The football games are extremely popular, but so are other sports. Football is just the most popular. There are always many cool famous guest speakers. Last years graduating class had former president Bill Clinton speak at their graduation. There are also many musicals and concerts that occur here. I met my closest friends through my sorority. If i am awake at 2am I am either studying or out at the bar with my friends. People party 4 times a week.

Football is huge, especially the before the game. There are a lot of parties, mainly sororieties and frats where a lot of drinking is involved. A lot of people go to the bars, Studio, Touchdowns, etc.

big bar nights on tuesday, thursday, friday, saturday-- you need to have a pretty decent fake ID, because most people go to the bars sororities and fraternities are not as important as people think

The big nights to go out at U of M are Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. But some people obviously still go out Monday and Friday too. Greek life dominates certain bars, while non greek life goes to others. There are always house parties. Football pregames are a whole different story. Prepare to wake up at 8 am to start drinking, go to the game, sober up and fall asleep around 4 pm, and then wake up around 9 pm to get drunk for the second time in 12 hours. There are concerts every weekend, sometimes big names, sometimes not. Since there are so many people at this college, everything is popular. People go to the dance shows, plays, orchestra concerts, etc. Greek life is important. 20{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of Michigan is involved. It is a really easy way to meet great people. But it is definitely not the only way to make friends. If you are awake at 2 am on Tuesday, you either just got done studying at the grad or you are waiting for a taxi outside of Skeeps.

If you're a frehman you want to live on the hill. Alice LLoyd- best residence hall by far. Look into different residential hall programs. It's by far the most fun. I'm always awake on a 2 am tuesday morning, and it's definitely a popular time to bring on that bong.

Football is the biggest sport on campus. I would rate hockey as the second most popular sport, and basketball the third. I am not in a frat but they are really popular.

This is another thing that I really wanted in my choice of college. Michigan has it all--social life included. As a member of a sorority, the Greek Life is incredible. There is always somewhere to go and something to do. However, if Greek isn't your scene, there are countless bars on campus that cater to different crowds. Besides going out on the weekends, another favorite thing of mine to do is attending random shows/performances on campus. I love going with my friends to concerts, dance shows, etc. and just learning more about the groups on campus.

It seems like sports does take a spot light on campus, I feel pretty out of place sometimes because I'm not a huge football fan and I don't get season tickets. A lot of emphasis is put on like the party scene too but right now I live in honors housing and I never feel pressured to do anything I don't want to.

There is as much to in Ann Arbor as in any other college town - exclusive of big city schools, which offer a fundamentally different college experience. Nobody could take advantage of all the good opportunities here. Many students take advantage of none, which is a great shame. If there is one area in which Ann Arbor is underrated, it's as a party town. This place rocks, and everyone has an opportunity to enjoy the party scene -- not just the devoted wastrels. The social scene is surprisingly clique-y though, especially for such a large school. The University tries hard to bring in classes that are ethnically, religiously, and socially-economically diverse; then the student body turns around and sorts itself back into exclusive groups based on those same kinds of characteristics.

There is a ton of stuff to do at UMich. There's a club for nearly everything you can imagine (and if you find something there isn't a club for, you can get fifteen friends and the University will give you a budget to start one.) There's a ton of stuff to do on the weekends of every sort. If you like to drink or "party" on the weekends, there are myriad bars and parties with booze a plenty. If you don't, there's cultural events, plays, movie screenings, dance performances, game nights, sporting events, lectures, concerts, and just about anything you can imagine. The advantage of having such a large student body is that there really is something for everyone here.

I met most of my friends in first year housing dorms. I was part of the RC (Residential College) at the University, so I was required to live in East Quad my first two years. Anyone I met thereafter were either mutual friends of fellow RC people or through friends at the Student Cooperate where I live now. I think people rarely make friends in class.

I feel like I've kind of answered this to some degree plus I've already used up like 10,000 words on this shit, so I am going to do some short answer for the prompted questions: -most popular groups? frats? i guess? i dn. -i'm not involved in any groups because i'm a lame-o. -dorm students doors open? yes. -athletic events are hugely popular. go to football and hockey games. -i met my closest friends in the dorms and i dn by accident -if you're awake at 2am you might be at Pizza House hanging out, studying, drinking, etc...basically, you needn't necessarily be awake just because you've got an exam Wed to be up late on Tuesday -frats/sorots are as important as you want them to be. -i'm done with this. way too many questions, damnit.

There are like a billion different things to do on this campus and activities to get involved in. If you make the effort you can find them whether its athletics, political, social or whatever there is something for you.

closest friends were met through classes and in the dorms and when you join societies and do activities, dont be afraid to do that, its how you meet people

There is always a ton to do on campus. I think one of the best ways to get involved socially is through Greek Life. Rush, pledging and now being a sister in an amazing sorority have opened so many doors for me both socially and activity wise.

There isn't much to do except go to the bars, and there aren't that many bars. While the few bars we have are fun, they get old.

The bar scene at michigan is pretty important. To all incoming freshman, a fake ID will take you far. Grab your sister's expired lisence or man up and aproach the sketchy kid in your gym class you heard is making Masachusets ID's, regardless of how you get it, just GET IT! From the first night of welcome week you will find yourself with what seems like unlimited oppertunities to party and meet people if you can get into the bars.

I'm a director of PALMA (Proyecto Avance, Latino Mentoring Association), and it has been a huge part of my experience here. We are a student-run group and tutor/mentor the Latino community (most are recent immigrants to the Ann Arbor/ Ypsi area)twice a week at the public library. We work with pre-schoolers, school-age children, and adults. I have been working with the same adult student for 3 years, and in addition to the fact that her English has greatly improved, we have developed a really fun, special, and unique friendship. I recommend it to anybody looking forward to serving the community, tutoring, making friends, and using some (or learning some) Spanish! I met my closest friends through the RC, study abroad and travel component trips, and PALMA. I am not in a sorority and although I think it's cool if other people want to be part of that social scene, I personally am not interested in Greek life and although the Greek life on our campus is really active, we have so much here that I have NEVER felt like I was missing out on anything. There is so much here for everyone! I'm an expert at doing things that don't involve drinking...I don't mind it, and I do it socially, and find it fun, however I just cant binge drink and drink all of the time. It's not me. So on any given Saturday, I like to go dancing (I prefer Salsa dancing), go out to dinner or to a relaxed, chill bar with some friends or my boyfriend, go to a coffee shop, walk around Main Street, or even have a "roomie" night (inevitably involving a movie and ice cream) with my roommate! Off campus there is the stores, restaurants etc...Also we have a mall nearby, movies, parks (there is a nearby park with kayaks, a walkway, paddle boats, bikes, rollerbladers)...

greek life is too popular. sports teams are common. i am involved in greek life. stockwell does not leave doors open, lloyd does, markley does not, cuzens i do not know. it depends. west quad doors open. athletic events popular, guest speakers not really, and theatre only if you know someone in it. the dating scene is people just hooking up and the couples will not last. its pretty awkward because everyone assumes they meet their boyfriend in college so they rush it. my closest friends are in my sorority and in my dorm. i am hanging out in my dorm wishing i went out. st pattys day is supposedly a big deal, but what does that really mean its a big deal everywhere. thurs, fri, sat party. greek life is everything. frats and date party last weekend. sober saturday night i think theres something called umix at the union?. off campus.. never been no car.

Greek like is a big part of this campus. There are about 40 fraternities and 13 sororities. they hold philanthropy and social events all the time, so even if you are not involved, you are definitely aware. student government is definitely a huge organization on campus because there are a few political parties and innumerable positions to hold. UMDM and other charity organizations make up a large portion of the clubs on campus, and there are a lot of michigan students for (insert cause here) groups. In the dorms students are pretty social, the doors are usually open. certain dorms are known to be more social than others. Athletic events are really popular. Football is absolutely the most widely attended sporting event at michigan, and draws in over 100,000 fans each game. Hockey is also widely attended. There isn't much dating, but a lot of random hook-ups and flings My closest friends are my sorority sisters, but a lot of people are closest with the people who live in their hall from freshman year. my roommate is closest with the girls in our hall, and they are all living together next year. I also met some of my friends during welcome week. at 2am on a tuesday (if i'm still awake) i'm studying for a test or finishing a paper in my dorm. the hardcore partiers go out on tuesday nights, but most people will be either in their dorm or wherever they live, or in the library. Each year there is welcome week, which i think is really important to have at such a large school. Its the week before classes when students have time to settle in. There are innumerable parties going on at night, and during the day there are fundraisers and other events held by student groups and organizations People party every single weekend. the weekend usually starts and thursday night, and lasts friday night and saturday night as well. some people go out on tuesdays. Tuesdays are bar nights, thursdays are club nights, and friday and saturday are frat nights or club/bar nights Fraternities and sororities are important if you want them to be. Being in a sorority was important for me because it shapes your social life and you always have something fun to do on the weekend. It also introduces you to a lot of people because you are a member of the Greek system. it also functions as a networking tool once you graduate. if you are not interested in that, it's not a big deal. there are plenty of people uninvolved in the greek system. Last weekend, on thursday night my friends and I went to Studio-a club. Friday night my sorority had a date party so each girl got a date and went bowling. it was 80s themed and everyone got decked out in 80s clothes. usually we'll rent out a club in detroit for a date party. saturday night my girl friend and i chilled with our guy friends at their frat house. On a saturday night that doesn't involve drinking, you could go to the movies, or there is probably some student production going on, you could go out to dinner.

The Greek System is very big on this campus, sadly. I work for the University Radio Station hosting a three hour show once a week. Yes, students in dorms leave their doors open. The Football and Hockey games are huge. I wish they publicized the guest speakers they had coming more. The dating scene sucks, because all the girls are too into the fraternity scene. I met my closest friends really by chance: Either through people I had met in the dorms, or by complete chance. Last night at 2 am I was watching Dave Chappelle's stand up (Killing Me Softly) on you tube. Relay for life happens each year and it is awesome. People party about three nights per week. As I have said the Greek system is very important and powerful here. Last weekend I went to a fraternity party Saturday, and then Sunday night I went to a concert at the Blind Pig. You can go see a show at the blind pig, go bowling, go to the movies. I live off campus.

nothing does not allow drinking. last weekend i went to Theta Chi, and had an 80's retro bowling party.

I'm involved with the Chabad house and the Jewish Resource Center. In my dorm (Oxford) students did leave their doors open Athletic events are very popular, especially Football. Hockey is pretty popular too I met my closest friends in my dorm last year If I'm awake at 2am on a Tuesday I'm usually hanging out in my apartment with my friends People party on average 2-3 times a week Frats and sororities are a huge part of Michigan

Student government is really popular. So is Michigan Interactive Investments, an investing club at U of M. Lots of Freshmen also join the crew team, which recruits heavily and is pretty good. Students in dorms are typically very friendly and leave their rooms open. They love meeting new people. Football games are a staple of the social scene here, everyone goes. Imagine 20,000 students on a Saturday morning, all getting drunk and going to a sporting event together. It's great. The dating scene is great, the city is great for dates. Over on Main Street there are tons of great places to eat and shows to see. Lots of possibilities. I met my closest friends in the dorms freshman year and in my fraternity. At 2am on a Tuesday, I'm probably finishing up some work for Wednesday. Lots of people would say leaving the bar, though. Hash bash happens every year. Lots of weed to be smoked, the liberal campus puts up with it, great fun. Most people party Thursday night through Saturday night, and lots of people go to the bars on Tuesday night. Thursday is a huge bar night. Fraternities and sororities are very important, especially in the social scene. They are a great way to meet new people, and are great for networking as well. Last weekend I spent driving back with some of the frat bros from a spring break vacation in Naples. We stopped in Clemson to get drunk with our Chi Psi chapter located there. Saturday night you can see a band, see a movie, go bowling, take mind-altering drugs, the possibilities are endless.

Greek Life is a large part of the social scene. However, there are no feuds or issues between different houses. This allows people within the Greek community to be friends with people outside of both their houses and Greek life. Frat parties are the main social events during the earlier part of Fall Semester. When they die out, people go to local bars and house parties. The dorms are a great place to meet friends and become close with them quickly. Many students say that their best friends are the friends that they made their freshman year in the dorms. Markley is the most social of the dorms, and most students leave their doors open creating a welcoming environment. I am heavily involved with Interrobang Literary Magazine on campus. It is the first cross-disciplinary zine on campus allowing students of different majors to contribute. Becoming part of the magazine has introduced me to a more art driven scene on campus as well as allowing me to make lots of new friends. The group of kids on staff are an eclectic mix with people's majors ranging from history to neuroscience. Student groups are a great way to become active on campus.

The dorm policy is to NOT leave doors open, but all of the friendly kids will. Especially in the first month or so of school, nobody knows who they want to hang out with yet and its not uncommon to have frequent neighbor visits. Even as the year rolls on, people (at least in East and South Quad) try to remain friendly and inviting with their open doors. How often do people party? Well, I've had friends who never go out, and friends who go out nearly every night. How much you want to party is up to you . . . provided that you know how to choose your friends. Its easy to get caught up in social scenes, and for some people that is detrimental to their studies. Other students know how to drink often and still excel. Most students drink, its just a college "thing". But, from visiting friends at Michigan State, the drinking scene here is not as intense as it is elsewhere. Weekends are the most typical time for partying, and weeknights vary. St. Patrick's Day is a splendid exception, when almost everyone will be drunk all day long. I think I might have had a different experience if I had been involved with Greek Life, from what I hear. But I think you can be active socially and still do well with school so long as you keep yourself in check. What can you do on a Saturday night that doesn’t involve drinking? Well, you can go to concerts, hockey/basketball/other sports events, or you can stay in and study. You can see movies (great indie movies are always at the State and Michigan theaters). You could go out to eat, go to Necto night club and just dance instead of drinking, or go to a play (they have so many, there's almost always one or more every weekend). Certain people who don't like to drink tend to make it fairly obvious- if this is the case for you, you'll not be alone.

Not to stroke my own ego, but the Michigan Student Assembly is a pretty popular organization to be a part of and it is a great avenue through which to learn about campus, especially through the student-group funding process that we have. Dance Marathon is also extremely popular - it is all-encompassing and a huge organization in just sheer numbers, let alone all the money they raise for pediatric rehabilitation and all the people that they are able to bring together for a good cause. Other than that, Greek life is also very popular, both white fraternities and sororities, as well as black and multi-cultural Greeks. There are big differences between those communities but in my time at Michigan they have begun to collaborate more and more often. The dating scene is awesome - I have seen various different couples, interracial, intereligious and homogenous alike. I don't think you would have a hard time, regardless of who you are. I met my closest friends through organizationl involvement and through the dorms freshman year - but I would give more weight to make lasting friendships through the sharing that you do on an everyday basis because of organizational involvement. If I am awake at 2am on a Tuesday, I am usually just getting out of the Bar, standing in line for Big Ten Burrito, or studying at the library and all of this with my friends. Football games are huge and Saturday morning pre-gaming has constituted some of my best memories (especially Michigan vs. OSU)! On a Saturday, you can do so many things that do not involve drinking - there are always events going on, fashion shows, fundraisers, plays, concerts, performances, speaker panels, etc. etc. You can study, you can go to dinner with your friends downtown - the list goes on because Ann Arbor is a very cultured place. I came from NYC and living in Ann Arbor was not a difficult transition in the sense of being occupied with things to do.

Greek Life really isn't very important at Michigan. I'm sure you can have a lot of fun being in a fraternity or sorority, but the same is also true for people who aren't Greek. The majority of people aren't involved with Greek Life, and there is plenty to do around Ann Arbor besides frat parties every weekend. It also isn't very difficult to get into a frat party (especially for girls) if you're not Greek, so it's not like you're excluded from that entire social scene if you choose not to pledge.

Currently, I am involved in the Detroit Project. Every week I go to Detroit with other volunteers for a few hours and tutor/mentor children in Southwest Detroit. Athletic events are also very popular and the party scene is there if you choose to be involved in it. If not, there is always plenty of other events going on in Ann Arbor (for example, concerts). I met my closest friend's in my dorm and I feel that we have developed a very solid friendship that will last for a long time.

Football games are huge, as is the bar scene. As a senior, bars are the main weekend (and weeknight) option. At 2am on a Tuesday, if I went out, I'm walking home from the bar or to the cantina (open til 4) Besides being a lush, I like the local movie theatres, they have good movies and sometimes cool documentaries (Michigan theatre) My closest friends I met in classes and through other friends. It kind of evolves though, especially by senior year, everyone knows everyone, even at a school this big. Besides drinking, you can.... watch tv? Besides drinking, there are lots of good restaurants and places to see concerts and other events. Everything costs money though, which sucks. Dating is fun, mainly people you meet in classes, although I did go on a date with a guy I met at the gym. Some people do the frat scene - not my thing. I'm just not into that form of comradarie. But that is a popular thing to do, especially for freshmen.

- Student Council, Darfur Awareness. - Football games are the shit. Love going to guest speakers-- most emorable one is Jeffrey Eugenides (author of Middlesex). I also love going to see the student productions-- the theater and musical theater departments are really talented and the shows are cheap. There are also a lot of fun concerts such as Guster, Feist, and Mos Def. - Closest friends: Met in the dorms Freshman year. - Traditions/Events: St. Patty's day is huge-- everyone wakes up at 8am dressed in green and chugging green beers at the frats by 9am. - During the week when we are not too stressed, we will head over to Theta Chi, our friends' fraternity, for Motown Monday, when they play Motown Music and we drink and dance. Tuesdays are a fun bar night also to break up the week. Thursdays and Saturdays are also bar nights, but Friday nights are typically for house parties or staying in with the girls or going to a movie. - Last weekend I went to see a local band at the Heidelberg on Thursday. On Friday I headed to Detroit for dinner and then partied to European DJs at a funky bar. - On a Saturday night you can go to Rendezvous Cafe to eat gelato and smoke Hookah on the roof (when it is warm).

Michigan football is the most popular sports team, but going to sporting events is a generally popular activity. Every night of the week there are several different options of clubs and guest speakers to attend. There's plenty to do on the weekends, whether it's party, go to a midnight movie, window shop on Main Street, attend a hockey/basketball/swimmeet/soccer/volleyball/football game, hang out in the dorms, go to a play, eat out with friends...etc. If you're awake at 2 AM on a Tuesday, you are definately studying. Or procrastinating studying.

There are more activities in Ann Arbor that there are days to experience them. Like Mother always says: 'Try everything once'. At the same time, it's possible to get involved with one scene, never branch out, and be perfectly happy.

There are SO many student organizations on campus. I'd guess that about 75{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the student body is involved in some kind of student group. One of the most popular organizations is Dance Marathon. This is the kind of organization that offers so many opportunities for leadership and involvement. Everyone can find a place there and everyone is doing good things. All money raised is donated to help children, and they really do. As their slogan says, "Making kids smile, Maize and Blue style."

There is no most popular group on campus. A lot of people are involved in community service groups, political groups, identity groups (LGBT, etc.); a lot of kids play intramural sports. I work for The Michigan Daily Arts section as an editor. It's an extremely laid back job where I get to hang out with a lot of people like me. The Daily has a reputation of being full of pretentious left-wing liberals, but that's just the opinion section. Most of the members of the Arts section are just funny people who like bringing their skewed perspectives on pop-culture to the paper. Dating scene? Doesn't exist. No one "dates" at U of M, in the traditional sense. A lot of guys are content just having casual hook-ups, with no obligation to take her out to dinner or buy her anything. But if you do date a girl, you usually just ask her to "hang out" and watch a movie or something. The traditional date at a fancy restaurant is reserved mostly for long-term couples on birthdays, anniversaries and Valentine's Day. I spend most of my weekends going to parties and hanging out with my friends. Last weekend: Thursday I played beer pong (a popular drinking game) at my friends house and watched a movie. Friday and Saturday I went to a party with my friends. I'm currently single, so I spent most of the night throwing my incredibly tight game on plenty of coeds. No luck, but maybe next weekend... How important are fraternities? It depends. There are only three reasons to join a frat: to make friends, to hook up with girls in sororities, and to have an organization that looks good on your resume. Frats are useful bc they give you a built-in social network, and assure you'll have something to do (and cute girls to hang out with) during the weekend. However, they take up a lot of time and tend to cut you off from your non-frat friends. Frat guys aren't as bad as stereotypes indicate, but they're very territorial--just try to get into their party w/o an invitation, or store your coat in one of their rooms. In general, frats are just another option besides going to house parties: frat parties are bigger and more exciting, but it's harder to get beer, esp if you don't have a vagina. i'm not aware of many frats doing anything constructive, although there is a community service frat. There's also an asian/indian etc. frat as an additional kind of identity group.