| Junior Member
Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Cornell University - Ithaca, NY
Posts: 73
| ok, more than 2 people use my account on CC:
anyways, here's my experience as a freshman this year:
A lot of people in their posts have talked about the general aspects of what they've experienced. Well, I might go into a little more detail, and expose a little more (than I probably should, but anyways)
FOOD: It is now the second semester. The dining hall is getting REALLY REALLY BLAND. I am completely sick of eating greasy pizza (with no flavor, just a bunch of salt), dirty unwashed salads, etc... Most of the people that serve food are pretty nice. There are a few who are just rude to the bone. Hey, for someone who gets paid as much as they do, I guess I can't really blame them. One time I got snapped at for telling the server that I wanted everything on the plate. Another time I got cursed at for taking three slices of pizza (this is a buffet, after all right?) Now if there had been a sign that said "2 Slices Only" then off course I would've only taken 2 slices. But other than that, I think the people who work in the Dining Hall (especially the guy that does the Stir Fries) are really friendly. They address you by "Dear, honey, sir, maam...etc..."
Oh yeah, there is also a creepy janitor who walks around the dining hall randomly approaching girls' tables and starting conversations with them. He doesn't seem like a dangerous guy, but I'm kinda weirded out by it.
SOCIAL LIFE: Everyone here is really outgoing and always up and about. On friday nights, weeknights, etc...almost no one is in their dorm rooms. Everyone is out partying and drinking. Yes, EVERYONE drinks. Don't think that your 18 yearold seemingly innocent and mature child is going to stay in when all of his friends are out getting hammered. I'm telling the truth here. This IS Miami, after all. It's great. There is always some fun to be had.
Some kids even go to strip clubs. Some kids even hire strippers to their dorms. Some kids do weed. Some do it a LOT. There is a bit of a concern about STDs here (at least among my friends). The girls here are hot. The guys here are ALL BUILT. There is not much committed relationships going on (at least from what I've seen) Even I'm worried about my GF's history since August 24th.
Health: I havn't been sick at all this year, so I've only been in the Health Center 2-3 times (and that was for turning in my required health forms). YES, there are free condoms in the health center (a lot of you current students probably didnt even know).
Academics: The classes here are not too hard (this IS a private school, after all. You did pay more money than a public school) So the professors won't make it TOO hard on you. I made President's Honor Roll first semester (4.0) and I still went out and partyed pretty hard. In almost all of my classes, the class average was around an 86%. That's pretty good considering these are college courses. The Pre-Med/Engineering kids here are pretty tough. In my first week of school, I already met 2 HS salutatorians and 1 valedictorian.
Yes, I have met many kids here who want to transfer because they complain about the low academic atmosphere here. But those are usually the kids who were accepted into the top-10 schools (such as the IVYs) but didn't go because UM gave them a scholarship. Then after they came here, like what someone previously said, they feel like they've experienced it all, "been there, done that" and want to move on. That's actually kind of how I feel right now, but we'll have to see.
Economic Atmosphere: This is rich-kid haven. Half the school is on scholarships. Half of those on scholarships (at least I believe) don't need scholarships at all. And the other half who are not on any scholarship, are really filthy wealthy. Take a walk through any student parking lot. There are Lexuses, Mercedes SLK-Class (these go at least $70,000), BMWs, Infinitis.
And then comes parents week. I often see parents coming to pick/drop off kids. Yup, all these parents are driving Lexuses, Mercedes, BMWs, Infinitis.
At least half the school is from New York, New Jersey, or somewhere up north. The other half are from Florida.
Safety: I have never felt unsafe walking around campus late 2am, 4am, 5am, you name it. Although I do walk around with a weapon in my pocket, I've never felt I will ever have to use it. Cops walk around at night and patrol the area.
Cultural, Political, Social Atmosphere: This place is VERY diverse Good-looking people of all ethnicities. There are quite a few homosexuals on campus too (whether you see that as good or bad is up to you). Politically speaking, it seems like the mass from up North would comprise much of the liberal atmosphere here on campus. There are quite a few conservatives, but I feel like most people here are Liberal. And despite what you've heard through ESPN and the like, UM's "Thug-U" status doesn't really apply here as I see it. Yes, there are (don't mean to offend anyone, but I'm just laying out the bare truth here) many hispanics and african-americans, but they are nothing like people you see on the streets with their pants hanging down to their knees. That kind of style can be seen around campus, but it isn't as overdone as in some other parts of the country. A lot of kids here are pretty cultured (they do come from high-income families after all) |
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