Impressions of a freshman.. so far

nycollegedad · 12-16-2006, 06:45 AM

mu son is considering applying to um next fall. can any freshman, please give me their impression (good or bad) about their experience over the first 4 months of being at miami.

i am interested in everything you have to say,... social life, dorms, food, classes, professors..

thanks

LilyMoon · 12-16-2006, 12:11 PM

I can give you some idea of what my son's experience has been so far. He is a freshman and home for winter break.

He is in Stanford, a mostly freshman dorm. The rooms are small and very basic, however, he has made most of his friends by living here. I have been impressed with the quality and training of the R.A.'s. The front desk in the lobby has come in handy at times and I didn't realize that not all colleges have front desk help in the dorms until speaking to Mom's whose children are at other schools.

The food has been reported as so-so, however, my kid is a very picky eater. The fact that the kids are able to use dining dollars at the fast food places around campus and The Rat is a big plus. I know my son eats at those places quite often.

First semester classes have been hit and miss....a few good ones and a few bad ones. Some professors were easy to talk to and others not. My son had to miss a final due to health circumstances and that professor was great about it.

While my son has been enjoying the social life, he is not into clubbing and there is a large segment of the student population that does. He prefers Coconut Grove, house and beach parties. Much of the social scene is off campus and lacks the campus cohesiveness that you would find at a school with not so much going on around it. On the other hand, a night out at the movies, a local restaurant or taking in a concert is easy to do and a fun alternative to partying. Going to the beach or pool on the weekends is also a fun option. I'm glad my son has lots to do.

One interesting comment he recently made was that he has noticed that quite a number of kids he knows are transferring or thinking about it. He thought that maybe a number of kids come to Miami to see what it's like there and then transfer out once they have been there done that.

As a parent, I feel that the university is very on top of things. I always get a live person when I call and everything is handled quickly and to my satisfaction. Having now dealt with a health issue, I know that things were handled quickly and professionally with the Doctor's Hospital right across the street. The Health Center, too, has been very easy for my son to get his needs met. As a parent, UM gives me a feeling of confidence.

I'm sure others will chime in with their experiences.

ladyconfused · 12-16-2006, 01:46 PM

social life, dorms, food, classes, professors..

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I am also a freshman living in Stanford, Rosborough tower.........

Dorms:
Stanford sucks. If your son/daughter gets a choice, definitely choose Hecht! Their lobby is MUCH MUCH MUCH nicer (they don't show you that on the tour though... they always bring the tour around Stanford...)... The staff/R.A.s in Hecht are also friendlier and nicer....

My freshman experience so far has been quite interesting. As far as the dorms, we had a guy dressed up as the KKK (he ended up being black) banging a baseball bat on people's doors and screaming racial slurs (he was drunk and thought it was a joke).... he was dealt with properly BUT it took 45min for campus security to get there... even though 911 police got there in 3min flat.

Dining:
The Stanford Dining hall sucks.... big time... The first week of school, and during Parent's Weekend, all the food is awesome, and the servers suddenly become friendly. Usually the servers are quite mean, with awful tempers and they will scream at students. I've had to report seeing the guy who does the hamburgers, touch raw meat with his gloves and then a clean plate with the same gloves and the bread with the same gloves DISGUSTING!

The options in the food court are okay, but in general, there are not a lot of HEALTHY options.... I usually don't gain alot of weight (I'm 5ft 10in 135lbs normally... and since being at that school I gained 20lbs)... Anyways, they just do not have healthy food there... everything is saturated in oil, like the vegetables, rice and other "healthy" foods will be dripping in yellow fatty oil...

Classes/Professors:
Classes were okay. I liked the majority of my classes, and actually it was just one class that I absolutely despised.

I also found out that UM does A-, B+, B- etc... and UF doesn't.... which could affect what your GPA looks like to other schools...

Exams are difficult, and professors (from my own experience, and that of other students) are generally not understanding.

No joke, I hear my sociology professor telling a student that a family funeral is not a good excuse for missing an exam... "people die all the time"

Social Life:
There is a TON of underage drinking on campus and off. In fact, even the nerdiest geekiest smartest students drink over the weekends.... Finding a sober person on a weekend is like playing where's waldo.

There are a select view that don't drink, but even considering that... you're options for friends that don't drink are fairly limited....

Not including clubs/parties, there is Sunset Place which has a movie theatre and shops... a couple of beaches.... TONS of restaurants...

I was lucky to have my car... the Hurrican Shuttle hardly takes people anywhere they really want to go, and you're usually expected to walk a few blocks through neighborhoods that are not necessarily that nice... (not good if you're a girl, like me)

Student Health Center:
I went to the health center, while I was suffering from an ALLERGIC REACTION and the receptionist just told me to go and sit down and wait for the nurse... so I sat there for 15min (very dangerous), I did not have my epi-pen on me (stupid I know)... Anyways, when I finally saw the doctor and nurse they were both shocked at how the receptionsit handled it... I'll spare everyone the details, but I had several health center visits this semester and EACH ONE sucked. The receptionist will ALWAYS tell you that the wait is INSANELY long, in order to try to get you to leave...

Things I wish I knew:

Security on campus is not that great, in fact, my friends and even the Resident Coordinater of Stanford, John Bono laughs when the tours pass the dorms and brag to parents about how safe it is.... ANYONE can get on your floor, if they want to... This past semester a girl was knocked down a stairwell and punched in the face, they never found who did it to her because there are only security cameras at one place in the dorms.... she left in the middle of the semester because of post traumatic stress disorder.... A student was also run over by a professor in front of the Coxx Science Center a few years back... and I believe hearing about a student who was run over by a hurricane shuttle or something like that this semester.... There are NO security cameras in the student parking lots...

Parking is REALLY hard to find, and they LOVE giving out parking tickets for next to nothing...

There are almost no vegetarian options in the dining hall, and the options they give vegetarians... are given under the assumption that vegetarians do not have taste buds (if that gives a good picture)

The dorms do not have heat, so when Miami gets a cold front and the temp is in the 50s (it happens), students FREEZE

The bathrooms on the girls' floors are DISGUSTING

All the sciences are extremely competitive, students sabotage eachother.... everyone THINKS they are at Harvard

All the girls are hot but most guys are UGLY (no offense anyone)... if someone has a hot boyfriend he goes to FIU

anyways, hope this helps

1tcm · 12-16-2006, 07:32 PM

Well.... I guess I'm going to flip it to the good side of the coin... My son graduated (yippee!) two days ago, and every dealing we and him have had with the U has been top notch.

Dorms: He started out in Stanford, and while not his fav, he did enjoy his time there. The towers are really the best place to meet new friends. Since then, he has lived in Mahoney, both in a suite and in a single. He loved Mahoney. He parked his vehicle in Mahoney's covered parking garage and had no problems.

Dining: He agree's that the dining options were just okay. I think it became more boring than anything else. Having visted several other schools before he made his final decision, I remember seeing much worse as well as much better options...

Social Life: I sent off a shy, quiet, kid, who to be honest, didn't really care whether he had a so-called "social life" or not. He now loves everything social. He partied I'm sure, but not to the detriment of his education. He too loved going to the Grove and Sunset, and would occasionally go to SOBE, but he somehow found a balance between work and play.

Security: This issue is to me one that needs to be addressed for each child on a personal basis. UM is safe. As safe as one can be in a major metropolitian area. UM has the same basic safety precautions in place as every other university/LAC that we looked at. It is imperative, however, that any child attending UM know basic rules of safety. And a little common sense will go along way..... Personally I have never felt unsafe being on UM's campus,nor in the Gables during the day or the few times I've been there at night.

Education: No other way to put it than terrific!! There has been a few professors and classes he didn't care for, but no matter how one tries, you're going to have that. I can attest that he has been challenged at times, taken a few classes that he felt were easier than others, has worked hard at times, a sluffed off at times. He was fortunate enough to be able to do undergraduate research (which was where he found his true passion) and has succeeded. His GRE scores are competitive enough, that he has applied to Grad School at not only UM, but several of this country's upper-most tier university's. (Yale, Stanford, etc.) Several professors have written him outstanding letters of recommendation, as well as calling and introducing him to many outstanding prospective mentors at the universities he's applied to.

Overall, he has been very pleased with everything associated at the U, even down to the graduation/reception Thursday. I know he's happy to be moving on, but even with that being said, I'm sure he will miss everything there. As far as me...I can't see the boy I sent off as a "freshman." He's become the "man" I always knew he could be.

seiclan · 12-17-2006, 08:05 AM

"I also found out that UM does A-, B+, B- etc... and UF doesn't.... which could affect what your GPA looks like to other schools... "

UF has already voted to change their grading policy, effective Fall 2008 I think, to include pluses and minuses. Scratch that comparison off the list.

Jamismom · 12-17-2006, 09:04 AM

My daughter is a senior. She transferred from Ithaca College, has been there 3 years and has loved every minute of it. Great school, great leadership, beautiful campus. She lived off campus the entire a time. The only thing I can say is a car is a must.

nycollegedad · 12-17-2006, 09:52 AM

thank you everyone so far for all your comments! keep them coming

ladyconfused · 12-17-2006, 12:05 PM

1) What kids tell their parents are not always that reliable... not all kids WANT to worry their parents with the horrible daily details

2) Living off campus makes a BIG difference

3) Being a guy on that campus makes a BIG difference

4) A freshman in 2002 would have a TOTALLY different experience than a freshman in 2006, or 2007.....

Whoever just said that a car is a MUST, was completely right... I can't imagine being at UM and without a car.....

This is all just my OPINION

ladyconfused · 12-17-2006, 12:07 PM

btw, NYcollegedad

I was accepted at NYU and have an ounce of regret for not going there

redsox06 · 12-17-2006, 07:07 PM

I'm a freshman girl and I have to say I've loved my experience so far.

Dorms:
I live in the Apts. because I'm involved in a program. otherwise i would have lived in one of the towers. However, I have friends in the Towers, and I definitely recommend living there to meet ppl.

Dining:
The dining hall could be alot worse...I don't find it's bad, it just gets boring. So I use my dining dollars a lot. I will agree some of the staff can be rather rude. As for the nutrition aspect, at the front entrance, there is a kiosk which tells you the nutrional facts for each item. So long as you dont eat solely pizza and dessert everyday, the meals are quite healthy. as for everything dripping in oil, i've never had that experience. Also, if you decide to venture over to Mahoney Pearson, that dining hall tends to have a better rotating selection of food. I saw a lot worse at the other schools i visited last yr.

Classes/Professors:
While I've had both negative and positive experiences with professors, thats something i see happening at any school. Classes have been good. All except for 1 has had 30 or fewer students, and they've all been taught by professors.

Social Life:
A car certainly does make things easier, although i refuse to drive in Miami. Driving is insanity. The surrounding area offers quite a bit. sunset place is extremely convenient with the movie theater.
as for drinking, my friends and I don't, so maybe that makes us the select few, but it hasnt been a challenge for me to find these ppl.

Security:
I feel UM is very safe. I've never felt unsafe walking at night, but I also feel its important to be smart about what you're doing. Campus is very well-lit, so when I'm alone and coming from a class at night, i make sure i stay on the path.

In addition, one of the major benefits of UM is the scholarship aspect. I was also accepted at NYU and would have loved to go there, but financially, it just didn't make sense. UM gave me a 3/4 scholarship, which really played a huge role in my decision.

overall, im very happy with my experience, and the one thing i can't stress enough is get involved. i know everyone says it, but its so important. UM has so many great oppurtunities for students to get involved with the community and to attain leadership roles. this is what has made the difference for me.

my-3-sons · 12-18-2006, 04:24 PM

My S is a sophomore biochem major and loving his experience at UM. He has taken advantage of many opportunities available and we couln't be happier with his choice to attend UM.

His freshman year he lived in the towers and although the rooms are very small, he really loved the social aspect and said he would not have wanted to spend his fr year anywhere else. He was injured and required orthopaedic surgery a few weeks into school and the help and concern he received from the residence staff was wonderful. They alerted his profs, arranged for tutors and note takers, checked on him and called us to see if there was anything else they could do for him.

As others have said, he would assess the food as decent, but boring after awhile. I would think this is the case at most schools. He does like having the dining dollars to use at the food court and there are lots of other area options, so the kids definitely do not go hungry.

He is not into the SOBE club scene, but leads a very active social life. He has a great group of friends, is in a frat, joined several clubs and plays lots of intramural sports. He also attends as many UM sporting events as he can. He was able to attend the Daytona 500 and will be a volunteer at this year's Super Bowl.

We have never had any security issues and I don't think my S has ever felt unsafe. There are areas of Miami and Coconut Grove to avoid but if the kids use their heads, they should be fine.

He has found his classes challenging, especially the sciences, and the professors accessible. He did have one calculus dud, but made it through and has been very academically successful. He has been able to get the classes he wanted without too much difficulty and his advisor has been very helpful. He does put in alot of time studying , but has managed to find that balance 1tcm spoke about. Last summer he did a study abroad program in Spain through UM and had an incredible experience studying Art History.

The few negatives I can comment on would be that UM is in a very expensive area and the kids can go through alot of $ if they aren't careful, and that there are more than a few kids with a rich, spoiled brat attitude. That's not to say that there aren't plenty of nice, average kids there.

We have been very happy with our experiences at UM.
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CONGRATULATIONS TO 1TCM and S!!!!

nycollegedad · 12-23-2006, 09:45 AM

thanks everyone. once your accepted, what is the best way to ensure you get the dorm of your choice? can you request a roomate? what is the best freshman dorm?

ladyconfused · 12-23-2006, 09:44 PM

best freshman dorm is Hecht, you can request a roomate and the best way to ensure you get the dorm of your choice is to apply for housing EARLY

ladyconfused · 01-04-2007, 02:28 PM

your chances for getting the dorm of your choice is also better if you have lots (or at least some) college/AP credits from highschool...

redsox06 · 01-05-2007, 03:11 PM

i dont think college/ap credits are a factor. its the earlier you get your forms in.