<p>Hey there Badgers</p>
<p>I've decided to start up this thread to help out prospective students who have some questions about what campus life is like. So if you have something you would like to ask post it here and I'll answer it best I can, or perhaps another student could chime in if I don't have specific knowledge on it. I'll get to your questions as quickly as possible.</p>
<p>Just a little background, I am a second semester freshman right now and I live in Sellery.</p>
<p>Hey Cryto, that’s a great idea. What do you think about posting a paragraph about your first year experience? Maybe a little bit about classes you enjoyed, particular events on campus you liked, dorm life… I’m not talking about a novel, but some highlights. I’m sure you are busy.</p>
<p>Love the idea, Cryto, but unless you preface every response with “This is solely based off of my personal experience,” you’re doing a huge disservice to the enormous variety of experiences students will have and the varying lenses through which they will look at the University and Madison.</p>
<p>There’s a reason why they hire 20+ unique perspectives for SOAR each year and why any student tour guide or New Student Leader goes through more than 80 hours of training leading up to their positions as representatives of the University.</p>
<p>Not saying you shouldn’t run this topic, but you’ve got to be careful with the inherent power you have as a self-appointed representative of the first-year experience at UW.</p>
<p>I think it is a terrific idea. There are little things about Madison that every prospective student wants to know. Hopefully as this thread progresses, more current students will join and give us their thoughts.</p>
<p>How are the popular introductory level classes - Chem, Bio, Psych, etc? Are they super easy and taught by nervous grad students? Are they engaging, difficult, and taught by experienced professors? What’s your academic experience been like so far as a whole?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I understand the concern, but I think students ought to be able to understand that my experience is just a personal prospective that they can take with a grain of salt and decipher for themselves. That’s also why I invited other current students ought to chime in too. </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Alright I’ll give some thoughts on it so far. Back to the beginning I thought SOAR was a really good experience. I stayed in Liz Waters and met tons of peers there. (Didn’t stay in touch with many, but I guarantee if you try you could make friends for the fall) Also learned quite a bit about campus and such. </p>
<p>Moving in was rather stressful coming so far from home (2000 miles) and I was worried about not knowing a soul, but the transition was incredibly easy. Living in Sellery, I met hundreds of new people within the first couple days. Not that I could remember any names for a few weeks, there was never really a feeling of isolation. It’s especially nice you get 4-5 days for the transition before classes start. </p>
<p>Classes have been great so far. I am pre-business so far so I took some pre reqs and gen ed classes first semester. Nothing was oppressively difficult and I came around to enjoy all my teachers. (No one had terrible accents luckily.) Ended up with solid grades and really learned a lot. The content isn’t too much more difficult than high school in my opinion, its just a lot to take in at one time.</p>
<p>Sports have been a GREAT part of the experience thus far. I got football, basketball, and hockey tickets for the year and have thoroughly enjoyed all of them. Classic games like Duke and MSU for basketball, Michigan in football, and Denver for hockey were soooo much fun to watch with friends. All the Badger spirit is extremely impressive.</p>
<p>So to summarize I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else. I absolutely love Madison and for my first time in the Midwest couldn’t ask for anything else. As far as Coastie bias, I notice none unless its in jest. Most people just assume I’m from the Midwest I think anyway. </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Pretty much all of my classes have been taught by extremely articulate/intelligent people. With the exception of my English 100 class which is taught by a TA, all the profs have been interesting to me. The only big weeder class I’ve had so far is Psych 202. It is your classic bell curve with 10% A, 5% AB, maybe 15% B, 15 % BC, etc. Really tough curve, but if you can keep up with the work load its ok. I have found the material engaging for sure taking some classes I never thought I would like British Literature and African American history. As weird as it sounds to me I actually find these lectures the most interesting becaaue I know little on the subject and the profs are brilliant.</p>
<p>Cryto, did you have much of adjustment to the climate? My D is very interested in UW but I am not sure she is prepared for the significant change in weather. Our winters are very mild compared to WI.</p>
<p>Cryto,</p>
<p>How do you arrange for money to be sent to you from home? Do your parents wire money to a local bank account?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I found the adjustment really easy actually. I think I mentioned earlier, but it was my first time living in a four seasons climate. Contrary to popular belief around here I had seen snow before coming here and have really enjoyed living in it. The first month of school had weather that was absolutely remarkable. Perfect weather the first month of school here. Fall was very nice with the trees and it cooled down slowly which made transition easy. People in California break out the ski jackets at 55 degrees so its obviously different, but I felt there were only maybe five bitterly cold days this year. Once you get down to single digits with negative degree wind chill is the only problem for me. As long as you have a hat, gloves, and layer she should be perfectly fine. If she thinks it could be a deciding factor against the school I wouldn’t let it sway her too much. I have loved the change so far.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I actually have only had money sent once. Depending on what your child would need money for, it can mostly be transfered online. Housing as well as tuition bills can all be payed online and also food accounts can be filled online too onto their wiscard. Basically the only thing I can see money being sent for is spending cash. Perhaps you could open a checking account in both your names so you can put some $$$ in it and your child can get it from ATMs. I received a check in my bday care package and that worked out fine… If you really think it would get stolen or something you can cancel the check. </p>
<p>I don’t really spend much money as it is. I eat in university housing 95% of the time and besides that I have my own bank accounts fro spending money. I will eat out maybe once every couple weeks and sometimes have dues for clubs, but thats about it.</p>
<p>Great idea. Keep up the good work and the older alums here will just leave this subject to you. Good to hear most of you time so far has been good.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>This is true, but you are charged a fee for paying online. When you try to pay your housing bill online, the fee is outrageous as the fee is a certain percentage of what you’re paying. Adding money to housing food and campus cash online only charges a $2.50 fee, but I still don’t recommend wasting your money on such silly fees, when there’s ways around it.</p>
<p>Etherdome, if you don’t mind my input, when I came to Madison I opened up a new account at UW Credit Union (I highly recommend them). I also kept my checking account at our small local bank back home open, and whenever my parents want to give me money (I never ask :P), they put it in that account. I can then take money out using checks or my debit card. It’s quick, no fees, and has worked out fabulously. UW Credit Union is now my primary account, but in case I need money, I have that account back home that my parents can easily put money in to.</p>
<p>I am not a student, but the mom of a freshman. We did pretty much what Pathetique did…son opened a UW Credit Union account and put a large of chunk of his spending money (that he had saved) into that account. He also has an account at our home bank (Wachovia - where we both have accounts). When I have wanted to transfer money to him, I have just transferred it to his home account - he can use checks (rare), debit (although there is a charge) or I think he has set up a routing/account # thing where he can transfer from one to the other. </p>
<p>Although housing charges a huge fee for paying by credit card online, it is possible to pay be providing account debit info at no additional charge and still pay online. </p>
<p>NCDance Mom - I think I wrote to you about Virginia son’s weather worries on another thread and his experience has been pretty much exactly as Cryto described. A few unpleasant days and learned to wear bigger coat and hat/gloves, etc… but not nearly as big an issue as he thought it would be. He said you just get used to it and hasn’t been a huge deal.</p>
<p>I love the direction this topic is taking. Great job, Cryto and others.</p>
<p>As a student, it’s nice to be able to chime in and while the alum feedback is great, it definitely can feel different than what current students have to say.</p>
<p>I have to echo the UW credit union, I’ve just purchased a car in my 5th year, and the way they work with students and nonstudents alike in incredible. I’ve never known such incredibly compassionate and genuine “bankers” (although it is a credit union) in my life. They’re constantly on campus running financial workshops for students on an enormous variety of issues. If I stay in madison, I’ll continue to do my banking through them. I had used US Bank previously, because they were my home bank, and I’ve gotta say, whenever I had to work with anybody other than the local office, it was absolute hell.</p>
<p>do u ever regret ur decision going to uw madison?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Nope, I would say I have never regretted my decision. When I first visited, the school basically shot up to number two on my list following Cal Berkeley and I haven’t really looked back since.</p>
<p>I was a little worried when I first arrived that perhaps I would get home sick or something, but I haven’t felt that at all, and if I did it was just brief. It’s so great being on my own in a new part of the country and I’m just trying to enjoy every day here. I actually am dreading going home for the summer.</p>
<p>I would be lying if I said that I never second guessed my decision in the summer. I had a choice between here and the University of Washington and it left me wondering sometimes what it would have been like on the other side. I also think about if I would have gotten into my Cali schools what would be different, but I’m so happy here I think it was just meant to be.</p>
<p>So ya no regrets, I just love it here too much :)</p>
<p>hi, prolly going there, hope you don’t mind answerin a few more questions :P</p>
<p>1) How much did they help in terms of financial aid? You need not answer if this question feels uncomfortable. </p>
<p>2) Madison is famous for being a ‘party school’, in fact, ranked #2 in the nation for that title. Is this statement close to the truth, and if it is, was this detrimental to your grade?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>1) Well this sort of depends on if you’re in-state or OOS. I know for OOS there is barely any aid that is given out. I don’t know what is specifically available, but you can check out wisc.edu for more info on specifics. I know in-state has more available in the way of scholarships and need based, but again don’t know a lot on specifics. Scholarships are also usually given out once you are in a specific department. For example if you go to the school of education and excel, you may be able to get some $$$.</p>
<p>2) Well, I’d be lying to you if I said people don’t party. I honestly can’t compare it to other schools as I haven’t visited elsewhere, but there’s certainly a ton of people who do party. As far as it affecting grades, it just comes down to the individual. If you have a good level of self control it won’t be a problem at all. If you seek out a party you will be able to find one easily, but if you want to avoid all drunk people and the party scene it’s rather easy too. With so many students its easy to find any kind of niche you could imagine. As we say, “Work hard, play hard”. Just make sure to get your work/studying done, and the party seen is not a detriment in the least.</p>
<p>I am looking into residence halls. I really like the location of Elizabeth Waters. I want to be on the lakeshore. Is this a hall that many freshmen get into? How are they with getting you into your first choice?</p>
<p>Parent here. All (eligible) dorms reserve 50% of rooms for freshmen when returning students sign up. Liz has been popular so be prepared to get another choice, but rank it first if you want it. Housing bills come out far enough in advance so parents can snail mail a check easily. Students can choose to have the bill sent to their parents’ address instead of their campus address. Tuition billing went solely online this semester but you can give UW info to let your parents also receive the bill and it also can be paid via a paper check and snail mail. Money can be put into the housing food account or the regular Wiscard account online easily with a $2 fee online by parents (or anyone else!) without them having access to the details of how the money is spent. The Wiscard can be used at nonUW places such as University Bookstore, so your parents can pay for a lot without you needing to dip into your own funds if they deposit funds into this account.</p>
<p>question about dorms while on the topic.</p>
<p>Could you give rankings of the dorms? I am looking for pretty or clean or both…
This will help me greatly ><</p>