Can current students please discuss pro's and con's of UMD?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Maryland - College Park
1

<p>NOTE: BTW, I posted the same kind of thread on the AU board.</p>

<p>Hello all, I am an African-American male from Pennsylvania who is about to become a high school senior. For many months, I have been going through the whole "college preparation" thing with my parents. We've been going through it picking schools for a list and finally, I think I have a good list. UMD College Park is on it, and my stats are about "match-extremely slight reach":</p>

<p>1190 SAT, 2.8-3.0 GPA (school doesn't calculate GPA or rank students). Will have great recs, great essay, and am VERY involved in EC's</p>

<p>I really don't care right now about my chances for the school, as I have two safeties. What I want to know is the ATMOSPHERE of UMD, and the little things that I wouldn't be able to get out of the guidebook. Like, how's the food there? Is there a lot of racial tension on campus? Do blacks/whites separate themselves from each other? How are the dorms (big, small, what do they come with?) Basically, just a whole lotta stuff about UMD you think I should know. Good or bad. I am visiting the school soon, btw. Thank you.</p>

2

<p>b Ump</p>

3

<p>I asked my D. about this ..discrimination etc. and she said she has not witnessed any problems....MD is an equal opportunity campus she feels and thats how it is...folks get along of all race and religion.</p>

4

<p>So this means she feels blacks and whites get along to directly answer your question.
Dorms she thinks are not nice unless you are in a special one like honors etc.
Food she is not happy with the food either ..but other kids like it.</p>

5

<p>graduated from maryland recently. NO issue with race from what i've seen, I am asian btw. The freshmen/sophomore dorms are crappy, but upperlevel dorms (the new Commons and south campus suites and apartments) are very nice. Food is pretty good, a variety of choices. Obviously, after awhile you would get sick of it, but there's quite a few places to eat right off campus as well. The bars and night activities right off campus is horrible though, college park is a boring town. But the good thing though is metro is readily accessible and you can always hit it up to DC or Georgetown for more fun.</p>

6

<p>College Park is a pre-dominantly black neighborhood. Racial tension is pretty much non-existant on campus. UMD does a pretty good job of mingling people of all races and religion in their dorms.</p>

<p>Blacks/whites normally do not separate from each other. Separation is reserved for the Asian groups on campus. My freshman year, it seemed like every Asian person I knew in one building, knew every other Asian in the other buildings, but had no clue about other people in the buildings.</p>

<p>The freshmen dorms are pretty craptastic. You get old but sturdy furniture: a desk, dresser, and bed. I suggest getting an egg crate cushion to put under your mattress.</p>

<p>The food isn't all that bad, but it gets repetitive. Do yourself a favor and do not order out though. Ordering out put a major dent in my savings account.</p>

7

<p>I visted college park many times and it did not appear to be predominantly black to me. I didnt live there like you did but I did travel around there alot and went to grocery store, restaurants etc. I thought there were a variety of ethnicities including a lot of Mexicans and Whites.</p>

<p>The freshman doors D. said are bad unless you get into a special dorm. She was in Denton last year which was decent. </p>

<p>She did not like the food..</p>

8

<p>How are the activities? I know this is a broad question, but I need to know. Are there a variety of places to volunteer? Are there many activities for math/science people? How are the other students in general? Friendly and accepting? Competitive?</p>

<p>Thanks.</p>

<p>*Oh, and another thing. Because of their stringent visa policy, if I did attend UMD I would have to start during Spring semester. How will this affect me? As it is, I will have many courses waived due to AP's. It also might be important to note that I plan to transfer out after the first couple years.</p>

9

<p>This message is for angstridden --
I've enjoyed reading everything you've written about UMD. Even though one child has been through college (and grad school in a crime-ridden urban area) and I went to college and grad school in two crime-ridden urban areas already, I am more nervous this time with my freshman son. I was up all night worried about the following.</p>

<p>Someone recently spoke of bad crime on campus. I know there's crime on every campus but I went to the posted crime incidents and was horrified. It seems as if every day another theft, assault, or drug bust is committed. Was this your daughter's experience? I don't want to cast aspersions on what I thought was a beautiful, fairly typical (safety-wise) campus. Please tell me what you think, since I have always valued your opinions and advice. </p>

<p>I hope you give me the answers I want to hear :<)</p>

<p>Thank you so much!
Viola</p>

10

<p>I am a really anxious mom hence the name angstridden! I was worried about crime at UMD also until someone sent me a list comparing the crime stats for UNC , UMD and William and Mary (her other choices at the time). Viola, there was very little difference. William and Mary had almost as high an incidence of rape (cant recall exactly but I was shocked as it is so much smaller). The one big difference was petty theft. UMD had more. I dont know what the stats are now..but if you look you will see that most campuses have incidents that occur.</p>

<p>I asked my D. what she thought, after I read your post and she said that she feels very safe on campus, however, like anywhere she would go she uses good sense..she does not walk alone late at night. She is careful to lock her door, she does not leave her items unattended moving in and out of the dorms or at the library that type of thing. We also bought a desk lock for her computer (though she never had any problem) She said if you hear of a problem its usually because someone was drunk, or not using good judgement...like a female walking by themself in the wee hours. My daughter does not drink (not even soda!) nor does she take drugs and thus she is also less likely to be in situations which could lead to problems also. </p>

<p>With a campus as large as UMD there are bound to be some incidents that are not good - but I think that is the case anywhere. She has not experienced any trouble and feels comfortable there. As a parent...I feel really good about the place and I am a worry wort.</p>

<p>I would tell your son that MD has some petty theft going on and he should make sure not to leave his items unattended and use a lock on his computer ..Also he should exercise commonsense with regard to his activities. And try to make good friends that have good values and goals. As I said my D. does not drink but if she did and was caught she would lose several of her scholarships and she knows this. She hangs out with likeminded friends who enjoy computer games, fencing that type of thing.</p>

<p>My D. loves it! There are so many opportunities there - plays, shows, groups etc. Its really nice. Many of the facilities are phenomenal! It just offers so much.</p>

<p>Hope this help.</p>

11

<p>As far as crime is concerned, there is a lot of petty theft. Make sure that when you leave your room that it is always locked. We had a string of incidents in the Ellicott community this year where a lot of valuable stuff was stolen right out of rooms.</p>

<p>As far as other crimes are concerned, I had a rather interesting experience that you may not want to read about. At a pretty well-known pizzeria on Route 1 (far down on Route 1, about a 30 minute walk from the campus, you and/or your sons and daughters will never be there hanging out at night), I was working counter. Just so happens that we were held-up at gun-point that night. I wasn't really scared, I was just completely in shock. I didn't feel anything, no nervousness, aprehension, nothing. Luckily, they were caught about a week later trying to rob another place.</p>

<p>Being mugged/robbed does happen ON campus, but it's quite rare. Also, you can do things to avoid being a potential target, such as travelling in groups, staying on the main roads through campus, etc.</p>

12

<p>Yes, all your advice helped a great deal. I think I'll be able to sleep tonight.</p>

<p>That was a good way to resolve the crime issue - to compare it to other colleges' statistics. When viewed that way it really seems to be in line with other big campuses. Thank you for your advice regarding the computer lock (I guess my son will know what that is - I don't) and using good sense when walking on campus. Like your daughter, my son doesn't drink or use drugs and has a lot of interests. I guess during the student orientation they are warned to be prepared for petty theft etc, and advised to be careful. </p>

<p>So because your daughter is so happy and you don't have to worry so much you should change your screen name :>). Just kidding. I am a worry wort too! I can't tell you how much I appreciate your information and how grateful I am that you participate in this forum. </p>

<p>Sincerely,
Viola</p>

13

<p>Sorry that you had to have that awful experience. I'm glad you weren't hurt.
And I'll be sure to relay this info about Route 1 to my son. It's interesting that the police were able to make the arrest. I'm impressed with their quick work.</p>

<p>Thanks for posting this info. It's been so helpful!</p>

<p>Viola</p>

14

<p>I think Rt. #1 and anywhere around there is like any big college town..you are going to have problems occasionally, esp. after games when there is likely to be drinking.</p>

<p>The lock secures the laptop to the desk..I had never heard of it before either but read about it right here on CC! Another thing I read about here was the Vornado fan..If he is going in an unairconditioned dorm, I suggest you get one. D. said her room was the most unsticky of them all thanks to the Vornado.</p>

<p>Viola, I wish I could change my CC name. I actually picked it to ask one QUICK question on CC never dreaming I would keep chatting here..and now I am stuck with it or would have to reregister...boohoo.</p>

<p>What dorm is your son in and what is his major etc?</p>

15

<p>Other handy things to take you may not think of include flip flops for shower, fridge, we ordered carpet from place MD sent name of and it was very easy as they delivered, can opener, some utensils, a few dishes, water filter and jug like Brita, you may want to get risers for the bed..they sell these at bed bath and beyond and you put them under bed corners this lifts the bed and you can store more under it, rolling drawer cart to tuck in closet, pop up hamper..start saving your quarters for washing machine, alarm clock, poster or two, crates to store things in...
We opened a credit card with firstnational and they gave her 10% off at the bookstore..(came in handy), also he will need a lanyard for his ID card (sold at bookstore)..small first aid kit may come in handy.
D. has gone to campus doctor their twice and its only $10 ...
......</p>

16

<p>A couple other things ..we went for parents weekend and took advantage of the special price they offered on seats for the football game. If you have a problem with heights..or vertigo..dont do it. They were all the way at the top of the stadium and I could not sit there. Fortunately I was able to sit somewhere else. But oh my gosh!
They also have a tail gate party which was well organized. As large as UMD is..the organization has amazed me.
If you plan to stay parents weekend there is a Marriott right near there which is quite nice. (Marriott has a wonderful brunch on Sunday..not sure about the rest of the week. The brunch was in the "cafeteria" of the hotel.)
If not..it is very very slow getting out of town with all the traffic so I would advise you to hang back for awhile.
We are going up for the WVU game, but dont plan to do parents weekend this year. But it was really nice and we are glad we participated her first year. It fills up fast so make reservations quickly.</p>

17

<p>About my incident, you reall don't have to worry about it ever happening to your son/daughter/you. I was way, way down on Route 1, in the opposite direction of where everyone gathers and hangs out. It's a good 1.5-2miles down the road from Potbellys and Lupos, which is the general area where most people hang out.</p>

<p>More about the community. There are a bunch of eateries and sandwich places all around the Route 1 entrance, past Frat Row. Danny's is a great late night food when nothing is open, but I would advise against eating there when something else is open. Ratsie's has some great wings, Potbellys has good food in general. I wasn't really into the bar scene, but Lupo's Happy Hour was always a fun time. Wawa will always be picked later at night. Expect long lines for snacks and the bathrooms.</p>

<p>The campus shuttle service can actually take you to the CP train station, where you can hop on the metro to DC, which is always a fun experience. DC isn't nearly as much an urban place as NYC, but it's still nice.</p>

<p>If you're interested in joining a fraternity/sororities, there are plenty of campus, including fraternities/sor. for specific subjects, and racially oriented fraternities/sor. For the most part, Greek life is nothing like what you've seen on TV/movies or heard about. It actually helped boost my GPA the second semester due to required study hours my house implemented. If you have any more questions, send me a PM; that's all I'll talk about them here.</p>

<p>As far as books are concerned, do NOT order from the campus bookstore. Also, do NOT sell the books back to the campus bookstore. They are such a major ripoff it's not even funny. I mean, if you need to get a book urgently, it's ok to go to Bookholders or the Campus shop.</p>

<p>Instead, e-mail all of your professors ahead of time and ask what books they require in the class. Then go on Half.com, or Amazon.com's Marketplace. Usually, they will sell the books for much below what is normally listed. Just make sure to go with a reputable dealer, and make sure it's the US edition. Many dealers will not mention what edition it is, and it will probably wind up being the cheaper, international paperback edition.</p>

<p>If anybody has any specific questions, feel free to PM me.</p>

18

<p>We purchased a lot of D's books at the bookstore right off campus. BUT I myself have sold OOP and other books in the past so made sure what we purchased was a good price.
We did look for many of her books at half and amazon...and bought some of them there..but sometimes when there was no copyrite date etc..it was easier to use the bookstore. You can preorder used books and then go pick them up. We did and then I looked over the books and if it was too tatty picked out another one if it was available. We bought all her books used except ones she wanted to keep.
We did sell ours back to the bookstore. It was just easy and fast. Texts are heavy, tend to date quickly and by the time Amazon takes their commission we decided just to cut our losses. I did sell one or two online that she forgot she had to sell back.</p>

19

<p>I don't believe how lucky I am -- you and BigJ have covered just about everything. You've also mentioned things I would never have even anticipated from the drawer cart to selling the books back to the bookstore. (Yes, the lanyard is a must!) So again, many thanks. Did you have someone helping you like this before your daughter started? Hope so. </p>

<p>I was thinking of making reservations at the Marriott (the one on the campus) for parents' weekend. And thanks for the warning about the vertigo. I may need the fan but thanks for suggesting it. My son's in Dorchester and I read that it was air conditioned.</p>

<p>Is your daughter going back to the dorms or the new apartments I've seen/heard about?</p>

<p>Thanks once again for your help. Wishing you and your daughter a great year!
Viola</p>

20

<p>Hi BigJ,
A big thank you for your message. I'm printing it out and giving it to my son so he can see the names of the places you've mentioned. I am glad there are restaurants etc nearby that the kids can go to without feeling they're in jeopardy safety-wise. You're really wonderful to take an interest in new students/parents and share what you know.</p>

<p>Your assessment of the Frat situation is interesting. I didn't think it was popular on campus at all. And all the information about the bookstore is helpful, too.</p>

<p>Thanks,
Viola</p>