I read that U Maryland-College Park is primarily a commuter campus. Does anyone know how accurate this is? I like the school but don’t want to attend if half the campus is empty especially on weekends,I am looking for the full college experience. Any info would be helpful and appreciated.
Thanks
@Drew17 - I just asked my D your question. She is a sophomore, home on winter break. She immediately said No. For some background, we live close enough that my D could come home every weekend on a commuter bus from UMD (about an hour and a half ride), but she doesn’t.
She does come home sometimes, but most weekends there are other things she wants to do, like going to DC with friends or just out to dinner, or parties, or sports events, or studying.
There are kids who do go home on weekends, for whatever reason, but the school is so big, it doesn’t matter. There are probably 9,000+ students living in dorms and maybe another 8,000+ living in apartments on or nearby-off campus.
Hopefully some others will respond to your question
I’m not a student there but am very familiar with the campus. My impression is that it is not a commuter school. UMBC used to be one but even it has changed.
Honestly, I think it’s primarily a freshman first semester issue…and while there are of course exceptions to the rule on both sides of the coin, it seems that more often than not, it was the guys that flocked home (primarily just on non-football weekends)…but mostly just the first semester. Whether it is for a home-cooked meal, or for laundry issues, or because they haven’t developed their core group of college friends yet, who can say? But regardless of the reason, as SoofDad pointed out, there are soooo many students on campus (many of whom are OOS), you will find others to hang with if you do have a group of friends that like to go home a lot in the beginning.