<p>After doing some reading, it seems Michigan is the ideal university for me (still have to visit it though), but it seems one of the biggest draw backs of Michigan is the large class sizes. I'd prefer to get the opinions of those who have recently been to or are still studying there. Michigan has the 'big university - big campus' feel I want, but I'm worried that the class sizes will be detrimental to my education (yes, yes, I know, I can't have the best of both worlds). How true is this? Apparently most professors will not know your name? Also, I've read that a lot of the professors are more interested with their research than in teaching students? Does the size of the university make it hard to get into classes?</p>
<p>I've visited several 'smaller' universities where students have stressed how important they've found the the close relationships with professors.</p>
<p>I just wanted to know how detrimental it would be, not having a relationship with your professor? Are these sort of large classes designed to allow the cream of the crop shine? I mean, I suppose the reverse argument is that the real world isn't small and intimate...</p>
<p>Also, some criticism has been made about the weather. I don't want to go to Florida or California. I've grown up in a desert and whilst I don't particularly like the cold (I find 60 - 70 cold), I do want to experience the other extreme in terms of weather. I'm sure I'll adapt but I just wanted to know, how does the cold affect every day life? As in, does it limit social activities? Sports?</p>
<p>Is it true that it's harder to make friends if you're from out of state as everyone will have their little cliques?</p>
<p>Many of your introductory classes will be in large lecture halls with a lot of people, but don’t worry. Most classes have supplementary discussions and/or office hours where you can learn in a smaller classroom setting or even 1 on 1 with a grad student or professors. Professors will begin to know your name if you make the attempt to go to their office hours and talk with them.</p>
<p>As you go into your late 2nd, third and definitely your senior year, you’ll begin to take courses with a smaller number of people and you’ll definitely build relationships with your professors. You are right that some professors only care about their research but I think a majority do care about the students.</p>
<p>As a current student, I feel like I personally know a good amount of professors at the university and I know many more would know me by my name.</p>
<p>About the large classrooms, I wouldn’t consider them detrimental to your education; rather, I’d say that they give the freedom to work hard and diligently to earn your own grade. Go to office hours, understand the material and work hard and you’ll earn the grade.</p>
<p>As per the weather, Ann Arbor has some crazy weather, and its definitely not California but its not horrible. </p>
<p>And don’t worry about friends. Its not hard for anyone to make friends here because of the diversity and shear number of students.</p>
<p>If you want smaller classes I would suggest honors. But as the poster above me said its no big deal to have big classes</p>
<p>The weather, well is cold. You’ll probably have to take some time getting used to it. Its easy to tell up here in my first year who came form a warm climate because they are in full winter coats by the end of October.</p>
<p>I see a lot of the IS people staying together in “cliques” but that doesn’t mean everyone comes into the university already put into groups. There are a lot of kids in general at the university and I wouldn’t worry about making friends.</p>