<p>the campus itself is possibly dry, but with Miami's nightlife, its hard for me to fathom ppl not attempting to "have some fun"</p>
<p>In response to the dorms/noise/partying.
As a freshmen you definitely have to stay in Hecht/Stanford, almost all do. The dorms are considered pretty crappy but you get over them quickly and wont bother you for long. If you don't want noise you can request to live on a quite floor in stanford. Kids there don't drink and that really wont be an issue. There are kids that go out a lot and those that hardly do. I think I fall somewhere in the middle. That's what I like a lot about the school. When I want to go out there are always people to do so with and fun places to go, yet when I need to stay in I can. My floor isn't too loud, and although some kids go out every other night most go out once maybe twice a week thurs-sat.
hope this helps!</p>
<p>the campus is not dry. They serve alcohol at the Rathskellar (local sports bar/ restaurant on campus). And if you're of age you can drink w/o worry in your dorm/on campus app. But if you're a freshman you'll do plenty of pregaming in dorm rooms. The key is to not be too loud have your door locked and you're fine. I have yet to get caught, but many have. But even when you do it's not too big of a deal. You get written up, they call your parents, and you have to have a quick talk with the dorm director. You only face somewhat serious consequences if it's like your 3rd/4th offence. You have to show your id to the front desk after 10pm. They don't really care if you're drunk as long as you're not falling down and puking. and yeah, that's about it!</p>
<p>I agree with taxguy's post. You cannot judge a school by the tour guide. The tour guide I had for Yale made me think people at Yale are dumb. She kept getting us lost and you could just tell she got into Yale with some hook because no way in hell was she a good student in high school. But other students were geniuses. Especially my interviewer</p>
<p>Molly:</p>
<p>Wow, really? I'm sorry you had a bad experience at UM but not everything about the school is bad like you make it seem like it is.</p>
<p>Yes, you had a hard time getting into classes because you are a freshman and at the bottom of the ladder. You don't need to be in 200 levels your freshman year. It is like this everywhere. As for English 106, there are enough sections for all the freshmen so I'm sure you could get into a section, just not one you wanted.
As for the dorms, they're not the nicest, but the freshman dorms are bigger than the freshman dorms I've visited at other colleges. The bathrooms can be dirty depending on how clean your floormates are, but again, most colleges have communal bathrooms for freshmen and you'll find that anywhere. Also, every college requires you to have a mealplan if you live in the dorms. You don't have a kitchen, are you gonna eat cereal every meal of every day? The upperclassmen dorms do suck, but that's why almost everyone moves off campus after their sophomore year. There are also the new University Village apartments, which are more expensive than dorms, but very nice and convenient.
The food is good for dining hall food. I've eaten in two other colleges' dining halls and they were both disgusting. No matter where you go to college you're going to complain about the food (except Virginia Tech). Also, Miami has TONS of options aside from the dining hall: Starbucks, Jamba Juice, Wendy's, Sbarro's, Subway, Panda Express, Salsaritas, Sushi, Oasis Kosher Deli, etc. At my friends school, the only options they have are the dining hall and a deli and half of the dining hall is closed on the weekends.</p>
<p>Again, I'm sorry you had a bad experience at UM, but don't make it seem like it's this horrible black hole that no one should ever go to. Most students who come here love it, so obviously you are not in the majority.</p>
<p>Since the last post, it would be nice to hear some updates. Its that time again!</p>
<p>I agree with Molly77 - it is crazy how UM works it’s class sign up. My son had to run around all over campus to get advisors signatures and overrides to sign up for classes as they were closing out because they do not use the computers to sign up for classes. All the other schools we looked at the kids sign up for classes online! The state school my son transferred to uses online sign up. I just don’t get why UM is so behind the times on this?!</p>
<p>To me, it’s not the wealth of the students - it’s the attitude. At UM my son found most (not all) of the kids had attitudes of entitlement and self absorption. Plenty of kids that come from wealthy families do not have this attitude. Most of the “friends” he made were only out for themselves and would leave you in the learch if push came to shove. If this was just a few kids, I would understand that, but it was so many of the people he met.</p>
<p>actually that’s wrong. sign up for classes is online. it’s only if you want to drop or add a course (after registration is over) do you need paper. and you almost never need a signature except if a class is full or you don’t have the prerequisites but want an override. </p>
<p>Lily Moon, did your son transfer?</p>
<p>Sorry your son does not like UM, but I’ve been here for 3 1/2 years and I can say with absolute certainty that not all of the students are like that. Not even most. I’d say it’s about 30% of the school and if you don’t like people like that, you don’t have to associate with them.</p>
<p>And registration is online. Might not be for freshmen though because they want to make sure they see advisors.</p>
<p>LilyMoon</p>
<p>First semester Freshmen put in their class wishes online and then see an advisor to set their schedule. This is to make sure they understand the system and requirements. I think this is wise. Next semester they schedule online. Your info is outdated.</p>
<p>Also, your son transferred and it was awhile ago, yet you keep coming back here and trashing Miami. I think it is time for you to get over it and move on.</p>
<p>Yes, my son did transfer but he was at UM for 5 semesters and only transferred 2 semesters ago, so not really all that long ago. I guess they must have updated their system from 2 semesters ago. </p>
<p>I am just giving an honest opinion about what I saw at UM and my son experienced. Sorry if that offends you SVMMom.</p>
<p>Yeah, they changed it. Used to be that only juniors and seniors could register online and then about 2 years ago they changed it so everyone could.</p>
<p>I am not offended. I just feel that prospective students who read these threads are mainly hearing from students and parents who had issues with Miami. It seems that most posters are those who chose to transfer. A majority of students love the U and simply do not post here. I am looking for balance and not an overstatement of Miami’s drawbacks.</p>
<p>Some people have a great experience at UM, some do not and some are somewhere in between. I think all opinions are pretty well represented here, but it’s important for prospective students to hear it all positive and negative and then make their own determination. I would hope that any prospective student would do their own research in addition to CC and a personal visit before deciding on a college. I also think that my opinion is valid and should be heard.</p>
<p>This thread is covering a lot of the same ground as <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-miami-florida/819251-first-semester-blues.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-miami-florida/819251-first-semester-blues.html</a>, so I’ll crosspost.</p>
<p>My son graduates from UM in less than two weeks. He had his share of first year blues but stuck it out because he loved the professors in his area of interest, (Marine Sciences), as well as the opportunities he was offered because of his scuba diving experience. </p>
<p>At first he struggled to find “his group”; it was easy to point to the party atmosphere and the “rich, snotty” kids because they made for easy, stereotypical targets. The fact of the matter is that college is not high school. You aren’t surrounded by people all from your part of town and you aren’t seeing the same people in the same classes 5 times a week for 9 months in a row. I told him that going away to college was like moving to a new city for a job change. You’re not going to know many people and your day to day schedule will make it hard to consistently connect with people having the same interests as you. It takes effort to find people you want to hang out with.</p>
<p>Some people never get comfortable and they choose to transfer; for them the grass will always be greener someplace else. But just remember that there are students transferring into and out of every college in America, including the likes of Harvard and Stanford. Contrary to the “wisdom” spouted on CC, there is no perfect school, only places and situations that are personally better or worse for you. But every transfer resets the clock for the new student. You will be the new guy, without the common experience of freshman year or the built-in if small circle of friends. BruinsJEW tells a a cautionary story about how he has attended three colleges in three years and now feels he made a mistake leaving Miami. My suggestion is to find the place that best suits what you want to study and then try and make the social side work. As you move up the ladder of a particular department you will start to see more and more familiar faces in classes and the friend making will get easier.</p>
<p>Socially, Miami is no better or worse than any other school. But socializing is only a part of college, but it isn’t the most important part. The sooner you come around to that realization, the sooner the situation will get easier to deal with.</p>
<p>^^ Well said!!
Since we have been unable to visit and son has grown up outside of the US mainly, I have spent a lot of time researching online, talking to people, parents at out school etc and I am aware that the settling in period is going to be present anywhere new our kids go. They are leaving the comforts of home and moving to a new environment, that in itself is hard.</p>
<p>From our many moves I have seen that the most negatives that irked my son was weather and rude teachers! He loves the tropics and the swaying palm trees (our trips to Bali/Phuket etc) so I conclude that UM is in the ball park for him.</p>
<p>He is very adaptable, he has made many friends yet keeps his distance from them - has never let peer pressure get to him. So I feel that he will be able to handle the social aspect at UM if he is happy with the program. Plus he has his own iPhone software development going on in his spare time and is very focussed on that. Husbands cousin lives in Miami which adds a point for us.</p>
<p>Well the weather is great and the Professors are so amazing (my daughter’s words and she is not easily impressed) and accessable. Sounds like a good fit for your son. Good luck!</p>
<p>Pix-I really feel from your description of your S that UMiami would be a great fit. I hope he applies and has UM as an option in April. Our S (May 2009 grad) is a very laid back kid from a semi-rural area and was able to find “his people” and have a wonderful 4 years in Miami, as a matter of fact he’s still there as his first real job is located 3 miles from campus! He became very involved in campus life and assumed leadership positions in several activities, some rather surprising to us. He really took advantage of everything the school and area had to offer from attending lectures and concerts to volunteering at the Daytona 500 and Super Bowl, running the Miami marathon and taking a spring break road trip to several spring training ballgames around FL. Is it for everyone, no (no one school is), but an adaptable kid looking for warm weather, high quality academics and abundant extracurricular opportunities just may find their place at UM. What does your S think of the school?</p>
<p>Remember, at this point you’re not making a final decision, just trying to provide options for April. I think UM is a good one. Good luck.</p>
<p>^^ Son met and spoke to the Admin Rep who came to visit our school and attended the presentation as well. Our GC was the one who pointed UM out to us few months ago at our first meeting. Since then I have been researching and came across the posts here. Read the bad and the good of course ;)</p>
<p>We have not visited but two HS families have and their sons are also applying there, both very good kids.</p>
<p>I am fully aware that any college will take settling in time. For us the most important is the faculty. Son is keen to ‘get on with the program’ - he is excited about UM.</p>
<p>I do not know what else to do at this point. We will visit in March, have a 10 day break. Will not know by then but son can make the final decision based on the visit later.</p>
<p>I keep reading about the student body (the negatives) and it makes me wonder how bad can it be! All privates will have wealthy kids - why is UM any different.</p>
<p>I do not think UM is different. It is a private school so of course there will be rich kids. I do not go there but I applied early decision, and I’ve always loved UM and hung around there and what not (I live in Miami), and people are down to earth. Yes, the other day I saw a girl walk by in designer rain boots, but I also saw a girl walk by in torn shorts and a t shirt. I saw a tanned, muscular, bejeweled dude walk around the food court but then I saw a scrawny guy wearing all Canes clothes. </p>
<p>I think people assume that UM is snobby because they expect only kids that want to go clubbing attend. Basically, since Miami is admittedly a glitzy, flashy city, people assume that very superficial kids will be here. That is not true, in fact, most kids applied to really competitive schools but got rejected and came to Miami because of the strong academics and fun atmosphere. OF COURSE there will be the few that hang out of limos screaming “YEAH MIAMI” on their first visit to South Beach, but that is not the norm.</p>