I am seriously interested in UM, but one thing I have repeatedly read online concerns me. I have seen many former/current students say that most students go to clubs in Miami when they go out, and since this can get really expensive it limits the social scene for people who don’t come from very wealthy families. Although I know it is not the main point of college, I feel like going out with friends and having fun is a big part of the college experience, and I’m worried if I attend UM I may miss out due to not having enough money to go to fancy clubs vs if I went to a school where cheap college bars are the main hang out spot. Can anyone offer current information regarding these claims?? It is the only thing holding me back from putting down my deposit!
There are options for going out in Coral Gables and Coconut Grove which are cheaper than downtown and South Beach. When my son was a freshman at the U, I gave him $75.00 per week in spending money for snacks (he was on the 14 meal plan) and going out. That seemed to be plenty.
My son attended the U for six years, undergrad and grad school. I bet he went to South Beach maybe 5 times. One, those clubs are expensive. Two, drinking age in Florida is 21, and those clubs on South Beach are pretty strict on enforcement. The last thing they want is to jeopardize their liquor licenses by allowing underage drinking. Third, it is not all that easy to get from the campus in Coral Gables to South Beach. Traffic on Highway 1, I-95 and the causeway from the mainland to Miami Beach is often a nightmare. The bars and restaurants in Coconut Grove, much closer to the U than South Beach, cater to the college crowd.
My D is currently a freshman at the U and very social, yet she has only gone to South Beach and clubs 2 times. She does go to many parties off campus and participates in activities on campus. There is plenty to do without spending money in the clubs.
My S is a sophomore math major; I get his bank statements. He spends $200-300 in an average month including uber, and eating off the meal plan. Lots of Chipotle and the like. Every now and then a nice restaurant in Coconut Grove for a birthday - he has a group of 4-6 friends and they will take each other out. He is able to cover his monthly expenses thru his campus job. He is a math tutor, but it pays the same as he made last year, handing out towels in the pro shop at the wellness center.
BTW- unless you are huge on breakfast, I’d recommend the 14 meal plan an a Costco sized box of nutragrain bars and oatmeal or pop tarts for your room. I never wanted my boy to be hungry (first kid off to college LOL) so we got him theninlimited plan first year, and he said it was “embarrassing “ and that no one had that.
^ That is exactly what my son did last year. Lots of trips to Target for Cheerios and breakfast bars!