<p>Hi Parents...it would be so helpful for parents of U MI students to have a thread all our own. When I ask U MI questions on Parents thread, I am often told to head over to U MI site. I am now guessing that this site would prefer that I move over to the parent site. Any thoughts on this dilema? I guess we could all PM eachother once we find eachother.</p>
<p>I would be happy to respond to any specific question to the extent that I can. </p>
<p>I’ve been to AA only twice (freshman orientation and move in day) because it’s expensive to come from CA. So far, I can only say that despite not getting a great housing assignment — in fact getting the worst location I could think of for a kid who didn’t go to high school with a large number of incoming freshmen — my son has flourished, made friends, found new activities and is expanding his academic and intellectual horizons. </p>
<p>UM has done for him what one hopes college will do — highlight new interests and provide pathways to finding their way in the world. For example, he came home from freshman year excited about his schedule for next fall, particularly a creative writing class (an elective), and surprised us by uttering for the first time ever the words “pre-med” due to an anatomy class he loved. </p>
<p>The OOS tuition continues to well, bite, but it’s no worse than private tuition would have been…and he is loving his MI experience.</p>
<p>My son is pretty introverted and didn’t socialize much in high school. My hope is that he will open up a little more in college. Any mom’s out there have some reassurance for me - that their child was similar and made the transition well. I’m not an over-protective mom. I just love my son and think school would be a lot more fun if it weren’t just all academics.</p>
<p>My D will be starting at UMich (COE) this fall. We are basically in-town (suburb of AA), about 5-7 miles from campus. D will be living in a dorm though. Her problem (?) is that she’d find too many known faces on campus (her school sends about 50 kids to UMich every year).</p>
<p>karkri, Michigan is big. Your daughter will most likely not bump into people she knows very oftern.</p>
<p>Hey parents…welcome…I knew you were all out there just waiting to share. Thanks…let’s keep this going. Jazzymom…out of curiousity which dorm were you referring to. My freshman s will be in Bursley which he swapped for Markley…interesting to some I am sure, but he is engineering major and did not mind mixing it up with not all freshman. I will be curious to hear how he feels about it. We are a long distance as well.</p>
<p>Littlefalls:</p>
<pre><code>I would have preferred Bursley for my son — sprawling traditional dorm with long halls and shared bathrooms that encourage socializing. However, he got Thieme house in Baits II, a roomy triple suite but somewhat isolating because there were only two suites facing each other in the corner. He had a soph roommate in a single and initially shared a double with another freshman, who won a housing switch lottery and moved to all-freshman Markley within the first month or so.
</code></pre>
<p>It was kind of quiet and lonely at first, without his freshman roommate, and UM housing never did put another freshman in the dorm with him, but S coped. He had some friends at Markley, and noted that while it was livelier and more fun, the rooms were much smaller and it was generally a lot noisier. DS got a lot of studying done and racked up nearly straight As for the year. </p>
<p>There’s a lot of moaning about North Campus, but DS really didn’t mind the bus to Central and grew to like the quiet and woodsiness of NC. He would periodically text me that he had just seen deer or other wildlife, something that doesn’t happen where we live. He had one friend, a triathlete, who made it a point of pride that he only rode his bike between North and Central Campus, even in winter. </p>
<p>Your son will probably enjoy Bursley and if he decides he prefers living on Central, he can do so next year, no problem.</p>
<p>I’ve been sharing this user name with my son but today it’s me. We live in NJ and my son is very excited about going to this school. A lot of his friends chose U Maryland and he just wanted a whole new experience. He’s in the engineering school . He’s quiet by nature but not shy. Has a little bit of a warming up period and then becomes great friends with people. I always think that college is the place where you meet and find your true friends. My daughter is at Gw and is thriving because she can be herself.She’s now going into her senior year so I really understand now what this is all about. I heard that the people in Ann Arbor are friendly and welcoming. My son went to his orientation and met some really great people. I sent him by himself to get the whole travel experience and he really had a great time. He’s in Marley and I think he knows how to balance fun and school. I think optimism is always the way to go and I wish all of you the best of luck.</p>
<p>^Thanks so much for the reassurance. He had heard so many party all night rumors about Markley that he wanted to switch out and it was like he held the golden ticket for room swapping…kids were emailing/calling/offering $$$. Of’course no $$ exchanged hands with a very grateful guy for NYC.
We had seen, Markley and I just didn’t get the attraction,but we figured out it had nothing to do with the room size. My s is really pretty organized and very used to getting up early, he works full-time 7-3 this summer and always had a zero hour class or fall band practice at 6:30am. We have read some very good things about lots of bonding going on at Bursley. I am guessing that there will be some Centrally placed academic types wishing they were in a quieter dorm. I visited A2 for the first time at orientation and North Campus is absolutely beautiful…Son will also be able to enjoy all that Central has to offer as well…kinda the best of both worlds. When I was in collge, many moons ago, I always loved living in mixed Freshman, Sohp, Junior dorms. It was always great to have the experienced students living on your floor or in your dorm as a handy resource. To hear kids complain about the shuttle system…just spells lazy to me…we lived in europe for a time and they think nothing of riding their bikes, taking the train or bus to their schools. Kids want to just roll out of bed into class…sad state for sure. We are also from a “nasty winter state” so that won’t be a shocker either. </p>
<p>So thanks again for all the encouraging words…next we can chat about how hard it will be to not have him around …although I am very excited to see him off to the opportunity of a lifetime…What is your son’s major?</p>
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<p>There are so many clubs and activities, it would surprise me if he didn’t find something fun to do that gets him out and about. (If he doesn’t have an EC that he will carry over from h.s.) My son didn’t want to continue his ECs, so he started playing rugby, joined a club that would meet to feed squirrels, and really enjoyed a club called “random acts of kindness.” They would meet, then go out on campus handing out candy or offerring to give hugs or hold up signs that said “Smile” and smiling. He may not continue at it, but it was fun for him as a freshman.</p>
<p>Try to encourage your son to use freshman orientation to meet people, get contacts for when school starts. One of DS’s friends, who he will live with as a soph, he met at orientation. UM does orientation very well, putting students from specific college programs together in dorms and allowing them to bond a little over the three days. </p>
<p>Did he sign up to live in one of the residential living-learning communities? Seems like that would be a good way to have a ready-made social group as a freshman. Maybe it’s not too late to apply to one. </p>
<p>Also, you might want to make this program known to your son: it sets up freshmen with upperclass mentors to provide some advice, assistance, low-key activities. </p>
<p>[Office</a> of New Student Programs | Incoming Freshmen | Mentorship - University of Michigan](<a href=“http://www.onsp.umich.edu/incoming_freshmen/mentorship.html]Office”>http://www.onsp.umich.edu/incoming_freshmen/mentorship.html)</p>
<p>Markjm: Hey I am an NJ transplant now living in Omaha, NE…by way of many other moves…but that is a whole nother blog somewhere…any way I lived 23 years in Little Falls next to Montclair and close to NYC. I will tell you straight out that the Midwestern folks are just the best!! They are so warm, friendly, honest down to earth folks and I told my s to gravitate toward the MI kids because they have such wonderful value systems…While walking around A2 and campus with lost looks on our faces during orientation, so many adults in town and students on campus stop to ask if we needed some help. You have to visit sometime…you will love it…it was my first time too. Regards!</p>
<p>I think this thread is a great idea! My son will be starting at UMich in the Fall. He is our first child to go to college, so I’m always looking for input/experiences from other parents. Thanks!</p>
<p>Hi Everyone,
If anyone has any pressing questions or concerns regarding U of MI…I do have the screen names of several current student parents that have expressed a desire to help out and share information at any time. Just PM me and I will be happy to share those with you.
Cheers</p>
<p>“While walking around A2 and campus with lost looks on our faces during orientation, so many adults in town and students on campus stop to ask if we needed some help. You have to visit sometime…you will love it…it was my first time too.”</p>
<p>That is why I chose to attend Michigan myself all these years ago. There was a welcoming vibe on and around campus that I did not get from any of the other 20 or so campuses I visited.</p>
<p>Knowing all I know today, I could hope for no better place to send my son to college…in 17 or so years!</p>
<p>I too am a new to Michigan mom to be. We’re in California and my DD is really excited for her new adventure. She’s also assigned to Bursley and is fine with it. I have tons of questions, but may get some answered when we go to A2 on Tuesday. Looking forward to join in the conversation.</p>
<p>Nice idea to start this thread littlefalls. I’m the mom of a 3rd year LSA/Residential College student, so I’ll try to answer questions best I can (with the disclaimer of very limited knowledge regarding North Campus…except that it’s pretty and there are deer). </p>
<p>We’ve been very happy so far with our experience at U Mich and all the opportunities it has provided. It’s true about the welcoming vibe on campus, we felt it when we first visited. It always amazes me when I walk across campus with my D how many people she’s knows and is friends with. You really don’t expect that sort of intimate community feeling on such a large campus, but it is a genuinely warm and friendly place.</p>
<p>As jazzymom says, there is a multitude of clubs, organizations and activities for students to get involved in. The only problem is there are only so many hours in the day! Just encourage your student to go check-out things they are interested in. It’s a great way for them to expand their social circle beyond the dorm and meet others with similar interests. If a student is very introverted, you may want to try to get him started thinking now about what kinds of activities he would be willing to check-out, maybe even email the organization to learn a bit more about them. Here’s a good place to start: [Clubs</a>, Sports, & Greek Life | University of Michigan](<a href=“http://www.umich.edu/clubs.php]Clubs”>http://www.umich.edu/clubs.php)</p>
<p>Another suggestion is to consider being part of the move-in volunteer crew. It’s a good way to meet new people — and the perfect time to meet them is when everyone is brand new — and be helpful.</p>
<p>The move in days at UM are very well coordinated, though still challenging. There are UM student volunteers who help unload your stuff, and move it into the dorms. The volunteers get to move in early, I think.</p>
<p>[Move-In</a> Makers | University Housing](<a href=“Michigan Housing”>http://www.housing.umich.edu/reshalls/move-in-makers)</p>
<p>Hey Littlefalls, My son is an engineering major. I don’t think he would have minded living on North if he were put there. He will be lliving in Markley and knows that he will have to find a regular place to do his work. He really wants to have a full social life and I think Bursley and Markley are both mostly freshman dorms. I initially was nervous about everything…especially the work load. The best advice that my daughter gave my son was that you have to make a huge effort to keep up with the work. If you do a good amount every day, you can balance work, friends and activities. She’s having the time of her life and I hope my son will too. She is by the way getting a great education as well lol, I felt compelled to add that. I saw AA in a snow storm so I can’t wait to go there in the nice weather. I bet it’s nice in Nebraska now as well :)</p>
<p>Bursley is a perfectly fine dorm. It is not centrally located, but it has a vibrant community, has decent food and is very conveniently connected to the rest of the campus by bus.</p>
<p>Markjm: Is your son going to room with someone he knows or randomly? What type of engineering is he interested in? You are right about the room assignment…it is not a make or break experience that everyone first thinks it is…just read the thread on this site regarding rooming assignments and everyone has such conflicting opinions so I take that as a sign that it is what you make of it…just like life! How are you going to handle moving your son into school? Are you driving or flying out? We might rent a car and then fly home, it is about an 11 hour drive. Orientation was a really great experience for us as a family…my 20 year old daughter also came along. It was so professionally run and I was just so impressed by the student orientation leaders. The student panel was my favorite part…Parents had so many great questions for them. This is my first and only child attending college…so I found it to be extremely informative. My son loved it and made some friends that he later connected with on Facebook. Have a great trip!</p>