Ready to Send My Deposit. Now: Housing and Program Questions

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Michigan
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<p>So I think I am going to send my deposit next week- Michigan is in a 3 way tie for my first choice and I'm probably not getting into the other two schools. I am psyched to be a wolverine.</p>

<p>I have some questions about housing and programs. Simply put, I don't want to live on North Campus (I'm in LSA). I know, it's not that bad; my dad lived there, but still. If I pay now, what are the odds that I get North Campus? What can I do to get on central or the Hill.</p>

<p>I didn't apply to the Residential College, but it's starting to look pretty sweet. kb: are you in the RC, and if so would you mind if I asked you about it/ would you mind sharing your thoughts (same for anyone else who knows about it). Do I have to apply or what? Is RC admittance pretty much automatic? Also, how is the language requirement in the RC and at Michigan in general.</p>

<p>I'm probably not getting admitted to Honors, so I won't bother with that.</p>

<p>Anything else? Go blue! Basketball and hockey are looking most excellent.</p>

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<p>alice lloyd scholars hall and cuzins are also ways to get onto central campus.</p>

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<p>I know that the RC is in east quad, where are those two? Which is better (totally loaded question)</p>

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<p>they are both in a very good location. (central campus) I think I am going to try for lloyd scholars. Lloyd is for those interested in writing and the arts, couzens is a community service dorm. I think that both dorms have application processes, yet it is a great way to get onto the best part of campus. =)</p>

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<p>When I was a student, we were able to preference single-sex, female-only dorms. Not ideal if you really want the coed experience, but it will guarantee a central campus location. I lived in Stockwell (best food on the Hill). Other options include Betsy Barbour, Helen Newberry, and Martha Cook. All have excellent locations.</p>

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<p>
[quote]
Do I have to apply or what? Is RC admittance pretty much automatic? Also, how is the language requirement in the RC and at Michigan in general.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Yes I am in the RC, and I'd LOVE to answer your questions. :-)</p>

<p>If you wanted to be in the RC, there was a box to check on your application, but if you'd like to participate in the program, just call up the RC office and I'm pretty sure they'll square you away. There is no "applying" to the RC. It is open to any student who is in LSA, and spots are given first come first serve. People HAVE been turned away from the RC, usually people who waited until too late.</p>

<p>The language program in the RC is FIRST RATE...i'm actually supposed to be writing a 300 word spanish paper (on 4 weeks of spanish experience...¡Ay!). You take the same placement test that students in LSA take, except the grading standards are higher for the LSA. This is because RC language courses are intensive, they cover more material in less time than the LSA program. As far as course equivalencies go, roughtly, 1st semester intensive spanish is equal to the 1st 2 LSA language courses, and 2nd semester is equal to the last 2 LSA language courses. What the RC provides however is the residential component to language study, which provides a semi-immersion atmosphere. Lunch tables and coffee hours allow students to engage eachother and thier instructors in informal conversations about...whatever. Today at tertulia (spanish coffee hour), I talked about Illinois politics w/ one of the spanish lecturers (not my own btw, although they were there too), and I also gossiped w/ a neighbor about how she's jealous that this boy she likes may be into another girl. These conversations just don't happen in LSA. The drawback is that in the RC, intensive language CONSUMES YOUR LIFE. Its 8 credits for romance languages, and 10 credits for japanese O_o. But its totally worth it.</p>

<p>Alice Lloyd and COUZENS are on the Hill. Which one is better....come on now. Do you see any Lloyd scholars posting on CC when they should be writing papers. Me thinks not. ;-)</p>

<p>About location...yeah...folks, the Hill ain't close to a whole lot on central campus. The big plus is its proximity to the CCRB. There is a reason why I never (but should) go there.</p>

<p>Housing makes a distinction b/t the Hill neighborhood and Central Campus neighborhood. Central Campus (as far as housing is concerned) includes only the directional Quads (East, West, and South). The Hill is Stockwell, Lloyd, Mosher-Jorden, Couzens, and Markely (which is a damn lie, Markley is def. not on the Hill, its on the medical school campus.</p>

<p>So yeah...go to the housing website and check out the options for yourselves. </p>

<p>KB</p>

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<p>kb, thanks</p>

<p>I didn't check the box, but I can still participate in the programs and live there if I contact them soo, right?</p>

<p>Did you just start Spanish? I have taken Latin in high school and want a modern language in college. You've totally convinced me about the language in RC being the way to go. With the intensive study do you only take language as a freshman or do you take it for 2 years like in LSA? How many other classes do you take?</p>

<p>I've looked into housing and want central but wouldn't mind the hill at all. Is there anyway to get into a quad when not doing honors or RC, seems like a longshot to me.</p>

<p>Beyond the language, how is life at the RC? Is it more contained or do people flow to and from the rest of the university? Do people go to a lot of sporting events (if they don't go to all the football games that ends it right there) and such? </p>

<p>How would you compare RC to Lloyd Hall Scholars?</p>

<p>Thanks all</p>

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<p>Para praticar, voy a responder en espa</p>

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<p>For practice, I'm going to respond in Spanish and English. If you can read spanish and my response need a correction, write me a private note (PM) please.</p>

<p>You can participate in the RC if there is space in the program. The RC accepts all students who want to participate until there is no more space. Its very important that you call the RC office immediatly(....good lord there are a lot of errors...don't message me actually...lol) if you want to be in the RC next year (proximo..ay!). I advise also that you ask the person in the ofice the rest of your question. He/she will know more than I.</p>

<p>I started spanish this semster, and i'm taking RClang 194, which is the 1st clase in the intensive language sequence. Before this semster, i studied (we don't know past tense yet..sorry!) french for 4 years. I never took a spanish class. In the RC, if you start a new langage, you need 2 clases before the proficiency test. After proficiency, you need to take a "Readings" class. In all, the program takes 3 semester. Its equal to 5 semesters in LSA.</p>

<p>It is not possible to live in East Quad next year (unless you are in the RC or another MLC) because the building is only for Michigan Learning Communities. It is possible to live in South or West QUad, but there is much less space than the Hill.</p>

<p>People in the RC are independant and very differant (what i meant here was that they are individuals who do what they want). Some perople like to go to the "big house" and some don't like it. If you want to go to the "big house", go to the "big house". There are other people who will want to go with you. (Big house of course refers to the home of UM football)</p>

<p>I don't know anything about Lloyd Hall Scholars. Sorry...
KB</p>

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<p>RC sounds cool, I'll email them tomorrow. Do I need to sign up for RC then pay, or pay then sign up for RC?</p>

<p>Is that 3rd class when you start a new language, the reading class, as big of a commitment as the first 2 language classes? How many other classes do you take a semester? And I gotta be sure- it is pass fail right? Does anyone who is serious about it fail? That would really take so much pressure off it and let me learn.</p>

<p>How would you describe the people in RC, if you could? How do they compare to the rest of the university and students? Is there an RC intramural football or frisbee team? Will their be people joining me at Yost and Crisler (frozen four and final four this year!) after football season? It seemed to me everyone went to the football games, I can't see not going to all of them, is that not true at the RC?</p>

<p>What's the RC about besides the language program? A smaller place to find a niche in, in a town where I know no one sounds good. So do smaller classes, I currently go to a private school and really like the small classes.</p>

<p>I'm coming from far away (Virginia) and just trying to get a feel for everything. My high school hasn't sent anyone to Michigan in about 6 years and the closet contact to the school is this board and my Dad and his friends who were there in the late 70s. All I've really learned from them is that Anthony Carter is amazing and that there didn't used to be as much drinking. It was drugs back in their day. Lots of drugs... lol</p>

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<p>No tengo la tiempo para responder en ambas lenguas esta tiempo. Lo siento. lol</p>

<p>The readings class is 4 credits, and its just like any other social science class...except its in the language that you have proficiency in. The 1st two language classes, which are 8 credits, ARE pass/fail. Yeah, failing isn't good, but if you have a desire to learn the language, you won't fail. Its important to keep up w/ the work.</p>

<p>I personally am not into the sports culture, and RC students are disproportionatly apathetic about sports, but there are plenty of sport-aholics in the RC. You won't be the only one traipsing to Yost when its 10 degrees outside. :-P</p>

<p>As an underclassmen, the RC is about the english seminars (which are SO much better than English 125..yuck)...and language study. When you are an upperclassmen, you have a lot of opportunities to do w/e in the RC, but the program does specialize in the humanities and in interdiciplinary study of the social sciences.</p>

<p>If you want to talk more...i encourage you to IM me on AIM or Yahoo. Its a bit more convienent.</p>

<p>KB</p>

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<p>Your dad sounds like an OK guy and yes, AC was amazing.</p>

<p>Another alternative is to join the Michigan Research Community (formerly UROP in Residence). UIR used to have a floor on Mo-Jo but Mo-Jo will be closed down for rebuilding. Anyone knows where they are gonna put the MRC students next year?</p>

<p>Btw, UROP is a great program whether you go for the residence part or not.</p>

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<p>kb or anyone-</p>

<p>What are the people in the RC like? What do they do for fun? What makes them different? Who is the kind of person who likes the RC?</p>

<p>About East Quad- how does it compare with the other dorms. I remember south and west quads being right in the middle of everything from when I visited. I didn't go to east quad, but looking at the map it seems about as far from the diag and the middle of campus as the hill. How is the area around it and its relation to everything else. </p>

<p>I'm just trying to figure out where I would be best off and happiest next year. </p>

<p>I emailed the RC yesterday to say I was interested and I am going to pay my deposit once I figure out what I want to do (RC, other program, or nothing). Hopefully I can figure it out in the next week.</p>

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<p>They're all left-wing pot-smoking hippies. For fun they recite poetry and sing songs of peace after they smoked enough bud. As for what makes them different, the long blue hair can do that. Sorry, I had to. Come on, you set me up.</p>

<p>East quad is a fine dorm. It's not as centrally located as South and west quads, but it comes really close. I'd say its a better location than the Hill, but it is somewhat secluded. There isn't anything of interest on East U other than East Quad basically. But anywhere on central campus is sweet basically. Including hill.</p>

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<p>hahaha, thanks chibears. I look foward to the inevitable response about the honors college. I'll be sure to bring a few bootlegged phish concerts with me next year. Is that all they are about in east quad? Is that too different than the rest of UM and Ann Arbor; what with your relaxed marijuana laws and peaceful ideals.</p>

<p>South and west quads seem awesome but there's (almost) no way I would get into one if I just went with normal housing. The hill seems not too far away and has the recreation building and field. East quad does seem to be a little nicer of an area to be in thoug, but as far away. I really dont know what I'm talking about so someone please correct.</p>

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<p>If there is in fact an inevitable response about the honors college, I can counter. The only really nerdy thing about honors is the amount of guys who play world of warcraft 24/7. If you walk down the guys' halls and look into an open door, there is about a 70% chance you'll see someone playing video games. Otherwise, we're pretty normal. You have the general idea about housing, surely better than most have upon entering the U.</p>

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<p>East quad is definitely closer to Central Campus than the Hills. Other than Stockwell, the other Hills dorms are quite a bit farther; Markley is closer to the Medical Center. And there is nothing else on the Hills.</p>

<p>East quad is just a couple blocks from East U and UGLI where you'll probably spend a lot of time in the evening. While there's more to do on State & Liberty, East U does have a few nice things like the bookstore, several nice restaurants, a couple coffee shops and Village Corner.</p>

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<p>since there are so many knowledgeable people on this board, mind if I interject a sort of off-topic question?</p>

<p>Is there any possibility of switching between RC and Honors? I'm sort of rethinking RC, even though I checked off the box on my app, seeing as how it seems so focused on language. I finished French through AP last year in the hopes that I'd get out of a language requirement in college and I don't have much desire to start another language next year. Is to late to enquire about Honors and would it be worth it?</p>

<p>I'm really pretty clueless about this whole thing, I guess.</p>

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<p>YOU DON'T HAVE TO TAKE ANOTHER LANGUAGE. Take the language placement test during orientation. Depending on how you do, the RC will let you sit for proficiency. If you make proficiency, you'll be able to take the RC 300 level readings courses in french.</p>

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<p>Okay, don't have to start a new language, but does that mean that I have to continue with French? I like the language well enough but I have no real desire to minor in it and no motivation to put in the amount of work that RC seems to require.</p>

<p>I attempted a 300-level reading course in French at a local college at the start of this year after finishing AP last year, but timing conflicts with my high school classes made me drop it. If RC is anything like that course where we read something like 40-50 pages of a novel every couple days, I can see how that's wonderful if I'm attempting to really learn the language well. But I'm not, and that kind of work seems too much extra effort in the long run, since I'm planning on a bio/biochem major.</p>