<p>Freshmen in college vs seniors in college are like night and day. By the time most people are upperclassman they seem much more confident, more honest and just more comfortable in their own skin. Freshmen in college so often seem so self conscious and so desperate for approval. </p>
<p>I do think UM is a school where confidence is important. There are so many outgoing and lively people at UM that it can be challenging for people who are more timid and self conscious. You don’t have to be the life of the party by any means, but you should have confidence in yourself at UM.</p>
<p>@Marinebio444, Oh you’re still a freshman!? What dorm do you live in? I was staying at my friend’s place Hecht Pentland on the seventh floor.</p>
<p>I actually just attended the Accepted Student Open House this past weekend and I also stayed there from Friday night to Monday morning, met a lot of my friend’s friends and they were really nice and easygoing, I came in Friday night thinking oh will they like me, will I make friends if I attend here? And honestly, I came to Miami thinking, I’m probably not going to go here, just will check it out and enjoy myself, but when I left honestly, I’m even more seriously contending this school, it just has a culture in itself, but yeah I would say there will always be stuck up kids in every school, but you just have to waive them off, you’ll only get riled up if you make yourself get riled up. Although, I’ve been to Miami before, had a lot of fun, got to do a lot of stuff, also got to taste the dorm food, which is better than my current college’s food haha. I’m also going to attend the Boston Accepted Student Reception this Saturday so excited for that, I hope they give out free stuff, haha I love getting free stuff. :P</p>
<p>My other concern about living in Miami is the high cost of living. I’ll only be able to attend UM if I actually receive a full scholarship (Gates). What type of activities are there to do for college students on a low budget? I’m not much interested in partying and all that. I’m much more interested in going to see shows, museums, eating out, etc. What type of free events are on-campus and do a huge number of students on campus participate in them?</p>
<p>@MarquisShowChoir, Yep, I’m on Hecht PT11 right now, going to be on Pearson 2 next semester.</p>
<p>@spidermc25, Miami does a really good job at providing opportunities for people who don’t want to go out every weekend. All sporting events are free, and there’s almost always some kind of sporting event going on. There’s a free movie theater on campus that plays both recent and older movies (they change every week). There’s the on-campus art museum (I think you have to pay a little bit for that, but not much). There are always events going on around the Green and the Rock. There are a number of museums around the area that offer student discounted tickets. There are shows that the drama department puts on for free. There are lectures by celebrities and famous academics all the time. You get the point :)</p>
<p>@spidermc25, I’m pretty positive they have a lot of events throughout the year! My friend always gets free shirts from them haha.</p>
<p>@Marinebio444, oh really? Do you know my friend Vince Hsu? I met a few new people in PT7 though, such as Shermann, Salo, Cameron, and etc., you know any of these guys? Haha.</p>
<p>@spidermc25, there’s a metro right across from the U’s campus takes you down to Miami and if you ever need anything about two stops away there’s a Target, Bed, Bath, and Beyond, and etc.</p>
<p>@Marinebio444, Really? Haha I was staying at his place, damn, I went to high school with him, he was a grade below me though, had AP Chemistry with him haha.</p>
<p>Current sophomore at UM. Yes, the shallow rich elite is inevitably part of the culture (even Coral Gables is an extremely affluent area)- but it all depends on who you hang out with. Nearly all of my friends come from traditional, working class backgrounds- but we’re all smart, ambitious, dedicated students committed to making the world a better place. Yes, UM is a place for the privileged, but it’s also a place for other types of students as well.</p>
<p>I’d just like to add that literally every single one of my close friends (and I myself) would not be here without his/her scholarship and each one lives on a modest budget just like your average college student. I do know one guy (and international student) who is definitely ridiculously wealthy, but he’s one of the nicest, most down-to-earth dudes I’ve ever met, so who cares?</p>
<p>If there’s any problem I have with the general student body, it’s that there is quite a distinct lack of intellectual curiosity: most kids here are pretty bright, but learning is kept strictly to the classroom. That’s kind of to be expected at a place like this, but still- pretty lame. However, it’s certainly possible to find fellow nerds to throw your lot in with; it’s just harder than at most other schools.</p>
<p>I think that the superficial image can by and large be true of international students, Who usually attend from wealthy, full-tuition-paying families in developing countries and focus more on having lavish parties in Brickell than going to class and being part of campus culture.
The domestic students are much more diverse, and by and large seem more easygoing and accessible. Even a lot of the guys I know in greek life are more chill than snobbish. The larger point would be that if you want to find a group of kids who are at your style or level, take classes and join clubs that you will enjoy, and the students around you will probably become great friends. I was very solitary first semester of freshman year and found it hard to find students beyond the electronic music/clubs/substance abuse culture, but put more effort on getting around and now have a solid circle of friends who enjoy museums and block parties and beach days and scuba diving and musical theatre and indie punk rock shows and taco nights and metrorail adventures and nights stuck in the library and writing for the school paper and being involved in student government and singing a capella and going on road trips. So I doubt that’s what you would expect when you envisage a Miami Hurricane, but take it from my experience that there are those people out there. </p>
<p>although yes, rokr is right that there is a need on campus space for intellectual discussion…</p>
<p>You guys are all very helpful in providing a perspective towards UM student life, so thank you. It is disappointing that the lack of interest in intellectual discussion is true though. It’s probably a part of why UM is so discouraging of students who want to overload work and pursue more than one major… I want to double major in electrical and computer engineering, but according to most, it’d take 5 years there.</p>
<p>Spidermc25 why does your ambitions depends on others interests? If you come to UM with enough AP credits I do not see why you cannot double major, even though in 5 years you’ll probably do better with a Master’s degree (that is actually what most UM students do) than a double major.</p>
<p>Thanks for your response! And I guess it would just be nice to be in an academically-driven atmosphere both in and out of the classroom, but I do see your point. I do know that there are many opportunities for research involvement at UM though! Sadly, I won’t be able to come in with enough AP credits to double major, because my high school doesn’t offer enough AP courses. Because of that, UM’s rigid curriculum is a disadvantage for me. </p>
<p>Can you comment on whether it’d be more advantageous to complete a Master’s from the same school as your undergrad? I realize this is completely forward thinking, but I’m just being hypothetical, haha. Right now, I think that I’d prefer doing my Master’s at a different university, but I’m not sure about my reasons why.</p>
<p>I don’t think there are many schools where there is not a certain percentage of students who appear superficial and not particularly interested in serious academics-maybe MIT. I went to an Ivy League school , and I can assure you we had students who wanted to"hang loose" and get" Gentleman C’s". I have visited Miami three times with my son who will be a freshman next year, and my impression has been that the typical Miami student is bright, engaged and balances serious academics with fun. JMO.</p>
<p>Miami offers a BS/MS program for any student that by the time they are a junior and have a GPA of at least 3.0 (not as easy as a 3.0 in other majors). The advantage of a Masters in five years instead if a BS in 4 (41/2) + 2 years Masters in another school are: cost, second, the opportunity to join the work force with a higher salary earlier , third the opportunity to start working toward your PhD if you desire or toward another Masters. Do not forget that great part of your education come from the work you will do in the real work and not just in school (unless you want to be a researcher). Miami is not an easy school. My niece comes from a very competitive HS and find herself challenged at UM. Not all MIT kids turn out famous or successful. Success does not resides in the institution, it resides in the student. If you do not believe in that you will not make it anywhere.</p>
<p>A thing to remember is that a Masters isn’t for everyone. For example, if you’re looking to go into research science or teaching at the university level, it’s not uncommon for people to skip the Masters and go straight to the PhD. This is my plan when I graduate. So before you commit to a 5-year masters program vs. a double major, make sure you’ve evaluated all of your options and thought about your career path.</p>
<p>Hold up, I don’t think I ever explicitly said that there’s a lack of intellectual discussion on campus. I think that there’s a lack of institutionalized offerings (Especially outside of Foote Fellowish things) for such endeavors, but the campus could totally support a serious intellectual club or organization or space. Students will discuss and engage in some of the most riveting matters, but often in private conversation. The problem, I would think, is that there is a lag between the rise in quality of students and rise in quality of extracurricular programs. However, that also means that there is a huge opportunity for incoming and current students to create those spaces and establish future traditions. </p>
<p>And as for your concerns about double majoring between Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, I would think it to be highly disingenuous to say that the University doesn’t promote double majoring. In fact, most of the people I know at this school (which is a fair number) are at least pursuing a major and a minor. Then again, the matter of pre-reqs and APs is important. For your specific program, have you looked at the department of Electrical and Computer Engineering? There is a double major offered between the Bachelor in Science in Computer Engineering (in the engineering school) and Computer Science (in college of arts and science) that only requires a minimum four more classes, as well as a five-year major program if you’re interested. </p>