<p>I know Michigan is divided into three campuses and I'm wondering how that factors into daily life for a freshman. What's it take to get from one to another and why would one need to? I'm comparing Michigan to Emory specifically (I know they're opposite in many ways) so anything helpful in regards to that would be great. I also understand the parking situation at Michigan is... difficult and one is only eligible for a permit after sophomore year. How does it work in practice and is having a car even necessary? Is Ann Arbor completely self-sufficient in regards to recreational activities? How often do current students find themselves in Detroit? Slightly unrelated to the title but, despite reading that students are not "just a number" at Michigan, how do individuals stand in the administration's eyes as opposed to a smaller school, say, Emory ;) and how different is the advising you get as a new different from that of smaller schools? Thanks!!!</p>
<p>Oh, and completely unrelated but what's the deal with the program where students can enter into the business school after freshman year? Thanks again!</p>
<p>For a freshman undergrad, the two campuses you'll mostly be worried about are Central and North. South is the athletic campus, consisting of various stadiums and field houses for the most part. North = engineering and medical. If you're an engineering student you'll probably be doing some back-and-forth between North and Central. There is a campus bus system to facilitate this movement; from what I understand it is reasonably punctual and efficient.</p>
<p>Parking? In Ann Arbor? Bad idea. The city is purposely designed to be traversed on foot, bicycle or bus - in other words, it's not your typical suburban cookie-cutter sprawl, which is almost always a good thing. You can find privately rented parking spaces off-campus but they are prohibitively expensive. Bicycles are extremely popular in Ann Arbor and on campus, with plenty of places available to lock them up. Bring something cheap 'n cheerful if you want a bike, because they do get stolen. For long-distance travel (i.e going home for Christmas) I know Amtrak runs through Ann Arbor, but I don't have any more details on that. Detroit-Metro Airport is pretty close too. I've heard whispers of a light-rail line from Ann Arbor to Detroit but from what I understand that's still in the planning stages.</p>